Online

How The Hashtag Is Ruining The English Language

If Twitter is useful for anything beyond a flamethrower of breaking news and URL errata, it’s forcing us to be considerate about language — we have to use space wisely. Unfortunately, the hashtag is ruining talking. #NotGonnaLie


December 13, 2011
News

I Don’t Give A Fsck About Stephen Conroy Swearing

Gizmodo AU

The collective netisphere appears to be preparing to get its knickers in a twist over Senator Stephen Conroy saying the f-word on a live ABC broadcast. The fact that we even care in an embarrassing indictment of us as a nation.


Geek Out

How Game Of Throne’s Dothraki Language Came To Be

The Dothraki language in Game of Thrones isn’t some slopped-together, haphazard gibberish. As the NY Times tells it, it’s a full-formed, logical vernacular put together by a linguistics expert inspired by languages such as Swahili and Estonian.


October 14, 2011
Science

Those Bloody Piranhas Can Talk To Each Other

Not only these nasty little fish are vicious, but scientists have discovered that those bloody piranhas can talk to each other. They use three sounds, each of them meaning a new different thing.


Software

Google Translate For Android Now Supports Speech-To-Speech Translation In 14 Languages

Google has one of the best language translation technologies around, which they’ve continually improved over the past few years. And now their Android app has the ability to support speech-to-speech translation in 14 languages.


October 6, 2011
Geek Out

Siri Sounds Like Arse In Japan. Literally.

You’d think the smart people at Apple might check for this kind of thing in advance, but alas. Japan’s giggling in the wake of iPhone 4S’ birth, as voice control wizard Siri sounds a lot like shiri — arse. Oops!


October 2, 2011
Geek Out

This Is How Geniuses Live Forever

It stands to reason that anyone with an online presence will enjoy some level of immortality long after they’re gone. But for the old-school? You had statues and you had nouns. And language is much cooler than sculpted stone.


September 17, 2011
Mobile

Why Do Americans Say ‘Cellular Phone’ Instead Of ‘Mobile Phone’?

If I asked you about your phone, would you call it a cell phone or a mobile phone? Does it really matter what you say or is one term more appropriate than the other?


September 6, 2011
Geek Out

Here’s Where The Word Luddite Really Comes From

Dude, you don’t use Instagram? What are you, some kind of Luddite? Believe it or not, Luddites aren’t just people who cross their arms at, lag behind of, or turn up their nose at tech. Originally, they smashed it apart.


September 4, 2011
Online

Facebook Is Getting A Translate Button For Your International Friends

According to Inside Facebook, Facebook is currently testing a translate button for international users to getting around the language barrier. Facebook will provide a button to translate users’ comments on the fly.