The microphones picked up conversations in the room easily and produced translations with very little lag time.
The Ambassadors modest appearance and relatively low price tag belie its incredible capabilities.
The ability to translate conversations automatically is a long-sought dream.
Sascha Brodsky / Lifewire
Ive toted foreign language dictionaries around the world, frantically looking up words when necessary.
In recent years,Google Translatehas become the go-to translator for many people.
Microsofts Translatoroffers similar capabilities to its Google counterpart.
Pockettalk
The app claims to be able to translate text into 90 languages and dialects.
Theres also the nifty-lookingPocketalk Plustranslator.
The smartphone-sized machine claims to translate between 82 languages and sports a touchscreen interface.
It also can convert currency, length, width, and temperature.
The Pocketalk doesnt require a phone connection, unlike the Ambassador.
Keep in mind that the Pocketalk is also considerably more expensive than the Ambassador at $329.
If you want a unit that translates, but looks discrete, theres theWT2 Plus AI Realtime Translator Earbuds.
It claims to perform simultaneous translations up to 50% faster than competitors.
I cant wait for the world to get back to a place where in-person translators are needed.
Im hoping to travel internationally this year and give these translation gadgets a real test.
