London, December 14: Cell phone maker Nokia is planning to launch a cameraphone with the ability to keep track of whether a user is ordering a wrong dish from a foreign menu.

All a user will have to do is to snap a picture of a dessert menu. Within a few seconds, the phone will recognise the characters and translate the words into English.

The phone, which is to be launched next year, will be able to translate 9,000 Chinese and 600 Japanese food-related words into English, with more language versions to follow.

Another Nokia utility called Point and Find will facilitate shopping without having to visit the store.

The user will take a picture of an object of desire in a participating shop window, and recognition software will steer the phone’s web browser to the online store, reports New Scientist journal. (ANI)