Word Lens, the awesome real-time translating application designed to easily translate signs, menus, and posters using your smartphone’s built-in camera, has now arrived on Android.
Simply point your camera at a poster or sign you would like to translate (in a supported language), and watch Word Lens translate it in real-time before your very eyes. Watch the video after the jump to see it in action.
Supported Languages and Offline Functionality
The Android version of the Word Lens app can convert text between English and Spanish, English and French, or English and Italian. One of the standout features of Word Lens is its ability to function without the need for an Internet connection. This makes it incredibly useful for travelers who may not always have access to Wi-Fi or mobile data. Imagine being in a foreign country and needing to understand a menu or a street sign; Word Lens can make these situations much less stressful.
History and Availability
The Word Lens application has been available for iOS since late in 2010. It quickly gained popularity due to its innovative use of augmented reality to provide instant translations. The app arrived on Android at the end of last month and is now available to download from the Google Play Store for £3 or $4.99. This expansion to Android has opened up the app to a broader audience, allowing more users to benefit from its capabilities.
Word Lens is particularly useful for tourists and business travelers. For example, if you’re navigating through a foreign city and come across a sign in a language you don’t understand, you can simply point your camera at the sign, and Word Lens will translate it for you. This can be incredibly helpful in emergency situations where understanding local signage is crucial.
Moreover, the app’s ability to work offline means that you don’t have to worry about incurring high roaming charges or finding a Wi-Fi hotspot. This feature alone makes it a must-have tool for anyone traveling abroad.
The app’s user interface is straightforward and easy to use. Once you open the app, you simply select the language pair you need, point your camera at the text you want to translate, and watch as the translation appears on your screen. The translations are superimposed over the original text, making it easy to understand the context.
In addition to its practical uses, Word Lens can also be a fun tool for language learners. By seeing the translations in real-time, users can get a better grasp of vocabulary and sentence structure in a foreign language. This interactive approach can make learning a new language more engaging and effective.
Source: Google Play : Gizmodo
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