I have the Google translate app on my phone and I find it very useful. However, I've just been reading a review of a Dutch sewing/pattern magazine, Knip Mode, and the writer mentioned a fabulous thing that the app does. Apparently, you can take a photo and bring it into the app (I haven't looked at the detail yet), highlight any text in the photo that you want to translate and, hey presto, there it is. She used it to translate the sewing instructions in the magazine from Dutch to English with no typing required. Amazing.
I can understand why people turn into smart phone zombies with stuff like this on it!