Public Edition 2.

The Tablet Interpreter

@tabterp

Introduction

Introduction

The advantages of tablets for interpreters are obvious: they are small and light, they don't take up much space in in your bag or in the booth. Noise - a well-known issue with traditional laptops - is no issue at all since they have neither a fan nor a built-in keyboard. Lastly, they are truly mobile devices because of their battery life. However, tablets also have their weaknesses, such as restricted functionality (e.g. no Flash on iPads). All things considered, though, tablets make a lot of sense for interpreters, both in the booth and on the go. Many models come not only with WiFi access, but also provide the option of connecting to the internet via the mobile phone network, using their own SIM card. There are tons of different tablets out there, with various form factors and operating systems. (For a bit of a laugh, look at this history of tablet computers.) While currently the tablet market may be dominated by Apples iPad, the competition does not sleep. Samsung and many others have jumped on the Google Android bandwagon (as have Amazon with their Kindle Fire, which runs on a heavily modied Android) while Microsoft have just launched their rst Windows 8 tablet, the Surface RT. Android tablets have a lot going for them: The latest iterations of the formerly phone-specic OS run nicely on larger devices and developers are hard at work providing tablet-optimized verii

sions of their apps. As opposed to the iPad, there are several manufacturers providing more choice for consumers. Also, the operating is a bit more exible and will let you connect thumb drives or other USB devices. It is still to early to tell how good Windows 8 tablets really are - the rst reviews of the Surface RT are mixed. The Surface Pro, however, will let you run proper Windows applications (such as that dictionary you cannot live without). There is also a handful of interesting hybrid devices running Windows 8. But this manual is about real tablets. So which device should you get? If you already have an iPhone, get an iPad (you can reuse almost all of your apps and the two work seamlessly together). Similarly, if you already have an Android smartphone, you might want to get an Android tablet. Other decision factors include the app store (Can you get the apps you want or need?), the form factor (tablet size, hybrid options) and the conguration (e.g. storage space: If you want to sync lots of audio and video or games, get more storage).

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Section 1

Tablet habits
Regardless of which device you use, there are a few things to bear in mind before you take the plunge and ditch your bulky laptop for a sleek tablet. Always on This should come as no surprise: In order to get the most out of your tablet, you basically need constant connectivity. If you are serious about using your device professionally, get one with a 3G/4G module because WiFi is just not ubiquitous enough (yet). Here are some alternatives: Tethering, i.e. using your mobile phones internet connection for your tablet. On the iPhone, the feature is called Personal Hotspot, but its availability depends on the version of the iPhone operating system and the cell service provider. Most Android phones offer the same functionality or can offer it be installing a tethering app, same for modern Nokia phones (see here). The gist of it is that your phone needs to be able to act as a WiFi hotspot. Tethering the iPad with Bluetooth is apparently possible, but only with a limited number of phones, so your mileage may vary (see here).

Make a cable-based internet connection wireless. There are several small devices out there that can do this, but this one stands out from the crowd: the D-Link DIR 505. Just plug in the Ethernet cable and the box will provide you with a WiFi hotspot. Interestingly, you can also plug in a USB thumb drive and access all the les on it from your tablet without any hassle! Use a mobile access point, like the Option Xy or the Huawei E586. Its basically a stripped-down mobile phone that provides you with ubiquitous wireless internet access. Some Android devices (such as the Nexus 7) will accept cablebased Internet connections through a USB-Ethernet dongle (like

this one). Please verify the compatibility with your device before
you buy! Embrace the cloud Emailing les back and forth between your tablet and your PC or synchronizing them is a pain if you have to do it regularly. Set up an account with Dropbox or another cloud-based service for your data or put it on your own web space. But don't forget about security: protect your data and back it up regularly. Lock it down Something you carry around all the time should be protected with a password or four-digit passcode. Many apps will let you choose an app-specic password to protect your data. Also, be very careful with sensitive data that you might have to handle in certain meetings: You may not want to store it in the cloud at all.
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Keep the charge Always on? Yes, unless you run out of juice. Make sure you always bring a charger and the necessary cable(s). Apple has a nice overview page about batteries. Consider purchasing an additional battery pack (like the Tylt Powerplant or the Joos Orange) for emergencies. And by the way: charging a tablet is not necessarily expensive. Reduce brightness or set it to adjust automatically. Also, set your device to automatically switch off the screen and lock itself when not in use for a few minutes. Turn off mobile data when youre on WiFi and vice versa. The same holds true for Bluetooth. If you do not need connectivity at all, turn on Airplane Mode. Be careful with location services and notications. For your batterys sake and your personal sanity and safety, use only what you need because constantly checking back with GPS satellites will reduce your charge with lightning speed. Make sure to run your battery down to absolute zero from time to time. Want more tips? Here you go. Less is more Your tablet is no full-blown computer. Pushing it to the limits is fun, but you should also be aware of the devices limitations and make do with less. Read the manual (iPad user guides, Android support)

and turn to the web for tips and tricks. See if there are good accessories. Be prepared to hit walls Two technologies that are - for better or worse - important elements of the Internet as we know it are Flash (used mainly for video and interactive content) and Java (for rich web applications). They do not work on some mobile devices. Fortunately, there is a workaround which involves using a remote desktop app such as AlwaysOnPC which gives the user a computer in the cloud - complete with a browser that supports both Flash and Java.

Hands on

Section 1

Most tablets can display all common le formats out of the box: PDF, DOC, XLS and other current les. However, if you want to edit them or create new ones, you need a dedicated app. I recommend QuickOfce HD, which is available on iPad and Android and also supports track changes. Tablets usually don't have a le system (like Explorer on Windows or Finder on the Mac), so you should denitely consider installing a le management app. My iPad recommendation is Readdles Documents, which is beautiful and simple, yet powerful. FileExpert or iAnnotate PDF are great choices for Android users. Documents is one of my go-to apps for meeting preparation, which includes downloading, reading and annotating my material. It can also connect to many cloud services (such as DropBox).

Section 2

Online resources
There are lots of excellent resources out there - here's a just a short list of some of them: Linguee.com lets you nd out how other people translated certain groups of words and trawls the net to look for parallel texts (especially EU ones). Dict.leo.org is available for Englisch, French, Spanisch, Italian, Chinese and Russian plus German. Pons.de is another great online dictionary, courtesy of a big language publishing house. Dict.cc has a wide variety of available languages. Can you recommend a good resource?

The iPad Interpreter

Section 1

Interplex

In short, Interplex is a glossary management tool you can use on your Windows or Mac computer, your iPhone (to consult glossaries) and your iPad (to consult AND edit). If you edit your glossaries exclusively on the iPad and you want to import your Excel or Word lists, you just need to download the free iPad Helper version of Interplex. When you store your glossaries in Dropbox, you can even keep them in sync across all your devices. Unlike full-blown terminology management software, which is primarily aimed at translators, Interplex is easy to use both for entering terms and looking them up before or during the meeting. It is essentially a database that will hold all your glossaries and provides you with a quick and always-on search functionality (great for, say, a sheries meeting), even across several glossaries at the same time. You have a lot of exibility with language columns - you can use colours and if you dont need a given language in a meeting, just deactivate the respective column. Printing is available with several options. If you work with Arabic, Chinese or Russian, Interplex will handle that too, since it is based on Unicode. You can read more on the AIIC website here, here and here. Both Peter Sand, the interpreter and mastermind behind Interplex, and Eric Hartner, the developer, provide great support for users and the desktop software will alert you when an update is available. Eric is currently working on a dedicated Mac version, but there are two options to use Interplex on your Mac today:

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 Run it in CrossOver Mac. This nifty tool from Codeweavers emulates the components of the Windows operating system, that a given application needs. You do not need to buy a license, you just install CrossOver and then Interplex. Run it in a virtualized Windows environment using BootCamp (comes with every Mac), Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion. Importing your terminology Interplex on your desktop lets you import (and export) Word and Excel les. Note that you have to have Microsoft Ofce or Open Ofce installed for this to work. For more information, you can consult the Interplex help function. Once you have your terminology in the software, store to Interplex database on Dropbox to be able to sync with your iPhone and/or iPad.

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Section 2

Glossary Pro HD

Importing your terminology If you want to bring your own terminology, make sure you have it in CSV format (You can export to CSV from within Excel). Then: Open iTunes on your computer and locate your device in the left sidebar

Locate the Apps tab in the top bar for your device.

Scroll down to the File sharing section and locate GlossaryPro in the Apps list. Click on Add.

Glossary Pro is a project by SCIC interpreter Michael Thorelli and thus geared towards interpreters. (Note: It is currently not available on the App Store.) The biggest difference to Interplex is how the terms are displayed - one underneath the other. Also, you can add images to your glossaries. One of the best features is quiz mode (just terms or with images), which is great for cramming those sh species you just cannot seem to remember.
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Section 3

Bento

CSV format directly on your iPad: just download the glossary in Safari and open it in Bento. (To transfer les from your computer, see the instructions in the Glossary Pro HD section before.) Youre ready to go, you can sort and search your terms, and the app is quite fast. To manage your Bento glossaries on the desktop, too, make sure to check out the excellent Mac companion app.

Bento (available for iPhone and iPad) is actually a personal database app which is designed to help you organize your contacts or your stamp collection. But it happens to be very useful for glossaries, too, and has the advantage that you can import glossaries in

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Section 4

App tips
There are lots of excellent resources out there - here's a just a short list of some of them. UniLex provide their reliable specialist dictionaries (e.g. Business English or Data and Communication Technology for iPhone and iPad, too. Ultralingua has a broad choice of iPad dictionary apps - including Klingon! Pons.de is another great online dictionary, courtesy of a big language publishing house. The Pons iPad apps can be found here. A nice and free English dictionary: Merriam-Webster Good dictionary apps for French include Larousse and Antidote. Consult the Romanian DEX on your iPad: Dictionar and iDex. The standard browsers on modern tablets are usually quite good but if you want more functionality, you should look for alternatives.

The standard browsers on modern tablets are usually quite good but if you want more functionality, you should look for alternatives. For the iPhone/iPad, I recommend you look at iCab Mobile, Dolphin or Chrome. Wikipedia is great for meeting preparation and can be a real lifesaver in the booth. Off course, you can always go to their website(s), but there are some apps that look much nicer and will give you extra functionality: Wikipanion on the iPad comes to mind. There are also "ofine" wiki solutions that do not need internet access. Evernote is great for taking, well, notes and having them accessible on all your mobile and not-so-mobile devices. Twitter for news: You can follow anyone from Brussels Airport to the EC spokespersons (e.g. Koen Doens or Pia Ahrenkilde), to the Dalai Lama or the Council pressroom - try using it with the Flipboard app). You can often get quick access to Commissioners speeches and policy information. Forgot a le on your home computer? Need to use that special app? Remote access to the rescue with services such as Microsofts free TeamViewer or AlwaysOnPC (a Linux PC that lives in the cloud). As a traveling interpreter, you might want to use travel-related apps, such as a ight tracker (up-to-date ight status, often faster and more reliable than the airport information systems) - just search
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your app store of choice. On a related note, I would like to recommend TripIt: a web service (plus mobile apps) that intelligently organises all your missions. Just forward all those conrmation e-mails (yes, even those from the travel agency!) and TripIt will turn them into a nice and clean itinerary including maps and weather forecasts. By the way, it also helps me ll in my MIPS declaration in no time. If you want a more automated version of this for your SCIC missions, have a look at the CheckMyTrip app (available for several platforms). Which apps make your life easier?

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Section 5

Companion apps
While you dont have to connect your iPad to a traditional PC or Mac anymore, doing so has a few benets. There are essentially two ways to go about this: iTunes Apples iTunes software has come a long way since it was rst introduced in 2001. Back then, it was used to manage music on an iPod. Today, you can also use it for managing apps, books or video, syncing contacts, calendars and e-mail or backing up your iPad. Third-party apps If you nd iTunes too confusing or you want to explore your iPad even more, why not check out these applications:

iExplorer (Mac & PC) i-FunBox (Mac & PC) PhoneView (Mac only)

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The Android Interpreter

Section 1

Companion apps
While Android apps can be used without ever connecting them to a traditional PC, most handset manufacturers do provide companion apps with a wide range of functionality (backup, synchronising media/contacts/email, rmware updates): ! ! Samsung Kies: Download / Review Sony: Companion for PCs / Bridge for Mac

To transfer les from your computer to your tablet, all you have to do is connect both with a USB cable. The device will automatically be made available as an external drive. Please be careful when managing les so you dont delete important system les! More information on backing up Android devices can be found in this article.

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Section 2

Online resources
There are lots of excellent resources out there - here's a just a short list of some of them. Linguee.com lets you nd out how other people translated certain groups of words and trawls the net to look for parallel texts (especially EU ones). Dict.leo.org is available for Englisch, French, Spanisch, Italian, Chinese and Russian plus German. Their Android app is here. Pons.de is another great online dictionary, courtesy of a big language publishing house. Their Android apps can be found here. Dict.cc has a wide variety of available languages. A nice and free English dictionary: Merriam-Webster Good dictionary apps for French are available from Larousse. Consult the Romanian DEX on your Android device with DEX pentru Android.

The standard browsers on modern tablets are usually quite good but if you want more functionality, you should look for alternatives. For Android devices, I highly recommend looking at Dolphin and Chrome. Wikipedia is great for meeting preparation and can be a real lifesaver in the booth. Off course, you can always go to their website(s), but there are some apps that look much nicer and will give you extra functionality, such as the ofcial Wikipedia app for Android, which, among other features, lets you store articles for ofine use. Evernote is great for taking, well, notes and having them accessible on all your mobile and not-so-mobile devices. Twitter for news: You can follow anyone from Brussels Airport to the EC spokespersons (e.g. Koen Doens or Pia Ahrenkilde), to the Dalai Lama or the Council press room - try using it with the Flipboard app). You can often get quick access to Commissioners speeches and policy information. Forgot a le on your home computer? Need to use that special app? Remote access to the rescue with services such as Microsofts free TeamViewer or AlwaysOnPC (a Linux PC that lives in the cloud). As a traveling interpreter, you might want to use travel-related apps, such as a ight tracker (up-to-date ight status, often faster and more reliable than the airport information systems) - just search
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your app store of choice. On a related note, I would like to recommend TripIt: a web service (plus mobile apps) that intelligently organises all your missions. Just forward all those conrmation e-mails (yes, even those from the travel agency!) and TripIt will turn them into a nice and clean itinerary including maps and weather forecasts. By the way, it also helps me ll in my MIPS declaration in no time. If you want a more automated version of this for your SCIC missions, have a look at the CheckMyTrip app. Which apps make your life easier?

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Bits and pieces

Section 1

Security
When going through the tablet habits, you may have asked yourself questions about data protection and privacy. Being connected at all times does not mean you should connect to any dodgy and possibly insecure public WiFi network. Look into VPN providers such as Cloak that provide a safe connection to the internet wherever you are. Also, check if the website you are using establishes a secure connection with your device. If a given app handles sensitive data, try to nd out if it transmits your data through a secure connection. Having all your les in the cloud is very convenient but you will sometimes receive documents or other information which are condential or classied. Do you want to entrust some web company with that information? Lets take Apples iCloud as an example: The service can back up your entire device so if you ever lose or replace it, youre back on track in no time. However, law enforcement (and, possibly, bad guys) can use forensic software to gain access to your information without even having to touch (pun intended) your tablet or phone. To avoid the problem, you could access your les on your

home computer via remote access or setup your own cloud service with a Pogoplug or a File Transporter. At the end of the day, you will have to make informed choices about security versus convenience which also includes respecting any relevant rules that the European Institutions have in place.

What if you misplace or actually lose your tablet? There are services that will try to get it back. As an iPad user, you get the basic version of Apples iCloud offering for free, which means you can use the Find my iPad feature to retrieve your device (you can even delete everything remotely - heres how to set it up). Android users should have a look at Wheres my droid or Prey (which can also help you nd iPads and laptops).
Backup, backup, backup. What holds true for your ordinary computer or notebook, also applies for smart devices. Back them up regularly.

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Section 2

Accessories
Protection Smart devices tend to be a little expensive, so protect them accordingly. Go to your favourite online or ofine store and see what they have. Youre bound to nd something you like because the choice is almost confusingly huge: smart covers, display protection lms, pouches, clip-on covers or fully integrated keyboard covers that will turn your tablet into a notebook. Keyboard Speaking of keyboards: Whenever you want to write longer texts, consider connecting your device to an external keyboard (usually via Bluetooth). Stylus If you see a stylus, they blew it. Thats what the late Apple founder Steve Jobs (in)famously said about his companys competitors. That may have been his opinion, but sometimes you just want to use a stylus and there are dozens of options.

Miscellaneous There are very interesting gadgets beyond the ones mentioned above: wireless hard drives to expand your storage capacity, handy cables, kits to connect your camera via USB or SD card and even scanners. An AirPort Express portable router will come in handy when all you have to connect to the internet is an Ethernet cable.

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Section 3

Keeping up
For a steady stream of tips and articles related to using tablets for interpreting, you can follow (or just read) me on Twitter: @tabterp.

A lot of smart people have also written a lot of smart books about how to get the most out of your device. Here are some recommendations: David Sparks: iPad at work Take Control Books: Take control of your iPad Jason R. Rich: Your iPad at Work Russell Holly: Taking your Android tablets to the max Andrew Clare: The Rough Guide to Android Phones and Tablets

Click on the bird to look at recent entries in the Twitter feed.

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Fine print

Fine print

A big thank you goes to my colleagues who have contributed their insight, feedback, questions, app tips and much more - especially Jeremy Martin, Michael Thorelli, Brian Huebner and Pierre Libotte.

This publication by Alexander Drechsel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Belgium License.

You can contact me at adrechsel@gmail.com or just click below for a feedback form.

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