Best apps...

For translating foreign languages

is improving all the time, and offers translations of 100-plus languages. Garbled translations are rarer now, and the app also offers instant translations when you point a camera phone at a street sign.

minimizes miscommunications of all kinds for global travelers. It offers translations in 42 languages, guidelines on local customs, access to live human translators, and a great way to decipher dining receipts.

is particularly good at translating multiple tongues at once, making it ideal for group conversations. Participants follow along using their phones.

is indispensable if you plan to travel in Asia. Its developers pioneered the imagebased translation of Chinese hanzi, Japanese kanji, and Korean hanja characters.

is great for casual conversations. It can translate and vocalize in 24 languages whatever message you type in. Source: