One of the most daunting things about traveling is getting around when you don't speak the local language. You can purchase a pocket translation dictionary or try to rely on your smartphone to translate for you, but both of these options have their limitations.
So when our friend, tech expert Katie Linendoll told us about a two-way translator that claims to work in real time and actually speak, we were all ears.
Available from Hammacher Schlemmer, the gadget is meant to help two people who don't speak the same language have a conversation they can both understand, she explains.
To use it, you press one of two buttons and talk into the microphone. The translator will then verbalize the phrase in the selected language. When the other person is ready to respond, they hit the button on the other side and the translator will work the same way.
The best part? There are 13 languages already built in, so if you don't have WiFi, you can still use the translator for languages including Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish and more. When you are connected to WiFi, you can access 40 additional languages. Or, ensure you always have all 53 languages handy — even when you're out of WiFi range — via a global SIM card.
See Katie demo the translator in the video above!
