Japan mobile provider NTT DoCoMo will be releasing the world's first live translating app.
Launching on October 11, the Utsushite Hon’yaku, a "translator with word recognition camera," is going to be available for anyone with a smartphone free of charge to other mobile devices or landlines. Though currently only available in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese, other languages like French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish will be added in November, which will bring the app's capabilities up to ten languages.
The translating app is great for tourists or business people who often travel to the country for business and don't have time to learn the language thoroughly. Providing instantaneous language conversions, the app can also translate signs with its image recognition software simply by holding the phone's camera to the words.
Live Translation Applications
Japan's New Multilingual Translating App Works Instantaneously
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