Google Translate: Use your phone camera for instant translation of sign and text.

A must have for every traveler, Google Translate is your best friend when travelling to countries where you do not fully understand the language. Spoken language translation is awesome, but sign and text translation is even better. The latest update to Google Translate adds a new feature called Word Lens which lets users point their camera to a sign or text and the app will instantly translate it for you. And there's more: Word lens will do that offline, without the need for an internet connection. The cost reduction on roaming will be huge. Currently this new feature supports English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Another interesting feature is the automatic detection of the language used in a conversation. This works using speech input and Google Translate will recognize which language is being spoken and do the translation on the fly, similar to the feature Microsoft unveiled last year for Skype. Google claims that the instant translation will allow users enjoy a fluid conversation.

Google Translate is available for free in the Play store.