OREANDA-NEWS. ABBYY®, a leading provider of document recognition, data capture and linguistic technologies, announced the availability of ABBYY TextGrabber + Translator 3.0, the latest version of its iOS-based application for extracting, digitizing and translating snippets of text. Combining ABBYY’s on-device optical character recognition (OCR) technology for mobile platforms with the VoiceOver functionality from Apple®, the application provides special capabilities for visually impaired and blind users that allow them to easily comprehend information from various printed sources. The program can read aloud captured or translated text in more than 30 languages and may work as a reliable reading aid for millions of people with visual disabilities.

“We developed the new TextGrabber looking closely at users’ needs and expectations. Our primary focus was to help people with low vision or sight loss to live a more independent life with an easier access to information”, explained Katya Solntseva, Director of Mobile Products Department at ABBYY. “Now they can quickly extract information from product descriptions, signposts and signboards, address plates or restaurant menus, newspapers or magazines and have it voiced for them”.

ABBYY TextGrabber + Translator 3.0 enables Apple customers, including those with sight disabilities, to translate captured text via Google TranslateTM, export the results to other applications like Twitter®, Facebook®, Evernote®, etc. or send them to friends via SMS and e-mail. Each button and interface element of the application is distinctly named aloud and supplied with a brief audio comment on what it is for, thanks to the VoiceOver feature of Apple iOS. The application ensures text-to-speech conversion providing voice for the results of text recognition and translation, as well as for the “how-to-use-the-app” recommendations available in the program starting with this version.

For further convenience, the application delivers the ability to adjust font size for recognized and translated text the way you like it (up to a very large one). 11 interface languages, including Turkish and Chinese, allow users from many countries to truly enjoy working with the program.

Availability

ABBYY TextGrabber + Translator 3.0 for iOS is available via the App Store (accessible through iTunes®). It is ideal for Apple iPhone 5, 4S, 4, 3GS and iPod Touch (iOS 5.0 or later, autofocus required) and partially compatible with the new iPad (3d generation), iPad 4 with Retina display (4th generation), and iPad Mini (autofocus required).

Supported interface languages include English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Portuguese (Brazilian), Turkish, and Chinese (traditional and simplified).

For more information about the product, visit http://www.abbyy.com/textgrabber_ios/.

The detailed information on VoiceOver capabilities can be found on the Apple website http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone/vision.html