We all know that Google Translate cannot produce decent translations but we cannot deny the fact that it is a useful tool for everyone. Since we are curious about every language, it helps a lot about understanding the general topic of a text. For example, I don’t know Italian, but when I paste an Italian text and translate it into English, I can perfectly understand what the text is about.
I’m sure we all have at least one funny story to tell about Google Translate, but we should also appreciate this technology. They have a new update and we can use it offline now!
Here is what the news about:
Google updated its Google Translate app for Android with offline support and vertical text translation. You can download the new version now directly from the Google Play Store.
The offline language packages include support for 50 languages. To use them, just select “Offline Languages” in the app menu to see all the offline language packages available for download. To enable offline translation between any two languages, you need to select them both in the offline languages menu.
The addition of offline support is a very big move from a company like Google which is obsessed with online services and moving everything to the Web. For that reason alone it’s great to see the company a move that goes against its very DNA. Google admits the “offline models are less comprehensive than their online equivalents” but still says they get the job done “when you are traveling abroad with poor reception or without mobile data access.”
Many users have Internet access when they need to translate something, but it’s hardly a guarantee. If you’re traveling with your phone or tablet and need to figure out what something means on the go, you can now refer to your Google Translate app and get an answer without worrying about finding a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Here’s the official Google Translate 2.6 for Android changelog:
- Translate without a network connection with offline language packages (available on Android 2.3 and above).
- Translate vertical text in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean with your Camera.
Click here to read more.
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Posted by Steven on April 1, 2013 at 15:42
Google cannot be trusted to do a complete translation, but more than once, I have seen it do a job that is “more than decent”.
Posted by Radek on April 5, 2013 at 04:37
In some language combination Google Translate does nearly perfect job.
Posted by alexander on April 11, 2013 at 20:21
google translator is OK