Android Language Translation Moves Up a Notch

Android Language Translation Moves Up a Notch

Does Google's new Conversation Mode get us a step closer to Star Trek's universal translator?

Google has released a so-called Alpha or experimental preview of a new language translation feature for Android devices. Conversation Mode for Android devices is a new interface within Google Translate that's designed to let users communicate fluidly in real-time with a nearby person in another language.
Today's alpha release of Conversation Mode offers translation between English and Spanish using an Android device, though other languages are likely to be offered. The search giant gave the first public showing of Conversation Mode at a trade show a few months ago and that demo featured a verbal exchange of English-to-German and back.
Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) also announced that it has released several updates to Translate for Android designed to make it easier. Improvements include better dropdown boxes to help select the languages you want to translate from and into, an improved input box and cleaner icons and layout.
"From Google's perspective, this is another example of the things they do to get more people using their services and make them sticky," Ben Bajarin, director of the Consumer Technology Practice at Creative Strategies, told InternetNews.com. "If you're not traveling in another country, I'm not sure how much value there is, but it's something Google has that Apple doesn't."
Enterprise Mobile Today reports on how the new Conversation Mode works and what Google CEO Eric Schmidt had to say about it.