DATE=8/6/98
TYPE=ENGLISH PROGRAMS FEATURE
NUMBER=7-30270
TITLE=VOICE RECOGNITION SOFTWARE
BYLINE=DAN NOBLE
TELEPHONE=619-1014
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=SWANEY

CONTENT=

(TELEPHONE QUALITY INSERTS AVAILABLE FROM AUDIO SERVICES)

INTRO:   TODAY, MOST PEOPLE ENTER AND RETRIEVE INFORMATION FROM
         THEIR COMPUTERS BY TYPING ON A KEYBOARD.  BUT, IN RECENT
         YEARS, WE'VE SEEN THE INTRODUCTION OF WHAT'S CALLED
         VOICE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY.  INSTEAD OF KEYING IN
         WORDS, THE COMPUTER RECOGNIZES HUMAN SPEECH.  DAN NOBLE
         HAS DETAILED.

TEXT:    VOICE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY IS THE ABILITY OF A
         COMPUTER TO TAKE THE SOUND OF YOUR VOICE, DIGITIZE IT
         INTO A LANGUAGE OR A COMMAND THAT IT UNDERSTANDS, AND
         THEN BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO IT.  SPEECH CAN BE TURNED
         INTO TEXT -- TO BE VIEWED ON A SCREEN -- OR TURNED INTO
         A COMMAND -- LIKE TELLING THE COMPUTER TO OPEN A FILE,
         OR TO DIRECT A COMPUTERIZED ELEVATOR, FOR INSTANCE, TO
         TAKE YOU TO THE BUILDING'S NINTH FLOOR.

TAPE:    CUT ONE -- VIA VOICE EXCERPT (0:07)

         "THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON VOICE OF AMERICA.  THE
         VIAVOICE TECHNOLOGY WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE WORK AND
         LIVE...."

TEXT:    ...THIS IS WHAT VOICE RECOGNITION SOFTWARE, PRODUCED
         USING IBM'S RECENTLY INTRODUCED VIAVOICE (PRON: VEE-AH
         VOICE) 98 SYSTEM, SOUNDS LIKE...

TAPE:    CUT TWO -- VIA VOICE EXCERPT (0:22)

         "...IMAGINE SPEAKING COMMANDS TO SET THE TIME ON YOUR
         VCR, OR SPEAK WHAT FLOOR, OR WHAT ITEM YOU ARE LOOKING
         FOR, AND THE ELEVATOR TAKES YOU TO THE RIGHT FLOOR.
         (///OPT///)  INSTEAD OF STOPPING TO ASK FOR DIRECTIONS,
         TELL YOUR GLOBAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM WHERE YOU WANT TO GO
         AND IT PROVIDES YOU WITH SPOKEN DIRECTIONS, EVERY STEP
         OF THE WAY.  THE FUTURE NEVER SOUNDED SO GOOD." (///END
         OPT///)

SEGUES TO:

TAPE:    JOE ORLANDO (0:03)

         "IT'S REALLY DESIGNED, FRANKLY, FOR EVERYBODY AND EVERY
         NEED."

TEXT:    THIS IS JOE ORLANDO, AN IBM MANAGER INVOLVED WITH THE
         DEVELOPMENT OF THIS NEW GENERATION OF VOICE RECOGNITION
         SOFTWARE.

TAPE:    CUT THREE -- JOE ORLANDO (0:23)

         "WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO SEE IN THE NEXT FIVE TO TEN
         YEARS IS THAT IT IS PERVASIVE EVERYWHERE: IN ELEVATORS,
         IN HANDHELD DEVICES, IN APPLIANCES, IN CARS.  WHAT'S
         AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW IS DICTATION.  THAT'S FOR PEOPLE WHO
         ARE PRODUCTIVITY-ORIENTED, WHO ARE TRYING TO DO MORE
         WORK, FASTER, WITHOUT HAVING TO WORK WITH THEIR KEYBOARD
         OR MOUSE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS THAT MAKE
         IT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO TYPE OR USE A COMPUTER."

TEXT:    THE VIAVOICE SYSTEM USES A MICROPHONE, ATTACHED TO A
         PERSONAL COMPUTER, TO ENTER VOICE COMMANDS.  AGAIN,
         IBM'S JOE ORLANDO.

TAPE:    CUT FOUR -- JOE ORLANDO (0:29)

         "WHAT IS HAPPENS IS THAT THE MICROPHONE HAS TO BE SET UP
         SO THAT IT STARTS TO UNDERSTAND YOUR LANGUAGE.  YOU CAN
         READ TWO SENTENCES AND YOU ARE ALREADY ABOUT 85%
         ACCURATE.  WE SUGGEST THAT YOU READ SEVERAL LITTLE
         STORIES THAT YOU PUT IN THERE SO THAT THE SYSTEM GETS
         USED TO YOUR INFLECTIONS, YOUR INTONATIONS, AND EVEN
         YOUR ACCENT.  BECAUSE, WE ALL SAY WORDS LIKE 'FAR', AND
         'DAUGHTER', VERY DIFFERENTLY.  AFTER IT GETS TO KNOW
         WHAT YOU'RE DOING, THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU CAN PUT THE
         CURSOR SOMEWHERE IN A SPREAD SHEET, OR A PRESENTATION,
         OR INTO A WORD PROCESSOR AND BEGIN TO DICTATE TEXT."

TEXT:    THE TEXT, AS SEEN ON THE SCREEN, CAN ALSO BE TRANSLATED
         FROM TEXT TO SPEECH.

TAPE:    CUT FIVE -- JOE ORLANDO (0:09(

         "THAT'S THE ABILITY FOR THE SOFTWARE TO TAKE THINGS LIKE
         E-MAILS, OR WEB PAGES, OR OTHER DOCUMENTS, AND HAVE IT
         READ BACK TO YOU.  I HAVE IT, FOR EXAMPLE, TO LISTEN TO
         MY E-MAILS WHILE I'M COMMUTING BETWEEN HERE AND HOME."

TEXT:    JOE ORLANDO SAYS THAT VERSIONS OF THE VIAVOICE SPEECH
         RECOGNITION SYSTEM ARE AVAILABLE IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN
         ENGLISH.

TAPE:    CUT SIX -- JOE ORLANDO (0:15)

         "IT IS AVAILABLE IN OVER NINE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.  WE
         HAVE THEM IN CHINESE, WE HAVE THEM IN JAPANESE, AND WE
         HAVE EVEN A VERSION IN ARABIC.  WE'RE WORKING ON
         PORTUGUESE FOR SOUTH AMERICA AND WE ARE ALSO WORKING
         WITH PARTNERS TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO DICTATE IN
         ENGLISH AND HAVE THAT TEXT COME UP IN SOME OTHER
         LANGUAGE."

TEXT:    COMPUTERS ARE NOW BEING USED AROUND THE WORLD.
         PROGRAMS LIKE IBM'S VIAVOICE PROGRAM WILL MAKE IT
         POSSIBLE FOR EVEN HIGH-TECH NOVICES TO BE ABLE TO
         COMMUNICATE BETTER USING THE NEW MEDIUM.

06-Aug-98 12:58 PM EDT (1658 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.