Google Acquires Word Lens, The iPhone Translation App From Apple’s Latest Commercial
by Brent Dirks
May 16, 2014
Developer Quest Visual, the team behind the popular Word Lens app, has just been acquired by Google.
Here is the message on the app’s site:
With Word Lens, we've seen the beginnings of what's possible when we harness the power of mobile devices to "see the world in your language." By joining Google, we can incorporate Quest Visual's technology into Google Translate's broad language coverage and translation capabilities in the future. As a thank you to everybody who supported us on our journey, we've made both the app and the language packs free to download for a limited time while we transition to Google. We're looking forward to continuing our work at Google - stay tuned!Interestingly, the Word Lens app was featured in Apple’s latest television advertisement for the iPhone 5s. Entitled “Powerful,” Word Lens is also highlighted on Apple’s site. A universal app designed for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad/iPad mini, Word Lens can be downloaded now on the App Store. With the now-free language packs you can translate between English and six other languages – Russian, Portuguese, German, Italian, French, and Spanish. The app will even translate from the six languages back to English without requiring an active Internet connection. It is designed to work best with clearly printed text like on signs or menus. For other news today, see: Apple Sued Regarding iMessage Bug Plaguing Android Users, AppAdvice Daily: Test Your Reflexes And Collect The Rain In This Weeks Best New Games, and You Probably Shouldn't Text 911 Just Yet In The US.
