Word Lens is a real-time translation program which uses the camera on your phone, and translates the text it sees from one language to another. Not only does it translate the text, it actually “edits” the original text into the destination language, all in real-time. You really need to see it to believe it.
As a person learning French, this could be extremely useful for the many occasions in which I have absolutely no idea what a sign says, or when a restaurant simply doesn’t have an English menu.
Word Lens Software
Now, I’m one of the few people stuck in the dumb phone era. I’ve had the same internet-lacking relic of a bygone era for years now, and though I spend a not-insubstantial amount of time researching new phones, I still haven’t pulled the trigger. There’s always been a certain lack of features with the latest generation of phones that makes me think twice before dropping hundreds of my hard-earned dollars on one.
Having said that, phones seem to be advancing in leaps and bounds, and recently I’ve seen a slew of new software featuring what can only be described as augmented reality. Word Lens is one such piece of software, and I think this will finally be enough to shake my apathy and get my ass into the nearest cellular dealer.