A science-fiction staple has inched closer to reality with the reveal of a prototype in-ear wearable that translates languages almost instantly.

Acting in a similar manner to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’s babelfish or Star Trek’s Universal Translator, startup company Waverly Labs‘ Pilot earpiece sits in the ear to translate spoken foreign languages to the wearer.

The prototype device previewed at this week’s Mobile World Congress and is set to launch later this year.

Designed as a pair of linked earpieces, Pilot connects to an app that uses speech recognition and machine translation to convert spoken language. It removes the awkwardness of phrase books or smartphone apps by playing a translated version directly to the listener.

Waverly Labs say that there’s only a few seconds delay in speaking and interpretation, and early videos of the device in action suggest it can handle simple conversations.

Strong dialects or local accents, however, could pose difficulties, but Waverly Labs claims the machine translation will improve with use.

Currently the device needs to be connected to the internet to work, although the company plans to develop an offline version. The existing prototype allows two people both wearing the earpiece to have a conversation, but later updates could expand this functionality.

Pilot can also be used to wirelessly listen to music, which can be shared with the earpiece of a companion.

Waverly Labs received $4 million in funding from supporters on Indiegogo in 2016 to launch the product, which is set to sell for $299 (£244). To start with, it will be able to translate English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese, and the company plans to add more languages later on.

Other products launched at the 2017 Mobile World Congress include a projector that can turn any surface into a touchscreen and the world’s first driverless race car.

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This solar-powered retreat in Northern California‘s Sonoma wine region was designed by US firm Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects to include outdoor living areas and framed views of the landscape.

The Sonoma Residence is situated on a lush meadow dotted with large oak trees. The site gently slopes down toward a spring-fed pond.

The owners requested that the residence be suitable for outdoor living during the summer months, with easy access to the pond and a swimming pool. Providing views of the scenic terrain was also a key factor.

“The design frames the verdant oak meadow and pond within the larger landscape,” said Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects, a San Francisco-based studio.

The property encompasses a main home, a pool house and a detached garage – all low-slung, rectilinear volumes nestled into the landscape.

Board-formed concrete, stucco and cedar were used for exterior walls.

The 2,950-square-foot (274-square-metre) main dwelling comprises a series of bars and boxes of varying heights, including an open-air volume that serves as an outdoor living room.

A thin plane stretches over the central portion of the home. “A thin, floating roof reaches across the primary outdoor living space to frame the entry and create a dramatic threshold from the car court to the pond beyond,” the architects said.

Lower volumes are topped with landscaped roofs – their greenery visually linking the house to the surrounding landscape.

Inside, the home is fitted with Douglas fir cabinetry and concrete flooring. Ample glazing and sliding glass doors provide a strong connection to the outdoors.

The open-plan living and dining area is wrapped with clerestory windows, which bring soft, natural light into the space.

The pool house, which encompasses 840 square feet (78 square metres), contains a changing room, a guest room and a playroom, along with areas for storage.

An expansive terrace is shaded by a trellis-like canopy, and serves as a comfortable area for eating and relaxing.

A small dock for kayaks juts into the pond and a seating area around a fire pit is situated close by. These elements further extend “the outdoor living experience”, the team added.

The net-zero home is designed to produce as much energy as it consumes.

The architects utilised a number of passive cooling strategies to reduce energy usage, including heavy insulation, operable windows and deep roof overhangs. These elements “allow the house to remain comfortable without the use of air conditioning”.

Electricity is generated via solar panels. Photovoltaic-powered heat pumps warm the water that is circulated through the home’s in-slab radiant heating system. The pool water is also heated via solar panels.

Known for its scenic terrain and rich agricultural heritage, the Sonoma region is a popular area for distinctive country homes. Other projects in the area include a white dwelling by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects that was inspired by traditional barns, and an off-the-grid compound by Malcolm Davis that consists of rustic volumes clad in weathering steel.

Photography by Matthew Millman.

The post California country home by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop features an outdoor living room appeared first on Dezeen.

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