Amazon's deliciously low-tech e-reader can be put to use for travel translation.

As summer approaches, a lot of virtual ink is being spilled about the best translation apps for smartphones and tablet computers.

So, is the Kindle totally off of the travel translation playing field?

Not at all. A Seattle-based travel nut and, apparently, techie named Nicholas has developed an application that adapts Google Translate to Kindles. Called Kindlefish, it feeds into Google Translate in a Kindle-friendly fashion.

Google Translate in and of itself simply doesn't work well on Kindles, so Nicholas streamlined it into something that does -- to an extent.

"The Kindle browser... is notoriously slow and Kindlefish can also be susceptible to accuracy issues related to Google Translate and poor support for non-English input on the Kindle," remarks Melanie Pinola in the tech and lifestyle blog Lifehacker. However, she still recommends the application for those who carry their Kindle around while travelling.

Another way to use the Kindle for language translation is delightfully old-fashioned, but certainly more reliable than Google Translate: put a dictionary in it.

For example, Merriam-Webster's Spanish-English dictionary is available in a Kindle version. Of course, once you have downloaded the dictionary, there's no need to worry about whether you have 3G coverage or not.

And, well, if you're the type of person who has a Kindle, you're likely also the type of person who will appreciate the in-depth translation possibilities offered by high-quality dictionaries.

Betty Carlson

See Also

• Language Translation, Inc.
  A leading language translation and interpretation service provider for more than 20 years.