SHAPE Services has an impressive list of applications to stand behind. In the past, we’ve looked at Mobiola xPlayer, IM+: All-in-One Messenger and Business Card Reader; just to name a few. Recently, SHAPE Services contacted us to extend an invitation to the CrackBerry nation to join in on the beta testing for their newest creation called Photo Translator. Currently in version 0.9, Photo Translator helps break down language barrier by allowing you to capture a picture of text and then it translates it for you! The app uses Google OCR Engine and Google Translator. This is by far much easier than referring to a translation book or an actual translator (those guys are pretty heavy to carry around all of the time). Here’s a snapshot of the features available with Photo Translator:
- Accurate Text Recognition - Reliable OCR (optical character recognition) technology allows grabbing the text from images in a few seconds.
- Translation Management - Translated text can be saved to Memo, sent by email, or used in other apps.
- Translations Gallery and Search - Save results for later reference and quickly search through them.
- Multilingual Support - Photo Translator supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Czech, Dutch, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and many other languages.
While you’re at it, you should also check out the latest updates to their IM+ Talk and IM+ Messenger applications. In the newest beta of IM+ Talk, VoIP over 3G/EDGE is currently being tested; where in IM+ Messenger, they have added multichats to AIM and ICQ (previously, multichats could only be found for Skype and MSN). I, for one, have never been less than impressed with the applications that SHAPE Services have brought to the table, thus far. If you have a BlackBerry, with an autofocus camera (89xx, 95xx, 96xx, 97xx or 9800), I strongly suggest you try out Photo Translator. In fact, I think I’m going to give this one a thorough review in the near future.
For more information on Photo Translator, visit SHAPE ServicesCheck out other apps from SHAPE Services available from the CrackBerry App Store
Reader comments
Calling all lab rats! SHAPE Services invites you to join in on Photo Translator beta testing
Where is the OTA? Do we really have to install it through DM?
It's a pretty terrible user experience...
The website delivers a version that is apparently incompatible with OS6
When you try it, you just get an endless "scanning..." message
Hopefully those are just teething problems, because if an answer can^t be provided within seconds, I don't see how this could be useful.
Where's the 's' at the end of 'invite' on the blog post title?
One of the lab rats ate it. It's been replaced. Please keep an eye on it in case it goes missing again, thanks! :)
where do i download the beta version ????
It doesn't actually support Japanese, Chinese, or Korean. (It gives an unintelligible mess of Latin characters.)
Support response:
"Unfortunately those languages are not supported for OCR for now.
It is possible to translate from those languages, however,
but you would need to manually erase the results and then to enter the text you want to translate.
We have corrected the list of languages suported for OCR in the latest build 0.9.8.6, you may get it at
wap.shapeservices.com
Hopefully we will support those languages in future."
All i could find was a pay-for version. i'm not paying to test someone's software for them...
This one of the stupid app so far and useless . I tried it for 2 hours and delete the sucker.
Doesn't work at all... useless. Good idea, bad implementation.
CRAP!
Pleas make it work so we can Beta Test come on....You invite us to the party then NO PARTY.....
If you don't like it, don't download it, don't comment either and don't flame.
Shucks, even if I wanted to give it a shot and tested it, I wouldn't complain if it has bugs or not. Those that used THE LEAKED OS 6 have had the issue of it NOT WORKING. I told you so. Don't test it on a buggy unstable LEAK. It will likely NOT WORK PROPERLY!!
Awesome!
Awesome!
Please find OTA installation here:
http://wap.shapeservices.com/blackberry
It works on my 9700 Bold OS 6.0.0.358 ! 90 % words translation
Doesn't seem to work at all on my torch, numerous attempts.
Installed on my 9650, from the download link above.
Tried numerous times, with different camera settings. After taking the picture, it starts "scanning" and just stays "scanning" forever (until I exit).
Maybe I wasn't patient enough, but with the duration of the "scanning" time, I don't think this app. is for me.
Interesting concept, though.
You should change your connection settings manually, hope this helps.
jsda