Quantcast

Don't have an account? Register Now! Forgot password?

Related Articles
News

Microsoft Believes Speech Recognition Will Be as Significant as Multitouch

Posted 11/02/09 at 04:40:39 PM  by Bart Salisbury

comment Commentsprint Printemail EmailDeliciousDiggStumbleUponRedditFacebookSlashdot

The infatuation never ends. Microsoft is letting it be known that it still feels a part of any new user interface technology will have to include speech recognition. Zig Serafin of Microsoft tells us: "Voice is the new touch. It's the natural evolution from keyboards and touch screens. Today, speech is rapidly becoming an expected part of our everyday experience across a variety of devices."

Serafin has a point. Besides it’s Star Treky coolness, speech is a ‘natural’ component of human communication. And, as computers become more intertwined with our routine world, communicating with them on our own terms (rather than there’s) makes a lot of sense. With this in mind Microsoft has been working on speech recognition technology for over a decade, and strengthened its commitment with the acquisition of Tellme Networks in 2007. Microsoft’s developments have been integrated into Bing for Mobile, Windows Mobile 6.5, and Windows 7.

Microsoft’s efforts perhaps need to be viewed as a work in progress. Right now there aren’t a lot of takers on speech enabled computers. In part because the training curve is still pretty steep (individual variation makes it hard to produce a one-size-fits-all solution). And because a lot of us are still uncomfortable with the idea of engaging with our hardware on a personal level.

Still, it’s the future that matters. As hardware and software mature it could be come a mainstream technology. Until then it makes sense for Microsoft, and others, to continue working on it.

 

Image Credit: lopezabraham716/Flickr

COMMENTS:6
TAGS: microsoft, windows mobile, windows 7, speech recognition
COMMENTS
avatari've been using speech

Submitted by valtonray on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 5:48pm

i've been using speech recognition on both my new htpc and my laptop. while it is doubtful it could ever replace the keyboard as primary input method after a few months and having properly "trained" my computers i wonder how i ever lived w/o it.

Login or register to post comments
avatarspeech recognition

Submitted by mesiah on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 10:59pm

Speech recognition has its place, but so does the remote control. Neither is a good primary interface for a computer. In the business world it will never take off due to privacy issues. At my company all documents including personal correspondence are not to be distributed to the public. Having everyone using speech to enter documents in a busy office with phone calls going on all around them would be a privacy nightmare, let alone using a laptop in public.

There is a bigger issue that  can be seen at home or work. For intricate tasks speech is very cumbersome. Just take resizing a window, the simplest task that we perform every day. How would you do that with speech? My guess would be "Resize primary window three hundred by six hundred." Or you could click on the corner of the window with your mouse and have it resized by the time you would have gotten half way through your spoken command.

Speech recognition is great for things like setting the temperature in your house, changing the channel on tv, and dimming your lights. But for complex tasks, it will never replace keyboard and mouse.

Login or register to post comments
avatarlol i remember my first

Submitted by ethanajs on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 7:47pm

lol i remember my first experiences with speech recognition. it consisted of 10 or so idiots yelling at my computer to open "programs", like...suck my ****

Login or register to post comments
avatari suppose that fact

Submitted by aziobron on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 7:21pm

i suppose that fact that speech recognition is wildly impractical anywhere other than when ur at home alone escapes them

Login or register to post comments
avatarI think the picture says it

Submitted by MRrelabled on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 5:58pm

I think the picture says it all, at current I dread talking to computers. 

Login or register to post comments
avatarI agree!  I remember first

Submitted by JoetheMobster on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 10:12am

I agree!  I remember first trying it out and the picture sums it all up!

Login or register to post comments
This Month's Issue
Maximum PC
SUBSCRIBE NOW
AND SAVE!
FEATURE Build a Crazy-Fast $647 PCFEATURE Six Single-Band 802.11n Routers ReviewedHOW TOTweak BitTorrent and FirefoxFEATUREClose Look at ClarkdaleWHITE PAPERLCD Panel Technology