Translations for man and beast

Mobile phone operators are offering translation services to customers with two or four legs. Not sure why your dog keeps whining? KTF is offering an interpretation service called doksimsul, which means “telepathy” in Korean. You record about 10 seconds of the sound that your dog is making. This data is then sent by wireless Internet to a central computer system that analyzes the dog’s noise patterns and sends its interpretation through a text message. KTF said the service uses a database created by a Japanese mobile contents firm and developed by a Korean company, based on sounds made by 55 breeds of dogs. To use this service, you have to download the program to your phone for 1,000 won ($1) and pay 200 won for each interpretation, plus connection costs. For regular human language, LG Telecom began a service yesterday that allows customers to connect to wireless Internet to translate words from Korean to English, English to Korean, and Korean to Japanese. Monthly fees are 2,000 won, with separate connection costs. by Wohn Dong-hee