Although the video may have been “enhanced”, it is still very interesting and future concept.
Word Lens’ launch was heralded by a YouTube video that plays like a magic trick. The video, created by Good’s brother, a video production teacher, became an instant viral sensation and helped Word Lens draw an onslaught of media and consumer attention.
“It makes the program look a little too good,” Good admits. “But my brother put so much effort into it and it looked so good … that I decided to put it out there.”
The video sparked immediate interest, both good and bad. While the press lauded the application as the future of language translation, some users who downloaded it were met with disappointment when they discovered its shortcomings.
Word Lens translations are not perfect, and the application works best with clear text and bright light, meaning any other circumstances will yield less favorable results. Handwriting and unusual fonts will trip the application up, for instance.
The startup is admittedly limited by hardware that’s not quite ready to perform Word Lens’ instant translation magic trick in exactly way the video promises with every use. The video may gloss over Word Lens’ imperfections, but “it is very much real; there’s no faking,” Good says
studio systems group 