Skype Now Does Real-Time Translations

Microsoft just pulled the beta tag off of their new real-time translation service for Skype. No longer do you need to sign up for a waiting list to test out the futuristic-like feature.

Now, if we’re honest, it’s not quite real-time, more like a few seconds delay (which is enough to make a conversation a bit slower than typing in my opinion), but it’s still a pretty decent breakthrough with a very difficult technological challenge (Siri/Google Now doesn’t understand me half the time and we “speak” the same language).

Cue adorable children to help sell the concept…

The system will allow you to speak in either English, Chinese, Italian, and Spanish (not sure why the demos always have German…) and through typing (the way I’m sure I’ll use once I get frustrated with the delay in the speaking) supports up to 50 languages in real time and that’s pretty awesome.

Again, might not be the greatest system, but it’s one step closer to the device we can put in our ears and translate languages anywhere we are –and that sounds amazing to someone who loves to travel and doesn’t have the time to use his Rosetta Stone.

Head to Skype’s page for the translator here to try it out.

Anyone used it yet? Does it feel more natural than I imagine it would?