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August 27, 2005
Sony targets big boys with all-singing and dancing games gadget
Initially, about 19 movies will be available on UMD [the mini-DVD format for the Sony PSP], including Spiderman2 and Ghostbusters. By Christmas, there will be about 50. Future software for the PSP includes a conversion kit to turn it into a satellite navigation device, and TalkMan--a Star Trek-style voice recognition programme that translates a phrase into another language and says it out loud.
Posted by Michelle at 11:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 26, 2005
A Doll That Can Recognize Voices, Identify Objects and Show Emotion
Judy Shackelford, who has been in the toy industry for more than 40 years, has seen a lot of dolls. But none, she says, like her latest creation, a marvel of digital technologies, including speech-recognition and memory chips, radio frequency tags and scanners, and facial robotics. She and her team have christened it Amazing Amanda.
Posted by Michelle at 03:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Ultradata Systems Introduces Low-Cost Hands-Free Digital Voice Recorder For Use In Cars
Ultradata Systems, Inc. announced today that it is introducing the AutoVoice Digital Recorder, a low-cost voice-command digital recorder. This is the first low-cost recorder that enables hands-free use, permitting drivers to record ideas or information--such a phone numbers, addresses, shopping lists or directions--just obtained on their cell phone or radio without the inconvenience or danger of operating a traditional recording device or using pen and paper.
Posted by Michelle at 03:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Cool Rims, Big Pipes, and a Huge Heat Sink
Need to add some bling to your ride? Geek publisher O'Reilly details how to turn your car into a GPS-savvy computer-driven multimedia extravaganza--with voice recognition!--in Car PC Hacks.
O'Reilly has posted sample chapters in PDF format and, if the idea of customizing your car with a computer is at all appealing, they're worth a look to get your imagination flowing.
Posted by Michelle at 03:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 25, 2005
Effect of High-Frequency Spectral Components in Computer Recognition of Dysarthric Speech Based on a Mel-Cepstral Stochastic Model
Computer speech recognition of individuals with dysarthria, such as cerebral palsy patients, requires a robust technique that can handle conditions of very high variability and limited training data. In this study, a hidden Markov model (HMM) was constructed and conditions investigated that would provide improved performance for a dysarthric speech (isolated word) recognition system intended to act as an assistive/control tool.
Posted by Michelle at 03:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
RPGamer
RPGamer has a critique of the voice recognition feature on the Nintendo DS.
Our writer is calling attention to the fact that in Lunar: Dragon Song, you have to yell "escape" in order to get your party to run from battle. Now, I'm wondering if the "escape" sound is something that you can set in game options, because in the heat of battle I wouldn't be one to yell "ESCAPE!"...
Posted by Michelle at 03:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Furby has "evolved", but it still won't help clean your room
Now Furby is back, and it has "evolved." Bigger, and with six times the memory, Furby also is more lively, thanks to advanced voice recognition and new robotic technology Hasbro calls Emototronics. The beast now can "listen" to you and respond based on its "mood," talking and moving its eyes, eyebrows, ears and beak.
Posted by Michelle at 03:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
PassMark picks up voice authentication
PassMark Security has agreed to acquire Vocent Solutions, a move that will let it add Vocent's biometric voice authentication to its own Internet ID verification.
Posted by Michelle at 03:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 24, 2005
Applied Recognition to beta-test QuickSwitch
Applied Recognition will be beta-testing a new product next week; apply to be a QuickSwitch beta tester here.
QuickSwitch is a speech-command based window management tool. Basic window management operations such as switching between Windows, moving windows, and resizing windows are trivial using the usual keyboard and mouse operations. But these operations can be tedious or nearly impossible when using speech commands. QuickSwitch is designed to give a visual preview of your window management options, and then let you choose the operation you desire by voice.
Posted by Michelle at 12:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 23, 2005
FKI Logistex EASYpick Voice Incorporates Voxware's Speech Recognition Engine
FKI Logistex, a global leader in integrated material handling solutions, announces that it has incorporated the Voxware Integrated Speech Recognition Engine (VISE) into its EASYpick Voice order fulfillment system.
Posted by Michelle at 05:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Audi A6/A8 + palmOne Treo 650 = integrated hands-free calling
Audi and PDA pioneer palmOne have collaborated on developing an integrated hands-free calling solution for people who happen to own both an Audi A6 or A8 and a palmOne Treo 650 smart phone.
Posted by Michelle at 05:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Roush range to be dedicated Thursday
Talk about going mainstream: they're even making voice activated shooting ranges now. Wonder how that works with all the noise?
"With 33 stations for shooting rifle and pistol, accessible restrooms and a voice-activated trap range that can accommodate four shooters, this new shooting range is sure to draw marksmen from miles around," said Kyle Hupfer, director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. "We're delighted to be able to offer this state-of-the-art facility to our fellow Hoosiers."
Posted by Michelle at 04:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
For Battle-Scarred, Airborne Backup
The Washington Post has another article about Soldier's Angels, the organization that (among other things) is providing computers with voice recognition software to wounded soldiers.
When Ziegenfuss emerged from the fog of pain medication, Soldiers' Angels got him a computer--and, because of his heavily bandaged left hand, where he lost a pinky, added voice-activated software. He got back online with his popular blog, www.Tcoverride.blogspot.com. It's gotten 90,000 hits in the past three months.
Posted by Michelle at 01:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 22, 2005
Friendship inspires cycling fund-raiser
Matteliano hopes the ride will raise enough money for Barnhard to buy some of the things she needs to "get on with her life." High on the list is a voice-activated computer.
Posted by Michelle at 02:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Nintendogs: Chihuahua and Friends
Once you get your dog home, you'll be able to name it using the game's voice-recognition software, repeating it a few times until your pooch "learns" his or her name. After an initial adjustment period in which you'll shower your new puppy with attention, you can begin training it. As a puppy performs an action it can learn as a trick, a lightbulb icon appears in the corner of the screen. Quickly tapping this icon lets you record a command to associate with that action--for example, linking the word "sit" to when the dog sits down. Then it's a matter of associating that same word with the same action multiple times, until your puppy learns the trick.
Posted by Michelle at 02:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 18, 2005
NewVoiceMedia and Telisma Sign Major UK Speech Recognition Deal
Intelligent network services vendor NewVoiceMedia announced today that it has signed an agreement with telisma to deploy 1,700 ports of telisma's speech recognition technology in the UK. The deal will propel NewVoiceMedia into the top two providers of network-based speech recognition capability in the UK.
The capacity, which will be spread across five UK telcos and service providers, including THUS plc, will enable NewVoiceMedia to handle mass market levels of media response speech recognition, including telephone voting for TV and radio shows and responses to large advertising campaigns.
Posted by Michelle at 12:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 15, 2005
Southwest General Hospital plans $24 million expansion
In addition to expanded women's facilities, Southwest General plans to increase its surgical services capacity. Officials say the hospital will add three state-of-the-art digital operating suites. Those high-tech rooms will feature:
Touch-screen and voice-activated control of operating room equipment--including lights, monitors, surgical cameras and plasma screens, giving surgeons what Southwest General officials promise will be "instantaneous control" over the operating room environment...
Posted by Michelle at 04:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Badge of communication: Wearable badge is key to voice-activated wireless system
With the push of a button, nurses at Columbia Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital are able to call or page a doctor by saying the person's name into a small wearable badge.
It's a new generation of wireless communication that eliminates the need to search for and dialing a phone number or go to a nurse station to receive the return of a paged call. A push of a button allows communication even as nurses care for a patient or move on to another task.
Posted by Michelle at 04:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Audium and ClickFox Partner to Offer First IVR Solution With Seamless Feedback/Design Loop
Audium, the leading provider of VoiceXML application development and management tools, and ClickFox, a software company delivering patent-pending technology that analyzes human behavior in self-service environments, today announced the availability of an integrated solution to provide Audium customers with an end-to-end, behavior- centric, IVR design environment, complete with continuous improvement capability.
Posted by Michelle at 03:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
blinkx Partners with ROO to Bring More Premium Video Content to Users
Partnering with blinkx enables ROO to make its full library of video content searchable on demand. blinkx automatically indexes and transcribes the entire video stream, so that users can search through the 5,000 titles in ROO's vast library of content. ROO's video content covers topics ranging from new fashion trends to breaking news. Bringing pinpoint accuracy to video search, blinkx.tv provides a new and simpler way for audiences to find and watch their favorite video online.
Posted by Michelle at 03:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Total recall boosts PDA writing
Dr. Shumin Zhai of IBM compares his experimental software for text entry on mobile devices to speech recognition:
Even speech recognition software has its problems. While recording a memo works well, speech is less suited for longer, complete sentences."The major issue with speech is that speech is a very different process to writing," said Dr Zhai.
"Most people cannot speak an essay, an article. The way you speak and you write is very different."
Posted by Michelle at 02:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Fonix VoiceDial and VoiceCentral Mobile Device Solutions Now Available from i-mate
The Fonix Speech Group, an operating division of Fonix Corp., today announces an agreement with i-mate, the specialists in Microsoft Windows Mobile device solutions and supportive applications. i-mate will offer Fonix speech-activated dialing solutions, Fonix VoiceDial and Fonix VoiceCentral, as downloadable software packages at www.clubimate.com -- the i-mate device-owner dedicated Web site -- and as bundled software packages to corporate accounts.
Posted by Michelle at 10:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 13, 2005
Prime time: Disabled and elderly find telecoms' websites hard to access
A reminder to web designers!
Some sites contain ads and features made up of distracting moving images or "flash movie" interactive presentations which the vast majority of visitors who can't use a mouse, are vision-impaired, use speech output or voice recognition software, won't be able to access. This was the case with an O2 ad offering various discounts including a free phone.
Posted by Michelle at 08:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Hand-to-hand combat
Looks like Lucas' vision (see previous story) will start to be realized sooner than he thinks. This article about the future of the PlayStation Portable includes a mention of an upcoming voice controlled game:
Nintendo's latest pet project will make everyone sit up and beg for more. It's an adorable virtual pet simulator with lifelike puppies. Users can interact with pooches by touch or voice commands, training their dog and teaching tricks. Activities include dog championships, Frisbee throwing, walking and bathing.
Posted by Michelle at 08:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Lucas looks to game AI
Star Wars creator and "Father of Digital Cinema" George Lucas has been chatting away at a recent conference held in LA, waxing lyrical on gaming technology at the annual computer graphics and interactive entertainment expo, at which he delivered a keynote speech on game artificial intelligence. Lucas commented during the address that he hopes games can evolve "to a point where you can talk to the game and it will talk back." He spoke of the importance of voice recognition, and a vast leap looming in AI capabilities.
Posted by Michelle at 07:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
New home plans life off the grid
Calgary will soon be home to North America's smartest home — a team project involving American company Hybrid Technologies and Calgary-based Enviro Custom Homes, Your Energy Company and smartSPACE.
...The smart home's voice-activated system will adjust control your lighting, thermostat, engage your security system and the surround sound speaking.
Posted by Michelle at 07:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 12, 2005
Injured Troops to Receive Voice-activated Laptops
Soldiers' Angels is proud to announce the unveiling of Project Valour IT (Voice-activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops), as begun on August 10, 2005. Valour IT will provide voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers in the United States and Germany.
As the Project Valour IT test site, The National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD will be the first to receive the specially-equipped laptops. In the succeeding project stages, a fully-equipped laptop will be provided to each servicemember for use throughout in-hospital recovery at six different military medical centers, and copies of the voice software will be available to severely wounded servicemembers as they leave the treatment facility.
Posted by Michelle at 05:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 02, 2005
Windows Vista Beta 1 includes Speech Recognition
Word on the street is the next version of Windows, Vista, will feature built-in speech recognition. I wonder if this means that the third-party speech recognition packages we know and love will go the way of Netscape, or if they'll adapt and raise the bar even higher. In any event, I'm looking forward to trying out Windows Vista... but until it wins me over, they'll have to pry DragonDictate out of my cold, dead hands.
Posted by Michelle at 02:56 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 01, 2005
Shortcut in DragonDictate
Funny how you can rely on a piece of software for many years, and then suddenly discover something you didn't know about it. I've been using DragonDictate for a long, long time, and only discovered yesterday that if you double-click on "Voice Menu", it issues the Close command so you don't have to choose it from the menu. It may only save a command or two, but every little bit helps.
What other little shortcuts or "Easter eggs" have you found to make voice recognition easier?
Posted by Michelle at 04:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack