STM Blog

Microsoft Makes Speech Recognition Faster and More Accurate on Windows Phone 8

Michele Masterson — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:25:11 +0000

Thanks to scientists at Microsoft, Bing’s voice search and voice-to-text are now twice as fast and 15 percent more accurate on Windows Phone 8. The Microsoft Research (MSR) team has been working on improvements in speed and accuracy over the past year by using Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) technology. The researchers found that DNNs can [...]

Apple Revamps Siri

Michele Masterson — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:38:36 +0000

Apple lifted the veil on its new version of Siri iOS 7 at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco, showcasing updates that include new voices, languages, and integration with Bing and Twitter. Eddy Cue, Apple, senior vice president, Internet Software and Services, presented the updates which include a new female voice, as [...]

Google Glasses Competitor Shows Off Alternative

Michele Masterson — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:54:01 +0000

It was bound to happen. While Google Glasses has made headlines before it has even gone to market, it is already facing competition. Taiwan–based Oculon Optoelectronic recently demoed its own version of an optoelectronic product simply named H.M.D. (Head-Mounted Display). The company hasn’t offered much information about the offering, but unveiled a prototype at the [...]

Nuance Confirms It Provides Voice Recognition For Siri

Michele Masterson — Fri, 31 May 2013 14:39:22 +0000

Ever since Siri came on the scene, rumors abounded that Nuance supplied the technology that powers the personal assistant’s speech capabilities, but Nuance has steadfastly refused to admit its involvement. Nuance chairman and CEO Paul Ricci has finally put to rest rumors that the company is the powerhouse behind Siri’s speech recognition abilities. In an [...]

Puppet Reveals Secrets of the Human Voice

Michele Masterson — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:38 +0000

Stockholm researchers are building a model of the human voice which could potentially unlock insight to better voice care, talking robots and voice prosthetics. Three research groups from The KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm are working with voice and computing experts at universities and research institutes in France, Germany and The Eunison project, [...]

Voice Interfaces Are HABIT-forming

Len Klie — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:58:13 +0000

This week I came across some promotional materials for a new automotive cockpit concept from Visteon that incorporates voice technologies, artificial intelligence, graphics, and animation to deliver an enhanced driving experience. Visteon’s Human Bayesian Intelligence Technology (HABIT) system employs machine learning algorithms that adjust to the driver and surrounding environment. To say that this stuff looks [...]

Consumers Warm Up To Voice Biometrics

Michele Masterson — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:36:20 +0000

Voice biometrics is truly coming of age, with 90 percent of consumers saying that they preferred the technology over other methods of authentication, according to a series of surveys from Nuance. The speech technology giant said that data from its findings showed that 85 percent of people are unhappy with current authentication methods. Mobile consumers [...]

Users Embrace Talking Tissue Boxes

Michele Masterson — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:48:00 +0000

It may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but with the advent of smart objects, a talking box of tissues may someday be not only accepted by users but considered the norm. Researchers at Penn State University videotaped 63 participants who reacted to a talking tissue box. When a lab worker sneezed, [...]

Study: Texting While Driving Is A Bad Idea Even When Using Voice Apps

Michele Masterson — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:01:27 +0000

Although more and more people are using voice recognition solutions in cars, it might not be that much safer when it comes to sending and receiving texts while driving. Researchers from Texas A&M University studied 43 participants who drove at 30 miles per hour on a closed course as a baseline as well as studying [...]

Amazon Reportedly Scoops Up Evi

Michele Masterson — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:06:51 +0000

The Web is buzzing with rumors that Amazon has snapped up Evi, a voice recognition app akin to Siri. So far, Amazon has remained mum and hasn’t confirmed or denied reports. The voice app, which is available for Android and iPhones, uses natural language technology and was originally launched last year by True Knowledge, which [...]

Listening to Wikipedia

Michele Masterson — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:16:29 +0000

ReadSpeaker has just launched an experimental way of speech-enabling Wikipedia. The company was founded in 1999 by Niclas Bergström and speech-enables over 5,000 company and organization Web site and mobile apps in 40-plus languages and more than 100 voices. ReadSpeaker’s main products create audio versions of websites, mobile apps, and online documents and forms. [...]

AT&T Enhances Speech API

Michele Masterson — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:45:15 +0000

AT&T has bolstered its Speech API which now optimizes speech recognition through additional speech contexts that are tuned for gaming and social media apps. It also offers a generic context which can be customized for certain words used specifically within the app. The capability provides context for command-and-response apps, or those in which app users [...]