Or Korean, for that matter. Or even Russian.
The evolution of subtitles and dubbing in films is going in unpredictable directions.
Streaming services are running into problems with respect to dubbing and generating subtitles in multiple languages.
One runaway hit can change equations.
The Squid Game on Netflix was watched worldwide by audiences who didn't know a word of Korean. But Netflix found another fascinating detail hidden in the data.
People preferred the dubbed version of the film in their local language instead of subtitles. Makes sense because for some, subtitles are a distraction.
The problem is how this can be achieved.
Here comes AI to the rescue. A company called Veritone has access to petabytes of data from media libraries. That is being used to create a synthetic version of a familiar voice speaking a different language, keeping the same tone and emotion.
Nvidia is developing the technology to move lips of the characters to match the audio.
Right now, it is being used in short duration projects like advertisements to get the technology going and iron out the creases.
But in a few years or a decade, we'll probably have actors whose versions of their hits will have them speaking foreign languages as well.
Even if they don't have a clue as to what they're saying.
The translators and subtitling industries may become collateral damage,
But imagine stars who are truly cross border, speaking any language with perfect intonation and emotion.
Now that could create the first global superstar!
Rethinking QWERTY
It has resisted everything.
The so-called 'inefficient' placement of keys was the original design mapped to make typing slow. Created specifically so that they keys did not jam up in the manual typewriter.
Fast forward to the computer and innumerable placement options have been tried without success.
Keyboard design has remained, or at least imitates the original layout of keys.
The T9 that briefly dominated mobile phones in the early days of cell phones did not lead to a long-term change.
Even the 'soft' version on smartphones stays true to the original.
Why has this layout triumphed? One of the reasons is that early laptops may not have wanted to change a design people were familiar with.
Navigating a new paradigm was complex enough.
That's why Chara Corder is a complete rejection of the original keypad layout.
Like a gaming keyboard, each of your finger’s rest on a set of keys. It is supposed to make typing stupendously faster, once you master the basics.
The switches detect finger movement in 3D rather than along a single dimension.
It also looks completely unlike any keyboard you've seen so far.
Each of the keys can be programmed to operate four or more functions.
It looks fiendishly complex but apparently has found a sizeable audience willing to take the time to master it.
And once you do, they promise that you can type as fast as you can think.
It has been breaking all kinds of speed records. Sites like Monkeytype have banned Chara Chord because the speeds are completely off the charts.
Maybe QWERTY has finally met its match.
The shark discovers a whale of an opportunity
Mark Cuban is recognized more for his appearances on Shark Tank rather than his ownership of Dallas Mavericks, a major baseball team.
But his latest venture could impact more than sport.
He's waded into an area where health, politics and policy intersect.
Setting up an online pharmacy for generics.
The high prices of medicines in the US is an intractable problem. People with chronic conditions end up paying a fortune every month, just to get by.
There are currently about 100 drugs on the website and the price differences are revealing.
The difference is as much as 90%. For a month's supply of Imatinib, the branded drug costs almost $10,000 dollars. He is supplying it for less than $50.
Now that puts him into a major confrontation with the whole ecosystem.
The patients are all going to be on his side because it directly impacts their lives and well-being.
And by cutting out insurance companies from the mix, he's removed one of the key pillars that govern the healthcare business models.
The battle could redefine how the entire health industry works.
There are billions, if not trillions of dollars at stake. And if the drug companies and hospitals are impacted, there will be repercussions.
Mark Cuban knows what he's letting himself in for. He's opted to go against companies with deep pockets who will see this as an existential threat.
Until now, there hasn't been a coordinated effort to cut prices across the spectrum. The loyalty of patients is guaranteed.
The US pharmaceutical market is the largest in the world at nearly $500 billion. And that's what Mark Cuban is taking a hacksaw to.
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