Enlightening minds. Enriching lives. Tamil Digital Industry Badri Seshadri K.S.Nagarajan New Horizon Media

Tamil Digital IndustryTamil Digital Industry

Badri SeshadriBadri Seshadri

K.S.NagarajanK.S.Nagarajan

New Horizon MediaNew Horizon Media

Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.

English vs Indian LanguagesEnglish vs Indian Languages

Computer and mobile phones are Computer and mobile phones are designed with English in mind.designed with English in mind.

Can be extended easily to Roman script.Can be extended easily to Roman script. Indian scripts and languages require lot of Indian scripts and languages require lot of

work to be ported to computers and mobile work to be ported to computers and mobile phones.phones.

You and us have to work together to make You and us have to work together to make this happen.this happen.


Difficulties a Tamil user has Difficulties a Tamil user has to faceto face

Can’t read Tamil on my computerCan’t read Tamil on my computer Can’t understand the encodingCan’t understand the encoding Each website asks for loading a different Each website asks for loading a different

fontfont Tamil is broken in my computerTamil is broken in my computer ““It is too much trouble, so I gave up.”It is too much trouble, so I gave up.” Tamil in mobile? Are you kidding?Tamil in mobile? Are you kidding?


Transparent services a Tamil Transparent services a Tamil user needsuser needs

Read Tamil – without pain, installation, Read Tamil – without pain, installation, knowledge of computers etc.knowledge of computers etc.

Write in Tamil – in every application, easily Write in Tamil – in every application, easily and naturally.and naturally.

And much more.And much more. Same in mobile phones – send and Same in mobile phones – send and

receive SMS in Tamil, read WAP sites, receive SMS in Tamil, read WAP sites, use applications that understand Tamil.use applications that understand Tamil.


Services / Products one Services / Products one requiresrequires


READREAD

Unicode encodingUnicode encoding Built-in Unicode encoded fontsBuilt-in Unicode encoded fonts Uniscribe engine (or equivalent) for Uniscribe engine (or equivalent) for

complex languagescomplex languages Operating system level supportOperating system level support Application level supportApplication level support


READ - Current StatusREAD - Current Status

Windows / Linux / Macs – different levels Windows / Linux / Macs – different levels of sync.of sync.

Windows XP – requires separate Windows XP – requires separate upgradation. Vista, already enabled.upgradation. Vista, already enabled.

Linux – Fedora Core 6 works. Others – Linux – Fedora Core 6 works. Others – may vary.may vary.

Mac – Tiger onwards Tamil support, but Mac – Tiger onwards Tamil support, but limited application level support.limited application level support.


READ - What do we require?READ - What do we require?

Vista – nothing.Vista – nothing. Windows XP – a single click installation Windows XP – a single click installation

setup (from an external CD, not from the setup (from an external CD, not from the OS CD), or through online download.OS CD), or through online download.

Linux – same as above. Make every new Linux – same as above. Make every new build automatically support Tamil.build automatically support Tamil.

Mac – same as above.Mac – same as above. Default free fonts.Default free fonts.


READ – Mobile phonesREAD – Mobile phones

Need Unicode support (including complex Need Unicode support (including complex rendering) in every handset.rendering) in every handset.

Simple Unicode Tamil font installed in Simple Unicode Tamil font installed in every handset.every handset.

Make it mandatory for selling in Tamil Make it mandatory for selling in Tamil Nadu/ India.Nadu/ India.


WRITEWRITE

Use roman keyboard to type in Tamil – Use roman keyboard to type in Tamil – using different key mapsusing different key maps

Through use of plugin or OS level supportThrough use of plugin or OS level support Browser level support (browser plugins)Browser level support (browser plugins) Online applicationOnline application


WRITE - Current StatusWRITE - Current Status

Some free and paid software availableSome free and paid software available Microsoft supported Bhasha India productMicrosoft supported Bhasha India product Nothing that comes built-in with Nothing that comes built-in with

Windows(?)Windows(?) Minimal Murasu support in Mac (comes Minimal Murasu support in Mac (comes

bundled with Tiger+)bundled with Tiger+) Support in Linux platforms through SCIM, Support in Linux platforms through SCIM,

and others.and others.


WRITE - What do we require?WRITE - What do we require?

A lightweight, sophisticated plugin that can A lightweight, sophisticated plugin that can support multiple languagessupport multiple languages

Same definition files that can be used with Same definition files that can be used with OS level as well as browser level pluginsOS level as well as browser level plugins

Key maps: phonetic, typewriter, other Key maps: phonetic, typewriter, other localised variations to be supportedlocalised variations to be supported

Allows users to create own key mapsAllows users to create own key maps


WRITE – Mobile phonesWRITE – Mobile phones

OS level support for typing in Tamil OS level support for typing in Tamil (default)(default)

Support for third party supplied input Support for third party supplied input methodmethod


TRANSLITERATETRANSLITERATE

To convert text written in one script to To convert text written in one script to another script (while keeping the sound as another script (while keeping the sound as close as possible to the original)close as possible to the original)

சா�ப்டா�ச்சா�? ചാ�ഭ്�ഢാ�ച്ചാ�?

చాభ్ఢా� చా�? ಚಾಭ್ಢಾ��ಚಾ�? चा�प्टा�च्चा�?

caaptaaccaa? cāpṭāccā?


TRANSLITERATE – Current TRANSLITERATE – Current statusstatus

Unicode allows easy transliterationUnicode allows easy transliteration One still requires language rules to be One still requires language rules to be

applied for special charactersapplied for special characters Easy to implement as a web service, Easy to implement as a web service,

application etc.application etc.


DICTIONARYDICTIONARY

Several online English dictionaries Several online English dictionaries available.available.

No queryable, searchable English-Tamil, No queryable, searchable English-Tamil, Tamil-English, Tamil-Tamil or Tamil-Any-Tamil-English, Tamil-Tamil or Tamil-Any-Indian-Language search available online.Indian-Language search available online.

Thus, no spell-check facility available – Thus, no spell-check facility available – with commercial software or free software.with commercial software or free software.

Local applications may have some Local applications may have some primitive support.primitive support.


DICTIONARY – What do we DICTIONARY – What do we require?require?

Text analysis toolsText analysis tools Online ‘growing’ dictionaryOnline ‘growing’ dictionary Multi-language support (any language to Multi-language support (any language to

any other language)any other language) Web 2.0 support (APIs that can be Web 2.0 support (APIs that can be

incorporated in any site)incorporated in any site) A minimal mobile dictionary (to work along A minimal mobile dictionary (to work along

with WRITE)with WRITE)


GRAMMARGRAMMAR

Every Indian language has a specific and Every Indian language has a specific and distinct grammar for sentence construction distinct grammar for sentence construction and word prefix/suffix and word prefix/suffix sandhisandhi..

Grammar can also be used for speedy Grammar can also be used for speedy spell checkspell check

Morphological analysis requiredMorphological analysis required No serious work has happened – except in No serious work has happened – except in

Departments of Linguistics here and thereDepartments of Linguistics here and there


TEXT-TO-SPEECHTEXT-TO-SPEECH

Try Adobe PDF reader. It can read out any Try Adobe PDF reader. It can read out any English passage for you.English passage for you.

Free and paid tools available to build your Free and paid tools available to build your own applications.own applications.

Create (record) phonemes for every sound Create (record) phonemes for every sound in your language, then rules of breaking a in your language, then rules of breaking a word into several phonemes, pauses etc. word into several phonemes, pauses etc. and an application can be created to read and an application can be created to read text.text.


TTS – Current statusTTS – Current status

Nothing exists for Tamil (and other Indian Nothing exists for Tamil (and other Indian languages)languages)

Some experiments going onSome experiments going on Will also be very useful in a mobile phoneWill also be very useful in a mobile phone


Speech-To-TextSpeech-To-Text

Speech recognition – again, works fairly Speech recognition – again, works fairly well for Englishwell for English

Works for several different accents – even Works for several different accents – even for various Indian English accentsfor various Indian English accents

Commercial applications exist – OnMobile Commercial applications exist – OnMobile and your mobile phone service providerand your mobile phone service provider

Nothing available for Tamil (and other Nothing available for Tamil (and other Indian languages)Indian languages)


Optical Character Optical Character Recognition (OCR)Recognition (OCR)

Scanning a page containing printed text Scanning a page containing printed text and interpreting the page to (digital) textand interpreting the page to (digital) text

A commercial (and also a free version) A commercial (and also a free version) available for Tamil – Ponvizhiavailable for Tamil – Ponvizhi

A special case is digital handwriting A special case is digital handwriting recognition (Tablet PCs, handheld devices recognition (Tablet PCs, handheld devices etc.)etc.)

Lot more can be done hereLot more can be done here


TRANSLATIONTRANSLATION

The holy grail!The holy grail! To automatically convert one language to To automatically convert one language to

another.another. Already exists across several European Already exists across several European

languages.languages. Huge scope for Indian languages and Huge scope for Indian languages and

English.English.

Documents

Enlightening minds. Enriching lives. Tamil Digital Industry Badri Seshadri K.S.Nagarajan New Horizon Media