Forum is a new software developed by Waverly Labs, makers of translation-oriented wearables, that allows users to instantly translate and transcribe spoken conversations. The product, the business claims, is valuable for educators and performance venues. The likes of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet may be used for video conferences as well.

Forum may be accessed on a browser or on an iOS device. An Android version of the app is scheduled to be released before the end of the current quarter. Arabic, Dutch, English, Hindi, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish are just a few of the 20 languages and 42 varieties supported. Users may either join an already running session or start their own and invite others by sharing a QR code.

In the midst of a conversation, users may choose to switch languages in order to get simultaneous translation of the text and voice. A swear word filter is also available for those who want not to be exposed to certain language in their online conversations. Forum’s pause-to-translate and hold-to-talk features are useful when a discussion doesn’t need constant back-and-forth.

Free to use while you’re a participant, however you may only host a session with up to five people and 40 minutes of interpretation every month. Transcripts may be downloaded at no cost to users. For an additional $7.99 per month, you can upgrade to a plan that gives you access to a higher translation time limit and the option to add custom terminology.

Forum is used by companies such as Uniqlo (a Japanese clothing business) and Chanel (a French luxury goods firm) to facilitate in-person and virtual meetings for teams located all over the world. The Perfect Crime, a production on Broadway, is also using it to translate the performance for foreign audiences in real time.

Forum, according to the company’s founder and CEO, Andrew Ochoa, “leverages our core translation technology that employs the latest voice recognition and machine translations in a compelling and easy-to-use software without the need for any gear or equipment.”

In order to facilitate communication between consumers of different linguistic backgrounds, Waverly Labs introduced a novel double-sided touchscreen for retail kiosks last year.