Tamil Digital Tamil Digital Industry Industry Badri Seshadri Badri Seshadri K.S.Nagarajan K.S.Nagarajan New Horizon Media New Horizon Media
Dec 27, 2015
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.
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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?
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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.
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
Services / Products one Services / Products one requiresrequires
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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.
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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.
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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.
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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.
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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?
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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.
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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.
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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)
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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.
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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)
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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
Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.Enlightening minds. Enriching lives.
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.