The push for including speech applications in the iPhone and iPod won a small victory today. Polish text-to-speech company IVO Software announced that the newest version of its TTS software, Expressivo 1.3, would be the first application of its type to be fully integrated with iPods.

The software, which can come with one of three languages (English, Romanian, and Polish) and four personas, also works with other MP3 players, cell phones, and PDAs.

Expressivo converts both short and long texts, converting the translated text into an audio file that is automatically added to the iTunes library. The company claims the software's new functions accelerate audio file creation. The software can be used for work-related (reading emails, RRS feeds, or scheduled events from a calendar) or study-related (listening to lecture notes or aiding in the study of a foreign language) activities.

And, with more than 100 million iPod and nearly 1 million iPhone users, the company hopes Expressivo will make a strong case for speech technology in
the two Apple products.

Powered by IVO Software's IVONA TTS, Expressivo audio files can also be sent via email or published online. So far, the product has had the most sales in the business world, particularly telecommunications and customer service centers, and in the rehabilitation of the blind. But, with a pricetag of $29, the company hopes Expressivo will pick up greater steam in the commercial marketplace.