Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has acquired another startup to improve its products and services, particularly, Google Translate. The search engine giant bagged Quest Visual, the maker of the Word Lens app. The amount and terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Quest Visual announced the acquisition on its website. It was also confirmed by Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to several media entities.
“With Word Lens, we’ve seen the beginnings of what’s possible when we harness the power of mobile devices to ‘see the world in your language.’ By joining Google, we can incorporate Quest Visual’s technology into Google Translate’s broad language coverage and translation capabilities in the future,” said a spokesperson for Quest Visual in a statement.
Word Lens free to download for a limited time
The startup added that it will make the Word Lens app and its language packs free to download for a limited time as part of the transition to Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and as a way of expressing their gratitude to everybody who supported Quest Visual on their journey. Consumers whose smartphones are powered by the Android operating system and iOS will be able to download Word Lens, which is capable of translating words it sees through the camera integrated in their devices.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) believes that Quest Visual has a strong team and great technology and that it is a good fit for its Translate team. Octavio Good, a former video game developer, established Quest Visual in 2009. The startup launched Word Lens for iOS in 2010. The app was released on the Android OS in July 2012 and Google Glass in November of last year.
Google adds PayPal to Google Play store
Separately, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) added PayPal, the payment service owned by eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY), as a payment option on the Google Play Store, according to Google Play Product Manager Ibrahim Elbouchikhi.
Elbouchikhi emphasized that the company is hoping the addition of PayPal as a payment method could fuel the sales momentum of Google Play, which was up 300% over the past year. The search engine giant said consumers in 12 countries, including Canada, Germany, and the United States, will now have the option to choose PayPal as a payment method on Google Play.
“When you make a purchase on Google Play in these countries, you’ll find PayPal as an option in your Google Wallet; just enter your PayPal account login and you’ll easily be able to make purchases. Our goal is to provide users with a frictionless payment experience, and this new integration is another example of how we work with partners from across the payments industry to deliver this to the user,” Elbouchikhi said in a statement.
