Microsoft-owned Skype has unveiled a real-time translation tool last month, and now it seems that Google has replied with an important upgrade for its Translate app. More than 500 million people use Google Translate every month, so the update that the Mountain View-based company has now rolled out is pretty important as it brings crucial improvements to the utility.
Last year, Google bought Word Lens, a really ingenious app that translates signs in real time. And while the app is still available as standalone, Google has decided to embed its technology even deeper into Google Translate, which is a wise move. You can already use the Translate app to snap a photo of text and get a translation for it in 36 languages but this fresh update allows users to instantly translate text using your camera, as you can see in the above image.
So, when using the Translate app, users just need to point the camera at a sign or text and an overlaid translated text will appear on the screen. And, since you’re travelling, you don’t have to worry about roaming or other carrier fees, since this feature will work offline. At the moment, though, the instant translation will work for translation from English to and from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
Teal-time conversation mode has been available on Android for quite a while but the update now brings much needed improvements. Prior to the update, users had to select the two languages they wanted to translate between and then tap a button inside the app every time.
Now, after the two languages have been selected, the app just needs to be introduced to one of the speakers and it will automatically understand what language is being spoken and will start to translate it. Another great news is that iPhone and iPad owners are finally getting the feature, as well.
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