Small Talk Instruction Booklet

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Concept Kitchen makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

Concept Kitchen shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.

This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another language without the prior written consent of Concept Kitchen.

The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

© 1997 Concept Kitchen
326 Fell St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
All Rights Reserved.

Small Talk is a registered trademark of Concept Kitchen. All other product names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Table of Contents

System Requirements
Introduction
Getting Started
   - Installing Small Talk 
   - Selecting Countries and Languages
   - Removing Languages
The Conversation Process
   - Selecting a Phrase
   - A Basic Conversation
   - Adding Details
   - The Pickers
   - Multiple Layer Conversations
Moving Around
   - Using the Buttons
   - Using the HotList
How to reach us



System Requirements

Pilot Version
Pilot 1000 (w/RAM upgrade)/Pilot 5000
PalmPilot Personal/PalmPilot Professional
Application requires 78k
Each language requires 20k

Newton OS Version
Newton MP120/MP130/2000 or eMate300
Newton OS 2.0/2.1 or later
Application requires 161k
Each language module requires 70k

Introduction

Welcome to Small Talk (smãl tãk), the world's first two-way, real-time translator! More than just a phrase book or dictionary, Small Talk turns your PDA into a foreign language interpreter, allowing you to communicate quickly and easily in another language.

With Small Talk, the whole world of language and travel is at your fingertips. Communication barriers are a thing of the past.  This tool opens the door to a rich new cultural panorama. Imagine chatting with the Pope in Italian about kosher foods. Asking a sexy Italian about the best night clubs in Florence. Trading Deutsch Marks on the open exchange in Berlin. Navigating the Costa Rican rain forests like a native. With Small Talk, anything is possible.

This highly interactive program is fun and easy-to-use. Small Talk presents you with complete sentences intuitively organized into situation-based categories such as Basics, Lodging, Emergency, Food, Entertainment, Money/Shopping, Business, Transportation, and Social. With Small Talk, one-to-one communication is never more than 3 taps away.

And with such an easy-to-use program as Small Talk, who needs long-winded, overly technical manuals? In this simple, brief guide, youÍll learn how to install Small Talk on your PDA, how to quickly engage in a conversation, and how to use special tips and tricks that let you communicate like a pro. 

Ready? Then letÍs go!


Getting Started

Installing Small Talk on your PDA is as easy as 1-2-3 (okay, itÍs 10 steps, but whoÍs counting?). It is important to know that for Small Talk to work effectively, it requires the following components, each located on separate diskettes: the SmallTalk.pkg application, and two or more Language Modules. Once these are installed, conversing in a foreign tongue is as easy as 1-2-3 (Yes, 3. Not 10.).  So, letÍs begin....






Installing Small Talk

Your Small Talk package contains separate diskettes for both Mac and PC platforms. Please choose the diskettes that are appropriate for your system. 

1. Connect your Newton to your Mac or PC.

2. Open the Newton Connection Utilities software on your Mac or PC.

3. On your Newton, tap Extras. 

4. In the Extras drawer, tap Dock or Connect.

5. In the Connection dialog box that appears, select the type of connection (example: Serial if you are connecting via your serial port). Tap Connect.

6. When the your connection has been established, the Newton Connection Utilities screen will be ñliveî on your desktop and the gray boxes will appear active. Select Install Package.

7. In the dialog box that appears, select the following:

If using Mac OS: 
     Click the Desktop button and select the Small Talk disk.
     Select SmallTalk.pkg. 

If Using Windows 95:
     Click the down arrow to the right of the Look In: field at the top of the Open dialog box. 
     Select 3 1/2 Floppy (A:) under My Computer.
     Select smaltalk.pkg.

8. Click Open.  The package will be installed on your Newton.

9. If you are using a Newton 2000 or eMate, you may install an additional package in order to take full advantage of the enhanced display capabilities of these PDAs. Your Small Talk application disk contains a package called 3dicons.pkg, which enables the display of 3-D icons in Small Talk. This package requires 361k of memory. If you would prefer to minimize memory usage, a set of black and white icons has also been provided for your convenience. This package requires 102k and is called bwicons.pkg.  It is only necessary to install one of these packages.

10. To install the language modules, eject the application disk and insert one of the language disks. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for each language you wish to install, selecting the appropriate file such as English.pkg.

Selecting Languages

Now that you have acquainted yourself with Small Talk and installed the language modules, it is time to choose your language.

The first time you open Small Talk, it will show the preferences screen.


Each item has a drop-down box, where you need to select Your country (America is the default), Your language (your native language), Foreign country (the country where you will be traveling), and Foreign language (the language of the country you will be traveling to). Small Talk will display all of the language modules you currently have installed as selectable options in the drop-down boxes. 

If at any time you wish to change these options, tap the i button in the lower left-hand corner of your screen and select Prefs.

Once you have selected your native country and language, the country where you will be traveling, and the language of that country, youÍre ready to go. Just press the Continue button at the bottom and you are ready to converse like a native speaker.

Removing Languages

Remember that foreign language requirement you had in high school? Remember how quickly you forgot all the words and phrases once summer approached? Well, just as with your own brain, you can remove languages from Small Talk if you need additional memory space. 

To remove a language module from Small Talk, simply open the Extras drawer on your Newton. At the tab at the top, select Extensions. The language modules will appear in this folder.  To delete a language module, hold your stylus down on the icon until it is selected. Then delete it by selecting Delete from the routing icon at the bottom right.

Of course, you can reinstall the language at any time using your original Small Talk diskettes.


The Conversation Process

ItÍs now time to take what youÍve learned and apply it. LetÍs converse!

Selecting a Phrase

All of the questions and phrases in Small Talk are divided into nine simple categories: Basics, Transportation, Lodging, Money/Shopping, Emergency, Business, Food, Entertainment, and Social. Within each of these categories are several subcategories that will help narrow your selection. All the questions and phrases that you will need are located within these subcategories.

To select a question or phrase, simply tap on the text and Small Talk will immediately translate it into your chosen language. ThatÍs it! No more fumbling with a dictionary, searching through a phrase book, or trying to pantomime your needs. You have become a native speaker.


A Basic Conversation

1. Before soliciting a conversation with your native speaker, it is helpful to offer a description of Small Talk and how it works.  This can easily be done with the Program Intro. You can find it by tapping on the diamond button in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, or by tapping on Program Intro in the Basics section. The Program Intro gives a brief overview of Small Talk, and quickly explains to a native speaker how they can use Small Talk to respond to your questions and phrases.

Note: Some phrases stand alone, and require no response from the native speaker.

2. After the native speaker has read the Program Intro, go ahead and locate the phrase or question you want to translate by choosing a basic category, and then clicking on a subcategory to narrow down your needs. 

For example, letÍs say you want to start a conversation with a French speaker. First, go to the main category Social and then select the subcategory Greetings.

Within each subcategory is a list of related questions and statements that you may wish to express. LetÍs say you want to ask the question ñHow are you?î from the Greetings screen. 

3. Tap once on the phrase you want translated.  The question will instantly appear on the screen, translated into the native speakerÍs language. Simply show your Newton to the native speaker so they can read your question.

In this example, when you tap on ñHow are you?î the phrase instantly appears on the screen in French: ñComment-allez vous?î

4. After the native speaker has read the phrase, he or she can then tap the Respond button (Respond is conveniently translated into the native speakerÍs language) at the bottom of the screen with a fingernail or with your stylus.

In our example, the French person reads the screen, ñComment-allez vous?î and then hits the RÚpondre button at the bottom of the screen.

5. At this point, the native speaker will be presented with a list of likely responses to your question, all listed in his/her language. Sometimes, there are more responses available than will fit on the screen. In this case, a Tap here for other choices button will appear (again translated in the userÍs native language), allowing the user to view additional choices. The user can also touch the Tap here for first choices button to return to the previous screen.

In the example weÍre using, the French person sees possible responses, in French. LetÍs say he or she selects ñBien, merciî from the choices listed.

6. Once the user has selected his or her response, a button marked Translate will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, in the userÍs native language. By tapping on this button, the chosen response will be instantly translated back into your language, allowing you to understand the other personÍs response.



After the French person selects ñBien, merciî and taps on the Translate button, the text appears in English on your screen: ñWell, thanks.î You have just completed your first real-time two-way conversation!

Advanced Conversation

Until now, you have been learning to speak in short sentences that solicit little interaction from your native speaker. Such phrases as ñHow are you,î ñGood morning,î and ñCan I get a double-decaf latte with two scoops of sugar, 2% milk and a lemon twist?î donÍt require much of a reply.

Certain conversations, however, require the exchange of more information than the above conversation process provides. In these cases, the conversations get a bit more complicated, as there will be more interactions between you and the native speaker. But donÍt worry, Small Talk provides different tools to enable the exchange of more detailed information.

The Pickers

Small Talk uses ñpickersî to allow you to customize your question, providing detailed information on subjects such as countries, currency, numbers, dates, times, and distance. The pickers work one of two ways. The country, currency, and distance pickers will pop up a list of choices. Either you or the native speaker, depending on the context of the conversation, can make a choice simply by tapping on the word. The rest of the pickers allow you to input specific numbers, which can be selected by tapping the number placeholders on the screen.

ItÍs a lot like filling in the blanks of a crossword puzzle, only you are given a limited number of options. Choose from the words, numbers or dates that logically and accurately complete the sentence.

1. In this example, the traveler is asking the native speaker ñHow far is it?î.

2. In the list of responses, the native speaker will see a picker placeholder within a response.

Between the brackets is the placeholder for the value about to be entered into the distance picker.

3. The picker screen starts with default values selected, and the phrase being translated at the top.

By simply tapping the top half of the middle placeholder once and the far right placeholder five times, a value of 15 miles, for example, can be selected by the native speaker.

4. Finally, the complete phrase, with the value filled in by the native speaker, is translated back into the travelerÍs language.


Multiple Layer Conversations

In some cases, Small Talk provides the option of asking an additional question that relates to your initial one. You will know if your question has an additional layer because, after you have asked an initial question and received a response, a Continue button will appear at the bottom of the screen. If you wish, you can tap this to see a list of additional related questions. The conversation proceeds from there as normal, only at the very end, the Back button will take you back to your initial list of questions.

1. In this example, the question ñDoes this road lead to this destination?î is being asked.

2. The native speaker responds with ñYesî, and taps the Translate button at the bottom.

3. The phrase is translated back into the travelerÍs language. Note the Continue button at the bottom. This is the indication that there are further possible questions to be asked.

4. Once the Continue button has been selected, a second list of questions is shown in the travelerÍs language. In this case there is only one more possible question, ñHow far away is it?î to be asked, with a small piece of instructional text at the top.

5. Once this question is selected, it is translated into the native speakerÍs language.

6. Just as in a normal interaction, the native speaker highlights their response. 

After tapping the Continue button and entering the distance, the phrase will be translated back into the travelerÍs language, completing the conversation.

Moving Around

Scrolling

Many of Small TalkÍs screens contain more information than will fit on the Newton display. When this occurs, you can view the additional data by using the small up or down arrows that appear on the right-hand side of the screen. To scroll, tap on an arrow to move in that direction. You may also scroll by using the built-in up and down buttons on your Newton.

Using The Buttons

At the bottom of the Small Talk display, there will be a Main button, which returns you to the main screen of icons. There will also be a Back button, which takes you back to the list of questions from which you just made a selection. In instances where Small Talk provides an additional related question, there will be a Continue button after the first question has been answered. This button allows for more in-depth dialogue between you and your native speaker.

Using The HotList


You may find that you tend to ask a few questions over and over. To make translating them more convenient, Small Talk includes a feature called the HotList. At the bottom of your screen, you will find a small diamond button that may have a word next to it, designating which screen you are viewing. Tapping on this button displays the HotList, which is divided into three sections. 

The first section contains the path from the main screen to the deepest branch of the section you are in currently. The second section features quick links to the Program Intro and Civilities sections. The third section allows you to add and remove your most-used phrases and questions directly to and from the HotList. You can navigate directly to any item by tapping that item in the HotList. Any type of screen, even a picker or a phrase in the native speakersÍ language, can be added.

To add an item to the HotList, simply go to the screen where the item is shown and open the HotList by tapping on the small diamond button. Tap on Add to HotList. The item will remain on your HotList until you remove it. You may add as many items as you wish to the HotList. To remove items from your HotList, simply pull up your HotList and tap the phrase you wish to remove. When the phrase appears on your screen, pull up the HotList again and tap Remove From HotList.


And finally...

Just like intensive language immersion programs, there is no better way to learn Small Talk than by living the life of a world traveler. Travel to a major metropolitan city wearing shorts with black socks and sandals. Lose your luggage. Take pictures of yourself with waiters, bell hops, and taxi cab drivers. Then spend an hour arguing with a cashier about whether a Royale with Cheese is the same as a Big Mac». 

Or, if you donÍt get the chance to travel as often as youÍd like, teach yourself a new language by insisting that everyone in your house use Small Talk to converse. In a pinch, you can even have fun using Small Talk just to have conversations with yourself!

Just imagine the possibilities. You can travel to the far reaches of the world, confident that no situation is beyond your control. All thanks to Small Talk.



How to reach us...

Free technical support is available to registered users for the first 90 days from date of purchase. To register, simply complete the enclosed registration card and return it by mail. Alternately, you can register online by visiting our site at http://www.conceptkitchen.com.

When sending email, please include the words ñSmall Talkî in the subject line of your message. For tech support questions, send email to support@conceptkitchen.com. For customer service questions, contact info@conceptkitchen.com.  Have any great ideas on how to improve Small Talk? Send ïem off to feedback@conceptkitchen.com. 

And donÍt forget. You can always get the most up-to-date information, including tips and tricks, program updates, and new product announcements, by visiting us at http://www.conceptkitchen.com.

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