I won’t ever leave the country without the Timekettle X1 Meeting Interpreter Hub translator

The Timekettle X1 Meeting Interpreter Hub, priced at $849, is a device designed to facilitate multi-language meetings and general translation, even offline. Upon first glance, it resembles a mid-sized power bank but is lighter, measuring 5.04 x 1.77 x 1.18 inches and weighing 7.02 ounces. Despite its sleek and professional design, it is not comfortable for pocket use and is better carried in a satchel or backpack.

The device features a clicky button and a hidden compartment for earbuds, which fit comfortably in the ears without rubber tips. The setup process took about 10 minutes, including software upgrades for the system and earbuds. The device's main feature is its meeting capabilities, allowing up to 10 units to join meetings or up to 50 people for non-Timekettle users.

The device supports multilingual presentation, live transcription, and onboard storage of 32GB, making it a confidential transcription option for confidential meetings. Users tested the device in various scenarios, including with a girlfriend who speaks Spanish and baristas at a coffee shop in Mexico. The Timekettle X1 Meeting performed well in one-on-one conversations and short, straightforward phrases but struggled with faster speech, slang, and colloquialisms.

It also had some translation errors, such as misinterpreting the word "cremation" as "putting on makeup," due to similar pronunciation in Korean.