Microsoft Breaking the Barrier

by Hisham Daou · Published June 2, 2014 · Updated February 29, 2016

Few days ago at “Re/code” Conference in California, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Skype chief Gurdeep Singh Pall demoed a real-time language translation tool. The tool -“Skype Translator” – is integrated into Skype and it will allow for voice chatting between people speaking different languages.

In the video below you can watch the technology being tested. A German guy calls his English speaking co-worker and they engage in a work related conversation. The first person talks in German (obviously ever seen a German talking any other language ?) And the second replies in English.

Yes you saw it right, after they decided on the plans they waved goodbye to each other, such a professionalism. Away from the waving and from the machine sounding Japanese guy. The translation looks fairly decent in the video, it is fast and reliable from what we can see.

On a personal level I have tried so many translating applications and websites. And none of them seemed to impress me so far. To have a sudden leap like this one out of the blue seems a far fetch to me. Especially that Microsoft’s own Bing Translate is not that exciting.

In a blog post talking about the technology, Microsoft’s VP of Skype said that Skype Translator will arrive first as a beta application for Windows 8 by the end of this year.

Mr. Nadella revealed that the company’s eventual goal is to get the technology on all Microsoft devices, big and small.

Until we have a first hand user experience we are staying skeptic on this one. In a real world environment the technology will have a definitive advantage making cybersex reach new levels (That is the only real application I could think of!!). I can’t wait to test this with some Lebanese language like “Mashi nrou7 ne23od, t3ebt w ana e3ed 3am bemshi” or the famous multilanguage Lebanese greeting “Hi Kifak Ca Va?”. Good luck with that Skype, come back when you are able to handle our awesome Lebanese language and till then “Farjina 3ared Ktefak”