Google has purchased Word Lens, an impressive app that translates foreign languages in real time using the iPhone and Android smartphone built-in camera. Its now free for a limited time. Back in 2010, a company called Quest Visual debuted a little app called Word Lens. It scarcely seemed possible, but the app translated a number of different languages in real time using just the smartphones camera. When traveling in a foreign country, Word Lens users would simply hold the phone up to a sign and the camera would immediately translate it. Currently, users can translate between English and Portuguese, German, Italian, French, Russian, and Spanish. Its easy to see why Google would want to own it -- its stated mission is to make all the worlds information searchable in any language -- and Google Translate generally does this quite well, at least for web pages. Word Lens isnt perfect. It has trouble with particularly stylized text or handwriting, and the translations will make occasional mistakes. However, most of the time, it will at least get the point across. No financial terms on the acquisition, which was announced on Quest Visuals website, were disclosed. Neither company shared details on what the future holds for Word Lens either, other than the website saying that the app and language packs would be free to download for a limited time, while the Quest Visual team transitions to Google. Individual language packs previously cost $3 each.
Posted on: Thu, 29 May 2014 21:00:01 +0000