Software turns the mobile into a phrasebook

Software developer CoolGorilla has unveiled an application that can turn a mobile phone into a translation device.

The software is available in French, Spanish, German, Greek, Italian and Portuguese, and has a collection of commonly used words and phrases.

After entering an English word the phone will display the translated text and use the device's speaker to utter the phrase.

Roy Forsdick, a developer at CoolGorilla, said: "The mobile phone is the perfect platform for people to use this sort of application as people carry their mobiles with them at all times.

"In fact it makes such intuitive sense for people to use talking phrasebooks on their mobile phone that I am amazed no-one has developed anything like this before."

The software can be downloaded directly to the handset at a cost of £3 (A$7.27)per language. It is being sold by Lastminute.com or direct from the developer at Coolgorilla.com or Coolgorilla.mobi. 

"Instead of having to flick through the pages of a phrase book to find what you want to say, you simply click your phone menu, select the phrase you need and voilà!" said Mark McCulloch, head of brand development at Lastminute.com.

"It also helps with your pronunciation and ensures that you are understood, which will hopefully put an end to the embarrassment of trying out your language skills on holiday."

More languages are expected later in the year, including cross translators that could translate French into Italian, for example.

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