One of the holy grails of smart software is real time translation -- a concept that has been in the pages of science fiction books for decades but is incredibly difficult to actually accomplish. This year it appears that the next generation of translation software is emerging with one of the chief examples being the new Google Translate app.

Google Translate isn't a new app, but just last week, Google announced new features that transform it from a mostly text-based affair into new media -- including photographs of words in the real world, using Google-acquired Word Lens technology.

Google Translate: Now With Word Lens

The updated translation app is available on iTunes and the Google Play Store (unlike Microsoft's new instant translation service, which is only in limited public Skype trials at the moment), so we took a look at the new features.

Google's Word Lens feature is definitely an impressive addition, especially for a free app. It's intuitive to use: just point the smartphone's camera at a sign, for example, in a language you don't understand, and the app will overlay a virtual version of that sign in the language you choose.

It's very quick and easy, and all you have to do is pick the input and output language, line up the text using the camera's guides and you'll get results. Like the older versions of Google Translate, you can even download a language library in advance so translating on-the-go (and with no, limited or expensive Internet connectivity) is not a problem.

Like all translation software -- we aren't in the Babel fish future yet -- Google Translate sometimes gets things wrong, especially when it comes to accurately processing grammar and syntax. And it should be mentioned, our tests were limited to Spanish to English translations. Some languages that others have tested, like Hebrew, are not ready for prime time yet.

But overall, it's an incredible addition to the app and goes above and beyond by mimicking the aesthetic layout of the sign you're translating in its virtual overlay. It's a bit much, and completely unnecessary, but if you've got it, flaunt it.

The other new feature of Google Translate is live audio translation, which not only is supposed to work much faster than the "taking turns" older version of Google Translate's audio offering because it can autodetect the languages of speakers. This does require an Internet connection at the moment, so using it on vacation might not be an option.


But you might not want to rely on the live audio translation service yet, anyway. The voice recognition isn't perfect right now -- Google's video only shows easily translatable phrases for a reason -- and as the input gets longer and more complicated than a phrase or simple sentence, the (often hilarious) fail rate increases exponentially.

Tap That App

That said, the simple fact that you can use a free smartphone app and no Internet connection (if you prepare ahead of time) to get around a foreign city without having to constantly type into your phone is awesome, and Google Translate comes highly recommended for anyone who is living or will visit a place dominated by a language you don't understand.

I spent a few weeks in Europe last year, and even the old Word Lens-less Google Translate became essential -- not only to facilitate conversations but as an individualized phrasebook. Adding Word Lens only makes the app more useful, and I can't wait to try it out in a real-world travel situation.

The only fundamental problem with Word Lens (and this should especially aggravate Google at the moment) is that it's based in a smartphone, which you have to take out, point at the sign and announce to everyone you're a tourist (or, even worse, a street sign photography enthusiast).

Translate, and Word Lens especially, would really be much more useful and blend in far better if it were available on some kind of wearable smart technology -- perhaps some kind of smart glasses?