+- kanji koohii FORUM (http://forum.koohii.com)
+-- Forum: Learning Japanese (http://forum.koohii.com/forum-4.html)
+--- Forum: Learning resources (http://forum.koohii.com/forum-9.html)
+--- Thread: iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji (/thread-1534.html)
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - chexxor - 2008-06-25
I have gone through the ordeal of figuring everything out, and I would like to help you out with turning your iPhone/iPod touch into the ultimate Japanese language learning tool.
I just got a ipod touch two days ago and spent many hours researching how to jailbreak it and learning of all the cool apps.
I found that weDict, a native Japanese <-> English dictionary, works great for looking up words that you know how to say, but what if you found a kanji you don't know? Primitives are a pain, so I dug really deep on the interwebs and found a beta kanji handwriting recognition app called HWPen. It has worked pretty well for me for the few times I have tried it so far.
Search for it on google first, but ask me if you get confused or something, I would like to help you out.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - wccrawford - 2008-06-25
Everyone should note that a quick Google search reveals that this app is Beta and has been known to 'brick' (I'm sure they're using the term wrong) iPhones. Take care.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - radical_tyro - 2008-06-25
http://www.apple.com/jp/iphone/features/sms.html
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - raseru - 2008-06-25
Yeah, Iphone2 will allow this stuff (and maybe iphone1 as well with firmware)
now if only someone made anki for iphone and I would buy an iphone in an instant, even if I never used the phone aspect (which I would)
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - chexxor - 2008-06-25
radical_tyro Wrote:http://www.apple.com/jp/iphone/features/sms.htmlWhat are you trying to say? This post/link is too non sequitar.
Also in reply, this is a great solution for many people who have jailbroken ipods or aren't going to upgrade to an iPhone 3G. I haven't seen this app posted anywhere on the forums of any japanese sites, and in combination with the weDict, it makes a killer electronic dictionary.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - radical_tyro - 2008-06-25
chexxor Wrote:Um, it's completely relevant. I was going to say something about native Japanese input in iphone 3G, but I had to run so just posted the link since it's self explanatory. There's supposedly handwriting recognition too but I don't have a link for that. It might be only for Chinese, I don't know.radical_tyro Wrote:http://www.apple.com/jp/iphone/features/sms.htmlWhat are you trying to say? This post/link is too non sequitar. Thread-hijacking is bad, mmkay.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - chexxor - 2008-06-25
Ah, I gotcha. I couldn't make the connection between SMS and dictionary @_@
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - ajishiosean - 2008-06-25
I've had an iPhone 2G from day one, and I've somewhat well researched the 3G and its Japanese capabilities.
First of all, if you already have an iPhone 2G or iPod Touch, software wise you'll be fine-- all three devices will run the exact same firmware, although iTouch users will have to pay a nominal fee for it. Otherwise, the main advantages of buying an iPhone 3G are better battery life(?), GPS, and 3G. Software-wise, they're all the same.
Next, as far as Japanese input goes, the iTouch has had input from almost the beginning, and the iPhone has had it since 1.1.1, although some hacking was required. In firmware 1.1.1, the Japanese input was actually present, although you had to change a preference file to make it appear in the options. Since 1.1.2, however, those support files were removed -- although some enterprising developers copied the support files from the iPod Touch, and made a hack to install them via Installer.app if you jailbreak your iPhone.
As of 2.0, Japanese input will be available on all devices, no hacking required. A Japanese version of the QWERTY keyboard will be available (type in romaji, predicts how to change it into kanji/katakana/hiragana/etc) as well as Japanese keitai style input (press the 2 key to switch between あ＞い＞う＞え＞お and such).
As I mentioned on another thread, the kanji drawing is actually part of the Chinese input method, NOT the Japanese. It apparently supports both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, but how close either or both are to Japanese kanji I don't know -- I know very little about Chinese. So, in other words, if Japanese kanji are similar to Traditional or Simplified Chinese kanji, then that input method will be very useful -- if not, then... not so much.
In terms of actual apps, wedict works fine for me, although it only has EDICT... so it's good in a pinch, but it's more of an emergency dictionary than anything.
The makers of iFlash and Mental Case, two flashcard apps for the Mac, have already stated that they're working on iPhone versions of their software. Seeing as how I use Mental Case, I'm pretty excited about that. Unfortunately, if you're not using Mac OS and want desktop<->iPhone/iTouch flashcard fun, I'm not sure what your options will be with those two apps.
Other random notes:
* Even in the US, if both iPhones support Japanese input, I can send and receive SMSes in Japanese with no trouble.
* You *can* send email to Japanese keitais, but since the iPhone uses Unicode, not all Japanese keitais will be able to read your mail; having said that, I have yet to receive something *I* couldn't read. In my experience, anyone with a relatively new DoCoMo keitai can read my mails no problem. My big question is when the iPhone launches in Japan, what they're going to do about this -- obviously they're not going to get everyone to switch from keitai mail to SMS over there. If they understand anything about the Japanese keitai use, they'll fix this and theoretically the fix would be universal.
* Mixi and other Japanese websites work great out of the box -- no hacking required, meaning anki's internet site ought to work, but I haven't tried.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - Sevenhelmets - 2008-06-25
raseru Wrote:now if only someone made anki for iphone and I would buy an iphone in an instant, even if I never used the phone aspect (which I would)I heard there was talk on the Anki forums that someone was going to start development for iPhones and the iPod Touch, so you could install the Anki program on them. Not sure if this has gotten any further, but it would certainly be MUCH appreciated if someone did do it. I'd rather do reviews on the go ON my future iPhone, rather than THROUGH my iPhone and on the Anki website. The cost of downloading bits/bytes via 3G apparently will be pretty high (via Softbank in Japan).
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - ajishiosean - 2008-06-26
It'll be an unlimited data plan, like everywhere else, but the monthly fee will be kind of high, depending on how you look at it. I think it's roughly around 10000 yen/month, but then again I was paying that a year or two ago when I had unlimited data with DoCoMo, so I think it's not all that bad considering it's Japan.
Oh, and another thing of note: Styletap, the company who made the PalmOS emulator for windows mobile, is working on a version of their emulator for the iPhone, meaning that that dictionary program for PalmOS that does handwriting recognition ought to be usable when that emulator comes out.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - Jarvik7 - 2008-06-26
The unlimited data plan when I was on au was only around 4000en/month on top of your normal calling plan - so around 7000en as a minimum. Softbank is considerably cheaper than au & Docomo though.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - ajishiosean - 2008-06-26
Yeah, my docomo unlimited data plan was about 4000 too back in the day. Don't know what it costs now...
As far as I can tell, it seems that the iPhone will not have special plans in Japan, it'll just use Softbank's regular plans, so ... yeah.
http://iphone-japan.blogspot.com/2008/06/softbank-iphone-pricing.html
EDIT:
Oh, and here's a youtube video showing the keitai-style keyboard on the iPhone. Looks pretty slick:
http://
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - resolve - 2008-07-10
There is a quite decent epwing viewer for the ipod touch/phone.
http://bigskyflier.com/iDic.aspx
I now have the green goddess, daijirin and other Japanese dictionaries on my touch. Quite convenient!
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - rich_f - 2008-07-11
Looks great, but I guess you have to jailbreak your iPhone to install it?
I'm picking one up in a few hours when the stores open here, but if it requires jailbreaking, well, shoot. I guess I'll have to wait and see how long it takes to crack the new phones.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - resolve - 2008-07-11
A jailbreak for the 2.0 firmware has already been done apparently. I'd be surprised if it's not out within a week or two.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - resolve - 2008-07-11
(and as for Anki, it's coming..)
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - rich_f - 2008-07-11
The iPhone distribution was a complete hash over here, so I couldn't get my hands on one. Disappointing, but not very surprising.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - Jarvik7 - 2008-07-11
Depending on how the iPhone/iPod touch version of Anki works out (and the distribution method - don't want to jailbreak if I can help it) I might have to make my next iPod a touch instead of a nano.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - skinnyneo - 2008-07-11
So I don't have an iPod myself but I was just checking out the recently launched apps store and saw an application called "Flash my brain Flashcards." It's $10.99 and looks like it lets you add audio, pictures, etc to your flash cards as well as a photo taking feature of text books (???). Does anybody that has a iPhone or iPod touch downloaded and tried this app? Or is anybody willing to take the first Jump?
Here is a link to their support website: http://www.flashmybrain.com/iphone.php
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - resolve - 2008-07-11
Jarvik: due to Apple's policies, a jailbreak version is the only viable option for now.
skinnyneo: looks like a basic leitner system. Boring. :-)
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - rich_f - 2008-07-11
resolve-- What about using the web version of Anki? Will that work on an iPhone in any of its iterations?
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - resolve - 2008-07-11
Of course. :-) This is all about using Anki offline.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - revenantkioku - 2008-07-12
What policies would prevent you from getting it on a non-jailbreaked one?
That really blows. I would buy a Touch the day Anki was available for it, but I never like hacking my technology.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - resolve - 2008-07-12
Intepreted languages are prohibited on the iPhone. Anki would have to be rewritten from scratch.
iPhone/iPod touch and dictionary for words or kanji - revenantkioku - 2008-07-13
Ah yeah, that probably explains why Anki has so many quirks in OSX.