Health Upgraders

As if it were needed, a mobile telephone for Welsh-speakers has been launched, with menus and predictive text in the language.

From September and only on the Orange 3G network, the Welsh language mobile will be available for customers with a contract or on its own. The National Eisteddfod has also seen the unveiling of an iPhone application, or app, for Welsh speakers to go with their Welsh Tag Heuer watches.

Senior academics including the head of computer science at Aberystwyth University, Professor Chris Price, have been involved in the development of the Welsh learning iPhone app.

The unveiling of both of these new pieces of technology, the mobile and the application, took place at the eisteddfod in Bala, Gwynedd, Wales.

As well as important people from Orange and Samsung, the Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones was also there for the Welsh phone launch.

The Orange 3G network duly dispatched the head of their retail unit, who subsequently quoted her press team and assured everyone that Orange were particularly proud that they were the premier network to introduce something so forward-looking aimed directly at Welsh speaking customers. “This initiative is part of a broader commitment by Orange to provide Welsh speakers with more choice.”

In excess of 44,000 Welsh words will be accessible on the mobile telephone, much like the old recycled blackberry mobile that many of you carry around.

Very soon, the Learn Welsh phrase book will be listed in the iTunes store, for downloading. The price has not been set for this application. Based on Prof Price’s own experience of learning Welsh, the phrase book is split into 12 themed segments that include greetings, common phrases, food and drink, and travelling.

Prof Price has also taped each phrase, a feature he believes will help with pronunciation. Another advanced feature is a practice mode, which offers learners the chance to test themselves as they learn new words.

“Other app exist for learning other languages accessible to iPhone users, amongst them 27 for French, 23 for Italian and even onesthat cover Irish, and Tagalog, which is spoken in the Philippines,” commented Prof Price.

The Professor was certain that with the huge number of other language help applications available, that those learning Welsh should also have the same opportunity.

Moving across the Irish sea from Welsh to Irish; we have found that over 93% of those living in Northern Ireland currently own a mobile.

Last year this figure was only eighty five percent, and the figure for this year is over four percent larger than the rest of the UK. 52% of the population in Northern Ireland use their mobile telephone as their primary communication method; which is 14% higher than the rest of the united Kingdom.

The study that was carried out also exposed the fact that nearly ninety percent of Northen Irish households have some form of digital TV too.