Instagram updates iOS apps with 'flat' designs, Google Translate gets offline support in 52 languag

Posted:
in iPhone
Facebook-owned Instagram on Wednesday launched a cosmetic overhaul of its iOS apps, while Google updated its Translate app with support for offline translation in 52 languages.




All of Instagram's apps now have "flat" icon designs, better matching the look of recent versions of iOS, which have veered away from skeuomorphism. Aside from the company's flagship, the other updated titles include Boomerang, Hyperlapse, and Layout. Boomerang is used to create quick looping videos, while Layout builds collages.

Only the core Instagram app has seen its actual interface altered. The new arrangement is not only flat but black and white, something meant to draw more attention to photos and videos in a user's news feed.




Until today the app's icon evoked old "toy" cameras, famous for their visual effects due to bad construction and/or the film they used.

Google Translate






Although Google has not specified which 52 languages it's referring to, the updated language support should make Translate far more useful for iPhone and iPad owners when traveling, since cellular and Wi-Fi can be expensive -- or non-existent -- when roaming in some countries.

The app has meanwhile gained another 13 languages in general for a total of 103, and camera translation from Chinese to English (and vice versa), including simplified and traditional Chinese forms. This means that users can simply point a camera at text and the app will attempt to translate it in front of them.

Google Translate is a free download, and requires iOS 8 or later. For offline support, any desired languages must be downloaded in-app.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    why-why- Posts: 305member
    I thought hyperlapse was a Microsoft thing
  • Reply 2 of 8
    bonobobbonobob Posts: 381member
    Camera based English<-->Chinese totally not working in the updated app.

    Edit:  It turns out that downloading the offline translation data for camera based Chinese translation is a requirement rather than an option.
    edited May 2016
  • Reply 3 of 8
    lord amhranlord amhran Posts: 902member
    Eww
  • Reply 4 of 8
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Current new icon isn't attractive or strong.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    Love the new Instagram icon's "three circles" look.
    Small "viewfinder" dot, central "lens," blurred circle in lower left.
    Skeuomorphism is such a 2012 dead-end.
    doozydozen
  • Reply 6 of 8
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Icon is fugly
  • Reply 7 of 8
    retrogustoretrogusto Posts: 1,106member

    Until today the app's icon evoked old "toy" cameras, famous for their visual effects due to bad construction and/or the film they used.
    Actually, the icon evoked old Polaroid instant cameras, famous for their ability to produce pictures that could be viewed within minutes of being taken. The rainbow stripe is a dead giveaway. 
    http://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/these-resurrected-polaroid-cameras-have-me-shaking-with-anticipation-500x284.jpg
    They were not generally considered toys the way Dianas and Holgas were.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_camera

    The "Insta" might be a reference to instant cameras as well, although Kodak had an "Instamatic" line of cameras that used film in cartridges that did need to be developed.Oh wait, sorry, is this an Apple website? Maybe the rainbow was a reference to the original Apple icon.
  • Reply 8 of 8
    roakeroake Posts: 809member
    The "52" offline languages (and supporting options) include:

    1. English
    2. Afrikaans
    3. Albanian
    4. Arabic
    5. Belarusian
    6. Bulgarian
    7. Catalan
    8. Chinese
    9. Croatian
    10. Czech
    11. Danish
    12. Dutch
    13. Esperanto
    14. Estonian
    15. Filipino
    16. Finnish
    17. French
    18. Galician
    19. Georgian
    20. German
    21. "German -> Arabic (improves instant camera translation)"
    22. Greek
    23. Haitian Creole
    24. Hebrew
    25. Hindi
    26. Hungarian
    27. Icelandic
    28. Indonesian
    29. Irish
    30. Italian
    31. Japanese
    32. Korean
    33. Latvian
    34. Lithuanian
    35. Macedonian
    36. Malay
    379 Maltese
    38. Norwegian
    39. Persian
    40. Polish
    41. Portuguese
    41. Romanian
    42. Russian
    43. Slovak
    44. Slovenian
    45. Spanish
    46. Swahili
    47. Swedish
    48. Thai
    49. Turkish
    50. Ukrainian
    51. Vietnamese
    52. Welsh
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