Hanzi To Pinyin Conversion Improved, Samples Available
Saturday, April 12th, 2008
Primezero Hanzi to Pinyin conversion utility improved with faster conversions and samples now available.
Archive for the ‘chinese translation’ Category
Google Chat Bot Trying To Replace Primezero Chinese Tools and i18n Terminal
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
Google released a chat bot that translates chat from English to Chinese 
http://googletalk.blogspot.com/2007/12/merry-christmas-god-jul-and.html
Hmm … I’ll comment later.
Adsotrans Unveils New Chinese Annotation Engine, Introduces Improved Input Method For Editors
Sunday, February 10th, 2008
Adsotrans makes it easy to annotate Chinese articles and read them inline with context.
David’s new engine is faster and click-friendly.
I have added the new link on Primezero Chinese Tools search results.
Sample Query: Happy New Year
Click Adsotrans link to get your annotation.
Click on the characters to reveal an edit window. Neat!
PrimezeroTools Chinese Dictionary Plugin Overview Now Online
Friday, February 8th, 2008
As a capstone to my milestones, I like to create PowerPoint presentations.
(Geez, what a geek).
There is something quite Zen-like when developing with PowerPoint on Google Docs. Simple yet just what I need.
They give me a chance to reflect on the product description and whether I met the basic requirements of a project. Under 10 slides of course — 9 to be exact. I just wanted to explain PrimezeroTools and cast it as a Chinese dictionary plugin. I was going to say “helper class”, but that is not as smooth as “plugin” … however plugin is WAY overused today like FRAMEWORK … *shivers down my spine *brrrr
Here is the GoogleDocs PowerPoint presentation:
Primezero Chinese Tools Completed
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
Primezero Chinese Tools Completed at Version 1.10. Here is a complete list of features. This information architecture experiment has concluded.
I want to clarify:
- Primezero is not a Chinese dictionary. It is a dictionary tool. It searches community-submitted content.
- The idea of decentralized Chinese translation is not completed — just the testbed.
From Developer’s Notebook
Now, for a quick core dump…
The primary goal of this project was to test what a “Chinese dictionary” is supposed to be. Let us first look at the somewhat traditional archetype this book.
A Chinese dictionary is a bound volume that contains insurmountable amounts of information related to one or more dialects of Chinese that can be readily accessed when needed.
Large volumes make wonderful doorstops and also are useful for propping up windows. Smaller volumes are often called “pocket dictionaries”, most likely designed for portability but with limited content.
Some Chinese dictionaries are neither large nor small, so they a provided topic-specific title, where you can find vocabulary that eludes that pocket dictionary without dragging a 5 pound dictionary around.
Things you find in traditional paper dictionaries:
- definitions — (define by whoooooo … from whooooose perspective?)
- parts of speech
- single source that is already outdated information by the time the book is published
- lack of cultural understanding and context
- no links to websites and media content (video, images, audio, etc.)
- closed source
Things you find in Primezero Chinese Tools (not a dictionary… a dictionary tool):
- live human translation
- ability to add your own definitions using Google Docs (and other Google Apps)
- search from multiple sources of information
- aggregation of definitions from multiple editors with equal voice (unlike wikipedia where one or two people can pick a pet rock definition and sit on it forever without allowing others a chance to add their perspective) — more later about Wikipedia’s failure
- rich media content
- open source
Primezero Chinese Seal Chop Widget Demo Posted
Monday, February 4th, 2008
I am testing a new way of presenting new products and services. I try to keep the presentations less than a minute or two mainly because I really have nothing important to say… hence the lack of audio.
Primezero Mobile Chinese Tools Is A Useful Chinese Dictionary … Sorta
Monday, February 4th, 2008
Well, Primezero Mobile Chinese Tools is not really a dictionary … it’s a dictionary tool that searches other dictionaries and human translations.
In fact, I cannot claim to be the best mobile Chinese Dictionary, but I can say that I have the most unique one to-date. You should be able to quickly link to the new YouTube website, the improved Flickr albums and several search engines including Google and Yahoo! ^^ More versions and features coming soon …
New versions will be available offline as well … stay tuned.
Mobile Chinese Tools. Point your browser to: http://m.primezero.com/
Hanzi To Pinyin Functionality Across Several Platforms From WordPress to Joomla
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
One of the most important features a semantics engine will need is the ability to transform information for whatever reason (portability, readability, vanity, 等等…).
One of the features I would like to see in several Content Management Systems is the ability to easily get audibly speak the language of the author and understand the blog entry from the author’s perspective with… dare I say … protocol droids?
I have actually discussed this with some distinguished linguists and many have concluded that such a project would be ridiculous because .. blah blah blah blah blah wah wah wah blah blah blah blah … ok, I didn’t listen to what they said.
Below is a screenshot of a sample application of Primezero Tools providing pinyin for Sina article. Of course, it does not understand duoyinci or any fanciful linguistic aspects of Mandarin, but the idea for students is “hey, here is a page … I should be able to practice reading Chinese, cool”.
Furthermore, integrating translation engines into semantics engines is the future as operating systems like gOS pick up steam and CMS will become primary mode of developing easily transportable information.
Started Working On Pre-Production Release of Primezero Tools
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
It has been brought to my attention that the pzphp is in wider use than expected. As such, I have no choice but start working on this in earnest.
Wow! Class Design Is Difficult
Developing PZHanziReader, PZCEDICTReader and other classes has taught me about class design in general. It SHOULD be very abstract. It does give you headaches. It truly is fun.
Class has very little to do with programming. It is an understand about how we psychologically organize objects (physical or otherwise) in our mind. I am so lucky that I network in different disciplines: a designer, a dog trainer and a teacher all have different perspectives when it comes to “developing” software.
Lessons Learned So Far (Ya, I Made Mistakes)
I thought that using a superclass called PZPinyinReader would provide flexibility for novice developers (where they can add PZHanziReader or PZCEDICTReader as needed), but it has actually caused MORE confusion. Thus, I need to build an application that uses a single PHP class if possible. TODO.
I failed to visually represent the class diagrams and dependencies and this was another mistake. TODO.
I did not provide a PowerPoint or brief introduction to the technology and what it was supposed to do because I was focusing on my specific application of the technology. TODO.
I have not provided mainstream applications for Chinese translation or Chinese language study or math and science education. TODO.
There is more to say, but I better get back to work before the SuperBowl starts…
Hey!! There Is A Hole On Your Shirt
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
Hey! ^^ There is a hole on your shirt.
You cannot see it?
Look closely…
This was on live TV in Hong Kong during a holiday fundraiser. Funneh.
Deal Or No Deal: Flirty Non-Verbals?
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
Non-verbals are always affect translation.
He gives the strong gaze and a compliment with a slightly deeper voice.
She adjusts her headset… or does she? .. a chance for miscommunication.
Translation can be vertical or horizontal. It can be encoded then decoded, decoded then encoded or encoded twice and decoded once. That is human translation.
Apple Cider Vinegar from QQRice: Great Food. Bad Translation.
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
Harmonizing Sausage and Stomach … which has a negative connotation, as to say, our bodies are ingredients for food. Oops.
… they meant to say “Soothing your digestive system” …
Embellishing your looks … the word “embellishing” is has a negative meaning. It means falsely creating an illusion that does not really exist.
… should be “improving your complexion” …
