Hasta La Gadget!

Google has just just added a little bit of Star Trek to Android. An update to the Google Translate app adds “Conversation Mode”, which acts a lot like the universal translator from the TV show.

In Conversation Mode you speak into your phone, Google translates your words into the language of your choice, and then the phone reads out the results in a pleasant robot voice. Here’s a demo of a prototype version recorded a few months ago:

It’s not perfect, but it’s impressive nonetheless. The app will translate from 15 languages, and output the results in any of 53 languages. And there’s good news for owners of older phones: Google Translate works on Android 2.1 and better.

It probably won’t replace a little bit of study before you go on vacation, but as most native English-speakers seems morally opposed to learning another language, it certainly won’t hurt.

A new look for Google Translate for Android [Google Blog]

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