Spuble’s near instant speech bubbles on your iPhone

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Spuble.jpg” thumb_width=”300″ /]Your TEC ‘charmer’ to end the week–technology enabled communication. Spuble (rhymes with ‘bubble’) is a new UK-developed app that translates speech almost instantly into large, easy to read cartoon-like subtitles on an iPad or iPhone. It uses the audio mic feature to create a large type ‘speech bubble’ to show to the listener. Gary Rolf’s impetus for it was to bring his 90 year old nan, Bett, ‘back in the conversation’ after nearly 10 years of being isolated with total hearing loss. The video on their website shows Mr Rolf with Bob, his granddad, using the app which was inspired by the subtitles on television’s ‘Coronation Street’. The simplicity of use is demonstrated in that Bob, aged a lively 96 and hardly a techie, uses it quite readily to communicate with Bett. If you have a family member (as I do and have had) with hearing loss, this can be a tool to bridge the hearing gap, especially in noisy settings or when the hearing aids chew up yet another battery and become expensive earplugs. This Editor was all set to install but (for her disappointingly) it’s not available for Android yet. Both that and multiple languages on the way according to the website. You’ll also be charmed by the video with the WWII anthem ‘We’ll Meet Again’ in the background and the very lively Bett and Bob, who enjoy their Guinness, with their inventive grandson. A small quibble–can it handle more than one speaker, and how well? Also KentOnline Hat tip to Editor Emeritus and Founder Steve.