Skype’s been connecting people around the globe with patchy sentences, awkward pauses and sometimes pixelated faces since 2003.
This week the video chat service, along with parent company Microsoft, unveiled new technology that translates conversations in real time, ish. A slight lag time is to be expected.
Mark our words, bad Skype translations are going to be the new autocorrect blunders.
Skepticism aside the demonstration was pretty impressive with only one hiccup and very slow, awkward conversation. But are slow, awkward conversations new to Skype encounters? Obligatory Skype chats with grandparents suggest the answer is no.
The potential for entertainment value here is pretty high. All jokes aside, this new feature has huge potential for businesses like ours where we work with people around the world. Sometimes clients are more comfortable speaking another language and this allows us to communicate more effectively. We’re all about accessibility.
Professional translators and polyglot’s, does Skype’s translator have you shaking in your well-spoken boots?