Saturday, January 17, 2015

New Version of Free Google Translate Lets You Translate Using Camera



New Version of Free Google Translate Lets You Translate Using Camera


There are several APP’s that will translate languages, but this is the first one I have seen that is supposed to skillfully read a sign using your phone's camera, and then translate it into English for your, right on your phone screen.  Will miracles never cease?

Along that same line (camera photo’s translating into text) I have enjoyed that feature of my favorite APP,  Evernot for 18 months.  I can take a photo of a sign, or anything text, and file it in Evernote as a “note”, usually with a label or "note title" I type in, but I guess that would not be essential. Then, a miracle happens.  Evernote’s computer in the cloud reads what’s on the sign, or business card, or whatever, and converts the photo of a word into a hidden text version, so that I can use word searches to find the photo.  Not unlike some business card apps, of course, but this one does many signs, even some handwritten cursive.   

Example, I took a photo of a tow-away warning sign with a phone number for the towing company (illegally parked cars would be towed).  Now, whenever I need to call that company to tow away an illegally parked car,  I can just put the word "Tow” or “Towing” in the search window, and it will immediately bring up the photo of that sign, with the word “tow” highlighted in yellow for me. 

Another example:  I shot a photo of a friend’s hand written passwords for her computer, some in cursive, some printed in pencil.  It finds those on a search also.

Now the new Google app takes it a step further – photograph a sign on a Paris street and then read, in English, what it says. That’s progress. 

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