Apple, Google and Meta are trying to perfect a science-fiction gadget: The universal translator
Apple AirPods Pro 3 models are displayed during Apple's "Awe-Dropping" event at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, on Sept. 9, 2025. Nic Coury | AFP | Getty Images For decades, shows like "Star Trek" and novels like "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" have showcased fictional universal translators, capable of seamlessly converting any language into English and vice versa. Now, those gadgets once limited to works of science fiction are inching close to re