Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications

    Microsoft Teaches Skype Translator French and German

    By
    Pedro Hernandez
    -
    June 18, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Skype

      Microsoft added two new spoken languages to Skype Translator, the company announced on Thursday, bringing the total number of supported spoken languages to a tidy half-dozen.

      “Today, we are happy to announce that we are once again breaking down language barriers by introducing French and German to the line-up of spoken languages available in the Skype Translator preview app,” wrote Yasmin Khan, a Skype senior product marketing manager, in a company blog post. “We are now breaking down more language barriers, and bringing the world closer together, by offering six spoken Skype Translator languages—English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish—along with 50 instant messaging languages.”

      The Skype Translator application for Windows 8.1 is currently in beta. Powered by Microsoft’s cloud computing and machine learning technologies, the software monitors Skype conversations and produces both text and spoken translations on the fly. First demoed in May 2014, the company released a preview version of Skype Translator in December with support for two spoken languages, English and Spanish.

      On April 8, Microsoft released an update that brought Italian and Chinese (Mandarin) into the fold. Enabling Chinese support was a big milestone for the company’s computer-based translation efforts, said Khan at the time.

      “As you can imagine, Mandarin is a very challenging language to learn, even for Skype Translator,” she stated. “With approximately 10,000 characters and multiple tones, this is one of the most difficult languages for a native English speaker to master, along with Arabic, Japanese, and Korean.”

      The addition of German harkens back to the public’s first look at the technology. A year ago, Gurdeep Pall, then the corporate vice president of Skype and Lync (now Skype for Business), demonstrated an early build of the application with the help of a German colleague, Diana Heinrichs.

      Some minor hiccups aside, Skype Translator enhanced their video chat with on-screen text and a synthesized voice that delivered fairly accurate translations. Currently, Microsoft is working on integrating the technology into the Skype for Windows Desktop App for a late-summer release.

      Beyond connecting users who speak different languages, Microsoft hopes the technology will also help open additional lines of communication for the deaf and sufferers of hearing loss.

      Ted Hart, a senior research design engineer at Microsoft Research, who lost his hearing at the age of 13, is using Skype Translator’s close-caption-like capabilities to have more natural, impromptu conversations with his family and his colleagues. “There are relay services that you can use, but they are inconvenient and require time to initiate the call,” said Hart in a YouTube video describing how he now handles calls with his wife. “With Skype Translator, I just read the transcript and I understand what she is saying.”

      Microsoft today also released a video guide on configuring and using Skype Translator for Accessibility. The latest version of the app with French and German language support is available for download here.

      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to eWEEK and the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×