In this photo illustration the logo of the multi-facetted internet giant Microsoft is displayed on a computer screen on April 13, 2006 in London, England. (Photo : Getty Images/Scott Barbour)
It should no longer be a problem if one is taking a trip by road and is unable to decipher the signs, as Microsoft has upgraded its Translator app for Android to enable it to translate texts in photos.
The images can be taken with the camera of the device or if the photos have already been taken one just needs to tell the app to translate them. Earlier, one could translate the text simply by typing it, but the Redmond tech titan plans to make things even simpler, Yahoo reported.
While the Translator app still trails behind Google's similar offering, the Microsoft is catching up gradually. In order to update the Microsoft Translator for Android, the company has incorporated two new features. First, it has made the app capable of translating text from saved images, and secondly, it has added an option that will help translate text anywhere on the phone.
The inline translation feature appears as an option together with cut, copy, and paste when users highlight text. In addition, the update also increases the total number of downloadable languages that can also be used offline to 43, The Verge reported.
Microsoft's iOS app has been offering image translation since February. It was also available on Microsoft's Windows Phone app since 2010. In a recent blog post, the Redmond tech giant wrote that with the introduction of the new image translation feature it would not be necessary to type text or speak out foreign language phrases out loud. "Instead you can translate pictures instantly from your phone, with the translation appearing in an overlay above the existing text," the post added.
However, all translation features are not the same. The Google's Translator app actually works with live images taken from the camera and compares the look of the translated text to the font source. On the other hand, Microsoft's Translator app makes it necessary for users to take a picture to work its magic by simply overlaying the translation on top of the image using a default font. Then again, Google's app only offers offline translation on Android, while the Microsoft app is available on Android as well as iOS.
Watch the video on Microsoft Translator app for Android review below:
