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xl8 review

Overview of translation conferences in 2018

15 December, 2017

Translation Conferences 2018

Translation Conferences are great opportunities to learn, to network and to have fun. They also offer a chance to visit other countries and to meet colleagues and other industry professionals. Translation conferences are therefore very rewarding.
After the highly successful overviews of translation conferences in 2016 and 2017 I herewith present the translation conferences 2018 overview, ordered by month.
Just check the different tiles and hover over them with your mouse for more information. Click at the ‘Visit website’ button on the backside of a tile to learn more about a particular translation conference in 2018.

by Pieter Beens

4 December, 2017

Translation practice

Why bulk discounts won’t work in the translation industry

Bulk discounts are a powerful way for companies to sell more of their products – often while still maintaining a fair margin. The concept is used in a variety of industries, from bikes to clothing, and from plants to light bulbs. Every now and then clients also pop up in the translation industry demanding that their vendors – translators in particular – apply a volume discount to their translations. However, if there is one concept that is not beneficial and shouldn’t be used in the translation industry, it is that of volume discounts. And here is why.

by Pieter Beens

29 November, 2017

xl8 review

Moving while working with the HOVR Desk Swing

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As more and more health organizations warn of the risks of sitting a whole day without moving that much, smart entrepreneurs try to find solutions that bring at least some movement to a sitting workforce. One of the solutions that should improve the health of people at risk of heart attacks and other dangers is HOVR, a rocker for your lower body. In this xl8 review we put HOVR to the test.

by Pieter Beens

20 November, 2017

Translation practice

A robot as bestseller author

Can a robot write a book? Many readers will answer this question with a heartfelt ‘No’. Still, scientists from the Meertens Instituut and the University of Antwerp have developed a robot that can write a story. Considering the technology, the book-writing robot is even smarter than its translating brother. A gift book that was presented in The Netherlands as part of the ‘Nederland Leest’ campaign (meant to motivate old and young to read) contains a story that was largely conceived by the robot.

by Pieter Beens

6 November, 2017

Translation practice

Two other ways to use machine translation

The stances around machine translation are often quite unsubtle: translators are against the technology because it is seen as a threat or they are embracing it as the next great wonder. While it is often thought that translators are using machine translation for projects as a whole or that they are not using it, there is also a middle ground. In this article I share two other ways to benefit from machine translation – even without embracing it in full.

by Pieter Beens

25 October, 2017

xl8 review

Design your business in 365 days

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When it comes to running a business many freelance translators seem uncertain. Doing what you love is great, as is the freedom that comes with it, but how can you really be successful in business? The 365-day planner can be helpful then. In this xl8 review project I focus on the pros and cons of the planner that are meant to help entrepeneurs shaping a successful business.

by Pieter Beens

24 October, 2017

Translation practice

Memsource review: the silent power of Memsource

Of all the CAT tools that are used by translators, Trados and MemoQ are among the most popular. In nearly all surveys and polls on CAT tools used Memsource is ranking at the bottom, along with other tools like Swordfish and Wordbee. Nevertheless, Memsource is a very useful tool when it comes to translating general documents. In this Memsource review I highlight the pros and cons of Memsource for freelance translators.

by Pieter Beens

International Translation Day - 30 september

30 September, 2017

Translation practice

Translators – an endangered lifestyle

Today is International Translation Day. Although the job of a translator is not necessarily more important than that of a lumberjack or a manager, it is certainly a good thing to wait for a moment and consider the value of our work. Especially now the job of a translator is threatened from many sides – even from inside the industry.

by Pieter Beens

27 September, 2017

xl8 review

HydrateM8 bottle

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Hydration is an essential part of our daily lives and absolutely indispensable when it’s necessary to focus on intensive tasks like translating. But despite the guidelines that adults should drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres a day, many people fail to ensure that they have a proper moisture intake. The people from the British company HydrateM8 provide a solution however. In this month’s xl8 review the HydrateM8 bottle is put to the test.

by Pieter Beens

Neural networks and the future of translators

18 September, 2017

Translation practice

Neural networks and the future of translation

A conference with big brands like Apple, Google and Facebook as the main sponsors does not happen that often and certainly not in the translation industry. Nevertheless that is exactly what happened last weekend in Copenhagen, where the 2017 Conference on Empirical Methods on Natural Language Processing was held. You guessed it: participants to this weekend conference with the long and difficult title dived into machine translation. The sponsorship by the big brands clearly shows a huge interest in MT by companies that spend billions of dollars on research that will probably pay off some day. What is all the fuss about?

by Pieter Beens

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