Some time ago Ascendo released four language dictionaries for Windows Phone 8. The dictionaries cover Spanish, German, Italian and French. The developers have been hard at work improving things and recently released an update that boosts the translation tools these apps possess.
Most notably, the version 3.5.1.28 update adds an audio pronunciation of the translated word. Which can be very useful for those who struggle outside their native tongue.
Other notable changes to the Ascendo apps includes:
- Phrasebook with twenty categories such as conversation, asking Directions, accommodations, making friends, flirting and emergencies.
- Listen to phrases pronounced in both languages.
- Implemented "Word of the Day" live tile which flips every few seconds to display daily word and summary translation.
- Localization of menus and help text based on language selected in Windows Phone Settings.
- Fixed issue of transitioning between dictionary and German verb conjugator.
- Added high-resolution flag icons for high-end Windows Phones.
- Added menu choice for in-app products; Extended Dictionary, Extended Verb Conjugator & Extended Phrasebook.
- Improved detection & alert if text-to-speech is not installed.
- Switches to online TTS if device has internet access.
- Changed support link to mobile responsive web page.
In addition to the updated features a Portuguese/English Dictionary was released with the update. The Phrasebook is a really nice touch allowing you to quickly search for phrases, eliminating the need to hunt down individual words. The "Word of the Day" feature is also a nice touch for those wanting to learn more of the language. If you're more inclined to use the Ascendo apps as a reference tool, the "Word of the Day" can be disabled in the settings menu.
All totaled, the updated version of the Ascendo language apps takes things to a new level. In just tinkering with the updated Spanish English Dictionary+ app, things went from nice to really good. The developer's hard work seems to have paid off making the Ascendo language dictionaries serious contenders if you're in the market for a translation app.
You can find the free versions of Ascendo's language dictionaries by following the Windows Store links below or scan the QR tags. Each version is free and you can purchase the extended versions (takes the language entries from 70-90K to the hundreds of thousands) within the app for $4.99.
Spanish English Dictionary+ (opens in new tab) German English Dictionary+ (opens in new tab)
French English Dictionary+ (opens in new tab) Italian English Dictionary+ (opens in new tab)
Portuguese English Dictionary + (opens in new tab)
