Speech

Speech Buddies offer greater precision in therapy (video)

Over the years, speech therapists have typically used such simple tools such as tongue depressors, spoons, and drinking straws to help kids with speech impediments make the proper sound.

So perhaps it's not entirely surprising that a party favor served as the inspiration for one of the tools in Speech Buddies, a set of five devices created to help kids make specific sounds. They were created by a medical device engineer and a speech therapist, after two years and hundreds of prototypes. To find out more, check out this video from SmartPlanet.

This video first appeared at SmartPlanet under … Read more

Voice behind British Siri goes public despite Apple warning

Former technology journalist Jon Briggs has revealed himself as the voice of Siri in the United Kingdom, despite a warning from Apple to keep silent.

In an interview with the U.K.'s Telegraph, Briggs outed himself as the voice behind Daniel, the name given to the U.K.'s version of Siri. iPhone 4S users who change Siri's language in iOS 5 to English (United Kingdom) can hear the actual voice, which naturally carries with it a slight British accent.

Briggs spilled the beans even after a call from an Apple PR rep who told him not to speak publicly about Siri, … Read more

How to get voice command on all your devices

When Siri for the iPhone 4S was announced, downloads for Vlingo, a voice command app for Android, shot up 50%. Why? Because voice command, especially with artificial intelligence, can complete tasks more efficiently than our own fingers.

The act of talking to our gadgets is still in the awkward stage, but pretty soon we'll all be voice-commanding our phones, forgetting that we ever lived without artificial intelligence.

Voice command (and speech recognition) isn't just available for phones. Check out our guides on getting these services on any of your gadgets:

Android

How to get voice command on your Android phone … Read more

How to turn on and use Mac speech commands

Has Siri gotten you accustomed to barking commands at electronics devices? Or has the absence of Siri in your life left you pining for a machine to command?

If you nodded in agreement to either of the above questions, and you own a Mac, did you know it has a built-in speech recognition tool? One that will speak back to you? Even tell you a terrible knock-knock joke?

If you'd like to begin conversing with your Mac, it is a simple process to enable speech recognition. Here's how:… Read more

How to use speech recognition in Windows 7

Voice commands and speech recognition aren't just for smartphone users; they're for PC users, too.

Speech recognition can help you avoid repetitive stress injuries, increase efficiency, and even be fun. You can launch programs, dictate text, scroll Web pages, and more, all by voice. Here's how:

Step 1: Go to Start > Control Panel > Ease of Access > Speech Recognition, and click on "Start Speech Recognition."

Step 2: Run through the Speech Recognition Wizard by selecting the type of microphone you'll be using and by reading a sample line aloud.

Step 3: Once … Read more

Siri surrogate: Voice commands with Dragon Dictation

Are you feeling ignored because your iPhone 4S-toting friends are spending more time conversing with Siri than with you? If you have an older iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, you can run the newly released iOS 5, but it doesn't come with Apple's vaguely British virtual assistant. What's a lonely, old iPhone owner to do?

One idea is to give Dragon Dictation a try. From Nuance, the makers of Dragon Naturally Speaking software (and who may have had a hand in developing Siri), Dictation is a free iPhone voice app that lets you engage in one-way conversations with your iPhone. It won't answer your queries like Siri does, but it does an impressive job of translating your spoken words into text. So, while you can't ask Dragon Dictation where you can find the best burrito in your vicinity (I'm pretty sure Siri would tell me to leave the state of New Hampshire for such an item), you can dictate text messages and e-mails as well as Facebook and Twitter updates. … Read more

Italian-language Wikipedia hidden, may shut down

In a message it posted today, Wikipedia said it has hidden the Italian-language portion of the site due to a new law proposed by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's administration. According to the message, the site section will remain hidden while the law is being debated in Italian parliament and could face permanent deletion, if the law is passed. The Italian front page of the open encyclopedia is currently being redirected to the same message in Italian.

The law, called "DDL intercettazioni" (Wiretapping Act), provides "a requirement to all Web sites to publish, within 48 hours of … Read more

Dragon Go iPhone app expands its search options

Nuance has beefed up its Dragon Go iPhone app to let you search for information across a wider array of Web sites and services.

Available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch since July, this free search-by-voice app is unique compared with the Google and Bing iOS apps. Dragon Go can find results and run commands across dozens of different Web sites, including Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, Craiglist, Amazon, eBay, CNN, Reuters, and even CNET.

The latest update adds even more sites to the mix, notably Netflix, Spotify, Wolfram Alpha, Ask.com, and Google+. And when you tap the app's … Read more

The 404 898: Where we wish the economy had longer legs (podcast)

The number of the day is 0, brought to you by the United States economy and Jill Schlesinger, editor-at-large for CBS MoneyWatch.com and host of an Emmy-nominated podcast! Jill sits with us today and reveals her plan of attack on Suze Orman at the award ceremony.

She'll also give an update on the state of the economy, the financial implications for Yahoo ex-CEO Carol Bartz, and why the rich and poor have never been further apart.

Check out the video today to see our new Bathroom Break video segment, and afterward Jill will predict the content of President Obama's jobs speech tomorrow. Finally, we'll run through a quick listener-submitted Q&A about how to keep yourself above water on your mortgage, the exact definition of a "robosigner," and why it's never a good idea to draft your prenuptial agreement.

The 404 Digest for Episode 898

Dial Global's Jill Schlesinger nominated for Emmy! Yahoo fires Bartz as CEO, names CFO to fill void. Bank of America sued by U.S. Bancorp over mortgages. August jobs: Obama blew it. Check out Jill's podcast on CBS MoneyWatch.com. Add Jill on Twitter. Today's Bathroom Break: Never Ending Story.

Episode 898 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Porn sites can now register for .xxx domain name

Porn and adult entertainment sites can now officially register under the .xxx domain, the domain's operator, ICM Registry, announced today.

The new .xxx top-level domain is open not just to porn sites but to nonporn sites that want to block the use of their names on the .xxx domain. Located in Florida, ICM is managing and supporting the new domain but will work with 50 individual registrars around the world to handle the actual registrations.

Promoting the advantages of .xxx to potential customers, ICM said that holders of the domain name will be able to tap into global marketing … Read more