voice recognition
Computers
ASUS EeeTop ET2002 Gets Voice Recognition, Now Car Ready
7:20AM Joanna Stern | ASUS likes to throw crap against the wall to see what sticks and in this case they put voice recognition into its newest EeeTop. The software is accurate, but I’m not seeing the need for it in a 20-inch PC. More »
Computers
Asus Eees Getting Voice Recognition This Year
12:10AM Mark Wilson | Who knows if it will work, but Asus wants to put “an end to the keyboard.” So a variety of Eee products will roll out with voice recognition capabilities later this year. More »
Software
Google Adding Advanced Voice Search to the iPhone
6:00PM Brian Lam | Google has created an app for the iPhone that will give the handset advanced voice recognition, reports John Markoff from the NY Times. The app can answer location related questions (Finding the nearest Starbucks), give driving directions, respond to generic questions, and even search local data from the address book. More »
Software
Microsoft to Develop Voice-Recognition iPhone App Via Subsidiary Tellme
2:15AM John Mahoney | Voice recognition is one if the iPhone gaping-est of holes, but it will soon be plugged by none other than Microsoft. But before you look forward to putting your multitouching fingers all over those glorious nine letters on your iPhone screen, know that MS is only indirectly involved via Tellme, a company they acquired in early 2007 which has a similar app for Blackberries already. But it’s a start. And the app looks like it would be pretty useful. More »
Software
Voice Dial iPhone App Gets App Store’d
3:30AM Jason Chen | The previously good Voice Dial jailbreak app for iPhone has made its way onto the App Store, complete with US$25 price tag. Voice Dial isn’t to be confused with iSpeak, another voice dialing app that will probably hit the App Store sometime. More »
Software
iPhone Gets Voice Dialing With iSpeak
3:22AM Jason Chen | Having third-party apps fill in the missing holes in iPhone’s functionality seems to be a genius idea, since Fonix has done the voice dialing legwork for Apple with their iSpeak app. The app consists of “a run-time engine that sits on the phone,” which says always-running app to us, that can listen for names on your contact list and dial them. Also, you can look for songs in your music library by saying the name of the artist, song or playlist. More »
Phones
BlackBerry Pearl Gets Google Maps with Voice Search
12:02AM Mark Wilson | Google has just released a new version of their maps application that supports voice recognition search on the BlackBerry Pearl. That means Pearl users can load Google Maps, hold a side button, say “pizza, i said PIZZA…PEE ZZ UH” and have the application magically find tacos in your immediate vicinity. This upgrade doesn’t look to be automatic, so hit the link to have Google text message your phone for the “experimental” update. [Google Maps via Gear Diary] More »
Robots
New Yorker: Why We Won’t Have Fully Conversational Robots
9:50AM Adrian Covert | John Seabrook wrote a recent feature in The New Yorker about interactive-voice-response systems (I.V.R.) commonly used with customer service and tech support telephone hotlines. Seabrook spent time at B.B.N. Technologies watching these systems transcribe callers’ words and analysing the tone of voice for emotions present. While breaking down the history of automated telephone services and voice recognition innovations, he attempts to tackle the larger question of whether or not we can create a fully conversational, quasi-conscious robot, akin to 2001: A Space Odyssey’s Hal 9000. Judging from the number of experts interviewed for the piece, the answer is a resounding no. More »
Robots
Asimo Understands Multiple People Yelling At Once, Has Future on Wall Street
11:45AM Adrian Covert | Honda research engineers have given Asimo the ability to understand three voices at once, thanks to an array of eight microphones that can recognise each voice individually. The recognition software, HARK, can process the commands with 70-80 percent accuracy and the microphones are placed all over Asimo’s head and body for spatial recognition purposes. The current application for this technology is using Asimo as a judge for verbal Paper-Rock-Scissors, where everyone calls out their answer at once, and Asimo decides who said what, and who wins. Though a great technical feat, this feels less glamorous than the robot’s stint as orchestra conductor, no? [New Scientist] More »
Software
12:18PM Nick Broughall | Hi, boss? It’s Nick. Actually not too good – I ate some terrible chinese food last night and I’m afraid that if I wander too far from the toilet, I’m going to be dying my pants an unattractive shade of brown. What’s that? The sound of crashing waves in the background? Oh, that’s just a relaxation CD my wife put on for me to help me relax – seeing as how I’m so sick and all. What? Yeah, she’s here too – she ate the Chinese as well. Actually she’s a bit worse than me – she’s throwing up as well. Yeah, it’s a constant battle for the toilet here.
What do you mean how could she put the CD on if she’s throwing up? It only took her a second. Hang on a minute… mumble, mumble, sunburn, mumble…
You there boss? I’m going to have to go. Literally. I’m cramping like a… what do you mean hang on? You think I’m faking it? You can hear the wind blowing across the microphone and people laughing in the background? That’s just the TV. Why do I have a CD and the TV on? I dunno, I like noise, I guess. You want to make me do what? Take a lie detector test? Over the phone? What will that do? Monitor the sound of my voice and check if it thinks I’m actually sick. Why would I want to do that?
What? You say it’s a new voice recognition technology that’s being trialled in the UK that was developed by Capita and Digilog UK and called Voice Risk Analysis. It makes thousands of checks on my voice during a call and picks up changes in my voice that suggest I’m lying, then gives me prompts to reconsider calling in sick?
I’m not sure boss. I don’t like the sound of that. I mean, it’s a machine right? Probably gets it wrong all the time. I don’t want you thinking I’m healthy when I’m actually vomiting out by backside. So yeah, I’ll pass, thanks. What do you mean I’ll take the test or not come to work tomorrow. You’re giving me a long weekend? Thanks boss, you’re awesome. I’ll see you next week. Or not? Now you’re just confusing me.
[Daily Mail]
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Technology To Take Down The Humble Sickie
12:18PM Nick Broughall | Hi, boss? It’s Nick. Actually not too good – I ate some terrible chinese food last night and I’m afraid that if I wander too far from the toilet, I’m going to be dying my pants an unattractive shade of brown. What’s that? The sound of crashing waves in the background? Oh, that’s just a relaxation CD my wife put on for me to help me relax – seeing as how I’m so sick and all. What? Yeah, she’s here too – she ate the Chinese as well. Actually she’s a bit worse than me – she’s throwing up as well. Yeah, it’s a constant battle for the toilet here.
What do you mean how could she put the CD on if she’s throwing up? It only took her a second. Hang on a minute… mumble, mumble, sunburn, mumble…
You there boss? I’m going to have to go. Literally. I’m cramping like a… what do you mean hang on? You think I’m faking it? You can hear the wind blowing across the microphone and people laughing in the background? That’s just the TV. Why do I have a CD and the TV on? I dunno, I like noise, I guess. You want to make me do what? Take a lie detector test? Over the phone? What will that do? Monitor the sound of my voice and check if it thinks I’m actually sick. Why would I want to do that?
What? You say it’s a new voice recognition technology that’s being trialled in the UK that was developed by Capita and Digilog UK and called Voice Risk Analysis. It makes thousands of checks on my voice during a call and picks up changes in my voice that suggest I’m lying, then gives me prompts to reconsider calling in sick?
I’m not sure boss. I don’t like the sound of that. I mean, it’s a machine right? Probably gets it wrong all the time. I don’t want you thinking I’m healthy when I’m actually vomiting out by backside. So yeah, I’ll pass, thanks. What do you mean I’ll take the test or not come to work tomorrow. You’re giving me a long weekend? Thanks boss, you’re awesome. I’ll see you next week. Or not? Now you’re just confusing me.
[Daily Mail]
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