Google Translate customized for iPhone
Google’s love affair with the iPhone takes another step down the path of a long-term relationship today. The search leader added a new Google Translate interface, which you can find by navigating to the Google on your handset or iPod Touch. You’ll find the new Translate tool by hitting More in the top navigation bar but for now, you can’t add Translate to your Home Screen like you can with other Google tools. I’m sure that will change soon.
In the spirit of the Olympic Games in Beijing, I used the interface for some English to Chinese translation. My Chinese is rusty… OK, it’s non-existent… so I can’t tell for sure if Google would help me find a local Starbucks or if it would have me saying "Sorry, but your fly is down." In any case, the interface is simple to use and I can see my iPhone being passed back and forth when I next leave the country. What… you don’t think I’m going to speak the languages do you? Although that would be a nice feature to add: have the device speak the phrase… Google, are you listening or is that request getting lost in translation?
i can tell you the translation is pretty good (the one in the picture)
unlike a lot of other google translations i’ve seen…
Gives me a great idea for an American Express commercial:
1. Trip to Beijing – $2500
2. iPhone with translator app so you can feel confident when you ask for the nearest Starbucks in Chinese – $300
3. Asking for a “doubletallnonfatsugarfreesoydecafjavachipfrapuccinowithwhippedcream” once you get there… – priceless!
Missing: allow taking a picture and sending it to a web service for OCR and translation..
Hmm.. imagining myself sitting in a restaurant in a sweet little cafe in Paris (where English is often ignored on the menu) and ordering myself something very French
courtesy of Google…