In localization circles, we frequently talk about the need to include fonts in what gets internationalized. Fonts have their own subliminal expressions — in the United States, for example, Times New Roman is considered a little stodgy, Courier New ironically old.
Technology
Localization lessons from a software startup
If you should find yourself responsible for localization in a startup company, there are four things that you are likely to encounter...
Multilingual moms rock
Remember to think “diversity” and include gender and roles in your UX research. That includes gender-based and language-based roles in your user research screener. And, bear in mind, “roles” are not always about ‘9 to 5’ jobs, as any full-time parent will tell you.
Localization tech predictions for 2019
What does 2019 hold for us? Well, if we pay attention to the predictions of 16th-century seer Nostradamus, we should brace ourselves for flooding, wars and a strike by a meteor. Assuming we survive all of that, what does 2019 hold for technology trends?
Translation chatbots and the US election
With political campaigns suggesting that texting young voters can be an effective method for getting the vote out, translation chatbots may actually play a role in this year's elections.
Humor and AI: Does it travel?
Conversational interfaces such as chatbots and voice assistants present many localization challenges — humor, for example. And that’s not even considering if the original content was all that funny to begin with.
Haven’t an Iota About Fintech Localization? Try Cryptocurrencies
Money, Money, Money Meets Its Waterloo Apologies to ABBA fans about the cheesy introduction. But, mamma mia we need to talk about cryptocurrencies! The Chips Are Down For Fintech I enjoyed a must-read Medium article from Graham Rigby of Iota Localisation Services about the challenges of Fintech localization. Graham talks about how Fintech localization is different from...
In Technology, Things Never Slow Down
I am of an age where I can recall the pre-email intra- and extra-office communications process. Both were served by what is now called snail mail. External communications got a stamp and were posted at the end of every day. Internal communications involved a dedicated person traveling around the offices handing out memos in large...
Vive La French Tech! Chatbots, French Style
Conversational UI, that natural interaction between human and technology, is a hot topic worldwide, and the localization requirements for creating a great contextual natural user experience are fascinating and challenging, none more so than in the case of chatbots.
In the future, smart homes will differ from country to country
Soon anything that connects to the internet will become ‘intelligent’. Integration of these technologies vastly differs across the world, cultural preferences and different prioritization all shape which smart home technologies we'll adopt in our homes. Smart home localization is already happening.