Say you’re fluent in English, and want to reach a distant cousin that’s rooted instead in a different language. Spanish or Portuguese or Russian, perhaps. And say you’re both well-connected with current technologies. You’re each into the SMS thing. If so, and you’d like to translate (accurately) quick messages as you send them out to the desired recipient(s), Lingtastic might be worth your while.
Leaving aside Lingtastic’s slightly off-putting presentation - my sense is it’s a little too heavy on the crayons - its model for SMS translation is pretty straightforward and potentially quite useful. The company purports to provide a text messaging bridge to Spanish, Portuguese, or Russian-speaking people all over the world for the $1 or less. (More languages, like Mandarin, Cantonese and Thai, are expected to be added.) That may seem like quite a premium over the general going rate for SMS transfers ($0.05-0.25, depending on service plan and regional distinctions), but it could prove to be a bargain if used intelligently. If you’re literally lost for words when talking with foreign speakers, Lingtastic’s option for SMS translation may really be what you need to get the message across.
Now, some SMS messages, whether they stretch just a few words or the whole 140 alotted characters, are of course private and to be seen only by the intended recipient. But in those cases, translation services will naturally not be sought. It’s in instances that a language divide requires an intermediary, and a good one. Lingtastic is putting its resources forth as a relatively inexpensive, professional option. The company has already established services for live phone conversation as well as instant messaging and email. SMS is simply one more part of its growing repertoire.
Considering the technical limitations of SMS, I’d say Lingtastic is something worth forking a few coins over for. With text messages, you tend to spring more for efficiency than verbosity when shooting off texts to your friends, family members, and co-workers, with the general idea being to say as much as you can without saying too much, and Lingtastic’s translators may help you get the job done.