Mixing travel book publishing and useful mobile apps, Lonely Planet has just launched the Lonely Planet Offline Translator (video embedded above). The $4.99 app works on Apple and Android devices. It is currently available for Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Iraqi Arabic, and Tagalog.
Travel books and dictionaries will never go out of style–despite tremendous advances in mobile technology, many cell phones get spotty or expensive coverage while traveling. The new app will work without an Internet connection, turning an out-of-service phone into a translation tool.
Here’s more from the release: “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 … 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.”