Kinect

If you’ve ever been to a foreign country, you know that one of the most terrifying parts of travel is being surrounded by a language you don’t understand. Peter Lee, head of Microsoft Research, might be able to change all that (and drastically reduce the amount of time you spend furrowing your brows and squinting at that French menu). Lee and his colleagues have created technology that can translate from language to language in real time, and he discusses it with us, along with other with up-and-coming technology that could change our lives.