Skip to main content

Speak Spanish without knowing Spanish: Microsoft’s Skype Translator tool is now available

Microsoft’s near-instant translation tool for Skype entered preview last December, but the company’s making it widely available starting today. After a five-month testing period, the sign-up requirement for Skype Translator has been removed.

“Skype Translator makes it possible for people to communicate irrespective of what language they speak.”

Recommended Videos

Microsoft revealed the ambitious Skype Translator at Re/code’s 2014 Code Conference. A creation of Microsoft’s Research Lab, it’s comprised of voice translation and Bing Translate-powered text interpretation. When you speak, your words are translated, recorded to a transcript, and relayed in your Skype video call partner’s native language (Italian, Chinese, English, Spanish, or Mandarin are supported). Text translation is comparable to Google Translate and other such online services.

In a blog post following last year’s unveiling, Skype executive Gurdeep Pall couched Translate as “a new chapter of communication” capable of “allowing humans to bridge geographic and language boundaries to connect mind to mind and heart to heart in ways never before possible.”

That’s a bit hyperbolic judging by the current state of Skype Translator. Our overall impressions are mostly positive, but both the voice and text translation have a ways to go before they can substitute for an interpreter or foreign language skills. Microsoft, cognizant of that, says it’s using machine learning to improve the quality of translation over time. The more it’s used, the more accurate the translations supposedly become.

Microsoft’s made it clear that it’s in the translation software game for the long haul. The company believes machine-powered language software has the potential to transform industries. As one example, Microsoft in a blog post highlighted Pro Mujer, a non-profit development organization based in New York that uses Skype Translator to provide women in Latin America with services typically out of reach.

“As we enter an era in which computing experiences need to be more personal, Skype has looked at ways to help communities create stronger connections and be productive,” Pall said. “[Skype Translator] is now removing another barrier to make it possible for people to communicate irrespective of what language they speak.”

Skype Translator is still exclusive to PCs running Windows 8/8.1/10 — you can grab it from the Windows Store, but you’ll have to uninstall the standard edition of Skype and switch on Translation in the settings menu to use it. On mobile, it’s still exclusive to Windows Phone, but Pall said the goal is to “deliver the best Skype Translator experience on each individual platform” as expeditiously as possible. Here’s hoping for an Android, iOS, and Mac client sometime soon.

Kyle Wiggers
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
Microsoft Edge Copilot now lets you share AI chats easily
Microsoft Copilot Pro.

Microsoft has added a new share button to Copilot in Edge, allowing users to share AI chat conversations with others more easily by creating a shareable link, as MSPowerUser reports. The update, available now, also expands the "Think Deeper" feature to all users, enhancing AI responses with deeper reasoning.

With this addition, Microsoft is making Copilot on Edge more like its website and mobile apps for a more consistent experience. For instance, on copilot.microsoft.com, you can chat with AI without signing up, similar to ChatGPT's web search. However, unlike Edge's side panel, the web version doesn't yet support sharing AI chats, but let's hope it does soon.

Read more
You can now use an external webcam with Microsoft Teams on your iPad. Here’s how
Home screen layout of the 2024 iPad mini.

For a lot of people, the iPad is the device they choose to work with, which may include taking video calls. Though the front-facing camera on iPads has gotten better over time, many still prefer external webcams because they’re often much better than the built-in webcam on your tablet or even laptop. And now, if you use Microsoft Teams on iPad, you’re finally able to use external cameras, as Microsoft has announced via a blog post.

When we say "finally," it’s because Apple has included support for external USB-C cameras on the iPad since iPadOS 17. So technically, Microsoft is a little late to the party with this feature. But if you have to use Microsoft Teams for work and you tend to use the iPad most of the time, then this is certainly welcome news.

Read more
Microsoft warns that the latest Windows 11 update may crash PC games now
Gaming PC on a desk.

Microsoft has once again temporarily halted the rollout of its latest major Windows 11 update, also known as 24H2. This time it is for systems running select Ubisoft games following widespread user reports of crashes and performance issues. The affected titles include Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Assassin's Creed Origins, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Star Wars Outlaws, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Common complaints include black screens, freezing, and unresponsiveness during gameplay or while loading these titles. "I just bought a new gaming laptop with RTX 4080, Intel i9 14900hx. I can't play the game (Origins) even for 5 minutes because it crashes to a black screen, with audio, and the only way to close it is from task manager. Impossible to play," one user shared on Reddit. Others reported similar frustrations, citing the persistent error “NTDLL.dll” that renders their games unplayable.

Read more