Skype is now accepting applications for previews of its upcoming Translator feature. Demoed at re/code’s Code conference in May, Skype Translator lets people communicate via VoIP even if they speak different languages.
The feature is based on the work of the Microsoft Research team and includes speech-recognition, automatic-translation, and machine-learning technologies. Microsoft acquired Skype in May 2011 for $8.5 billion.
With Skype Translator speech is translated in real time and displayed as scrolling text at the bottom of the call window. During the test period Skype will be supporting translations for Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
People interested in testing the new feature can register via Skype’s website. The feature will only work on PCs, laptops and tablets that run Windows 8.1 for the time being.