Blog
New Lonely Planet Translation apps!
by Natalia
News + Travel / September 28, 2011
This past week I’ve been on vacation in San Francisco, my first trip outside Canada in some time. Heading back to work this morning through familiar streets, armed with my cell phone, bus pass, and a steaming mug of home-brewed coffee, I was struck by the conveniences of being a local. The everyday practicalities of travel can be frustrating—tracking down wifi, finding a pay phone, dealing with public transit—all these small details of life which you wouldn’t give a second thought at home can become a big hassle in an unfamiliar city.
So I was excited when I heard about Lonely Planet’s latest offering to beleaguered travellers: The Lonely Planet Offline Translator, available on Android and iOs. From the Lonely Planet folks:
The perfect travel companion, Lonely Planet Offline Translator acts as your own personal translator, providing bespoke translations based on what the user has typed or spoken into the phone. Unlike other language translation apps, Lonely Planet Offline Translator is completely offline, which means it can be used anywhere with no data/roaming fees or connection delays.
Initially launching in eight languages, the app translates words, phrases or whole sentences into immediate audio or text translations. Designed specifically for travelers, the app utilizes over 40,000 words for its translations. It also features a completely searchable dictionary.
I love travel apps, and this one sounds pretty nifty—to my mind, this make much more sense than lugging around a heavy dictionary everywhere you go. What do you all think? Ever used the Lonely Planet apps abroad?
Happy travels everyone!