twakeman@hpcea.CE.HP.COM (Teriann Wakeman) (02/18/89)
While at MacWorld, I saw one almost product tucked away in the centre of
Brooks Hall that I thought heralded in the first of a new class of Mac
Products. Of all the products I saw during my three day sensory overload,
this product stood out as ground breaking.
I am refering to a product called the Voice Navagator by Articulate Systems,
Inc. This is the first product that I have seen that allows you to talk
to your Mac.
I have not heard mention of it from any of my normal Mac sources{????}.
It can't be that I am the only one who saw tremendous possibilities from
this class of product.
For almost as long as the Mac has existed, it has been able to talk to you
{SmoothTalker, MacinTalk} but you have not been able to talk to it. Even
Commander Montgomery Scott had frustrations communicating with the Mac.
As I understand it, the Voice Navagator allows you to create vocal
macros for each application and the finder. These Macro files would open
whenever an application opened and allow you to use your vocal commands
in place of keyboard typing or mouse clicks. There are two models, the
voice navigator alows up to 200 words to be active at a time {of course
that can be a different 200 words for each application}, and the XA model
allows up to 1000 words to be active at one time.
Ideas?
How about voice Hyperscript programming?
How about voice activated menu choices while in mouse intensive graphics or
DTP applications?
How about language instruction?
How about as a way for people who do not have full use of their hands?
Voice directed presentations?
Talking to your computer over the phone line?
Games{"come to parascope depth, up scope, course 032, fire torpedo"}?
How about combining voice with the Hyperscript language to get the Mac to do
almost anything??????
Am I alone thinking that we may be on the edge of the greatest thing
since mice??? Sure this product has severe limitations, but it looks
like a nifty first step into a new world.
Now with a little Mac voice recognition, stir in some AI, and a little
english like programing language, add a dash of digital voice generation
and volia! some one that a computer nerd can talk to, perhaps over the
phone!
TeriAnnlauac@wheeler.qal.berkeley.edu (Alexander Lau) (02/21/89)
Rumor, take this as such:
Bill Atkinson was being interviewed. The interviewer mentioned
casually something about HyperTalk programming using voice
recognition, since HyperTalk had such a limited vocabulary, it
would be perfect for such an application.
Atkinson went cold stone silent.
Disclaimer: I call 'em as I see 'em.
--- Alex
{att,backbones}!ucbvax!qal.berkeley.edu!lauac