Speech Technology eWeekly - October 17, 2007

Features

Using Speech to Save Lives and Money

Locution today released a new version of its CADVoice 911 Automated Dispatching Software, a software solution that uses speech technology to enable a swifter response time from fire fighters and paramedics.

Speech Helps Virtual Bar-Goers Meet the Girl of Their Dreams

Fubar has helped more than 1 million people meet friends or flirt while they wear sweatpants. Now, Jangl is using speech technologies to help them get to the next level: grabbing a new friend's or love interest's phone number or leave them a voicemail.

Speech Technology Without Speech Recognition

When faculty and graduate students at the University of Washington developed the Vocal Joystick, they envisioned a simple device to help individuals without the use of hands or arms to browse the Web, control a screen, or play a video game. Earlier today, the university announced that it has adopted the system to interface with a robotic arm—an aspect of Vocal Joystick it started working on this year.

Analytics Analyzed

While there are caveats, the right approach to speech analytics can yield higher customer satisfaction rates and financial returns

Voice Value

Gethuman? Get Real

The new project's standard could work to deepen,not reduce, consumer dissatisfaction

Speech Technology News

Hexia Releases Iceland's First Mobile Text-to-Speech Application

Though its population tops slightly more than 300,000, Iceland's tech-saavy citizens have made for a country willing to adopt cutting-edge technologies at rates similar to the rest of Europe. And this month, Icelandic speech company Hexia launched the country's first text-to-speech (TTS) application for mobile phones. Called Ragga, the self-service application delivers synthesized speech to a user's mobile device.

Northern Ireland Electricity Powers Customer Service with Voice

The arrival of competition in the energy market drove Northern Ireland Electicity (NIE) Supply, a power utility serving 758,000 home and business customers in Northern Ireland, to implement a speech-enabled customer self-service application recently.

Nuance Expands Medical Transcription Services

Nuance Communications today announced an expansion of its Enterprise Express Speech System, the company's speech-assisted transcription service, using Dragon speech-to-text capabilities, coupled with technology from Dictaphone.