Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Pocket Translator Coming!

Recently I have just read a feature in Bloomberg Businessweek about hi-tech device called ‘Word Lens’ application. It is very interesting because this device can translate from one language to another by pointing iPhone’s camera at words or phrases you look up to. The advent of this app for iPhone stems from difficulties during vacation in Germany of the inventor named Otavic Good. He said that it would not be easy to understand traffic signs or restaurant menus when traveled overseas. Despite dictionaries and electronic translation tools on hand, he pointed out that it was too slow. He has thereby developed the app ‘Word Lens’ and applied a technology in common used for in document scanner whose function processes by means of matching words from source language to its database of translation and displaying output to target language. Furthermore, no internet or Wi-Fi access is required for this app. In last December, Good launched ‘Word Lens’ in Spanish version which fees $10 per language. Also, he hopes that more languages will be available for this app this year, coming up with French. I look forward to seeing this app in Thai version soon.

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