Time to add another name to the list of companies that’ve been acquired by Google.
Today it’s been revealed that Google has acquired Quest Visual, the company behind the app Word Lens that uses your smartphone’s camera to translate printed words from one language to another in real time. Quest Visual says that its technology will be integrated into Google Translate.
As a result of Google’s acquisition, Quest Visual has made both the base Word Lens app and all of its language packs completely free. The app is available on both Android and iOS.
Word Lens is a pretty impressive app, allowing users to easily translate text without needing a network connection. This acquisition is a pretty big deal for Google Translate, a service that ought to benefit nicely from Quest Visual’s tech. We’ll have to wait to see exactly how Google Translate takes advantage of that tech, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.
Until then, you can hit up Google Play and the App Store to download Word Lens and its language packs for free. Links to both marketplaces are available below.
How often do you use Google Translate or some other translation service?
Via Android Police, Quest Visual, Word Lens: Google Play, App Store
