When the inevitable growth of multi-media, multi-lingual videoconferencing comes about, it will be necessary to 'visually edit' gestures on the fly. The MIT (Massachussets Institute of Technology) Media Lab, Microsoft and many others are working on computer recognition of facial expressions, biometric access identification via the face, etc. It won't be any good for a US business person to be making a great point in a Web-based multi-lingual video conference to an Argentinian, having his words translated into perfect Argentinian Spanish if he makes the "O" gesture at the same time. Computers can intercept this kind of thing and edit them on the fly.
There are thousands of ways in which cultures and countries differ, and most of these are computerizable to change as one goes from one culture to the other. They include laws, customs, business practices, ethics, currency conversions, clothing size differences, metric versus English system differences, etc. Enterprising companies will be capturing and programming these differences and selling products and services to help the peoples of the world communicate better. Once this kind of thing is widespread, it will truly contribute to international understanding.
*Interview of September 10, 2000
= What do you think about e-books?
E-books continue to grow as the display technology improves, and as the hardware becomes more physically flexible and lighter. Plus, among the early adapters will be colleges because of the many advantages for students (ability to download all their reading for the entire semester, inexpensiveness, linking into exams, assignments, need for portability, eliminating need to lug books all over).
[FR] Randy Hobler (Dobbs Ferry, New York)
#Consultant en marketing internet, notamment chez Globalink, société spécialisée en produits et services de traduction
Randy Hobler a été successivement consultant en marketing et internet chez IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Burroughs Wellcome, Pepsi, Heublein, etc. En 1998, il était consultant en marketing internet chez Globalink, société spécialisée en produits et services de traduction. "J'aime pouvoir combiner ensemble mes compétences en tant que formateur en haute technologie et en marketing avec ma passion pour les langues, écrivait-il. Aimer ce que je fais et faire ce que j'aime." Globalink a été racheté par Lernout & Hauspie en 1999.
[Entretien 03/09/1998 // Entretien 10/09/2000]
*Entretien du 3 septembre 1998 (entretien original en anglais)