Google adds translation to Goggles

Google is adding translation features to its Goggles mobile search tool.

The added feature will allow mobile users to pull text out of images taken on their phones and then translate recognised text to another language.

Google had previously announced text recognition as a trial feature for Goggles in February at the Mobile World Congress.

Google said that currently the feature can recognise image text in English, Spanish, German, French and Italian. The new version of Goggles will require a handset equipped with Android 1.6 or higher.

The translation features comes on the heels of a major update to Google's mobile search page. Much like the full-sized search page update, the new mobile search site will add a collapsible navigation box on the left side of the page which will offer various search options and tools.

Google's update also comes amidst the release of new metrics on the smartphone market. Research firm comScore issued the results of a three month market share study in the US.

The report found that Samsung, Motorola and LG were locked in a near dead heat atop the market with shares of roughly 22 per cent. Research In Motion and Nokia rounded out the top five, each claiming shares of 8.3 per cent.