$2 Sensory chip could give toys (and other products) improved speech recognition, additional capabilities
Sensory Inc. may stay behind the scenes most of the time, but the company’s speech recognition chips are already used in toys from JVC, Mattel, Hasbro and others, and it’s now announced a new chip that could lead to toys with some significantly improved capabilities. Costing just $2 apiece (in quantities over 100K/year), the company’s NLP-5X chip not only boasts support for speech recognition and text-to-speech that lets it “generate thousands of voices on the fly,” but support for sound samples and MIDI playback as well. What’s more, the chip uses what’s described as an “incredible algorithm” that allows it to be on all the time and simply listen and activate itself when needed — or when you least suspect it. Of course, while toys are one application, the company also sees the chip being used in a whole range of other consumer electronics — Sensory even gives the example of an internet-connected oven that could let look up a recipe and then have a conversation with your oven about how you’d like to cook it.
$2 Sensory chip could give toys (and other products) improved speech recognition, additional capabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
ASUS DR-950 9-inch touchscreen e-reader brings text-to-speech and internet browser
ASUS is suddenly all chatty with its plans to enter the e-reader market in 2010. Just yesterday we got word of a 6-inch color (claimed to be OLED by InGear) e-reader from ASUS by the name of DR-570 headed to retail before the year is through. Now we’ve got details of a second ASUS e-reader, dubbed the DR-950 that should arrive sooner. This time we’re looking at a 9-inch Sipix panel with 1,024 x 768 pixel resolution pushing 16-levels of gray just like the Jinke reader unveiled at CES. The touchscreen DR-950 features text-to-speech (based on Svox engine supporting 26 languages), a web browser that works in portrait or landscape modes, a virtual keyboard and handwriting input, a RSS reader, and dictionary (with expandable database) with real-time translation. Spec-wise, the 222 x 161 x 9-mm / 370-gram reader packs WiFi and HSPA (WiMax is optional) data radios, 3.5-mm headphone jack and stereo speakers, with 4GB of internal memory and SD Card expansion. Supported formats include PDF, TXT, Audible, MP3, and unprotected ePub. Not bad ASUS, not bad. Now let’s see some content partners, eh? See it pictured browsing the web after the break.
Continue reading ASUS DR-950 9-inch touchscreen e-reader brings text-to-speech and internet browser
ASUS DR-950 9-inch touchscreen e-reader brings text-to-speech and internet browser originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Teclast enters the e-book fold with the K3 Talking Portable Library
Teclast enters the e-book fold with the K3 Talking Portable Library originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Amazon beefing up Kindle’s functionality for vision-impared users as B&N’s Nook stays silent
While the Amazon Kindle’s text-to-speech functionality might seem like a gimmick for some, it’s anything but for blind, vision-impaired and dyslexic users. Unfortunately, the device’s accessibility so far hasn’t extended to the menus. That’s set to change next year, however, with Amazon promising to release an audible menuing system for navigating the unit look-free. Amazon’s also prepping a new “super size” font, that doubles the current largest font in height and width. It all sounds great, but it also seems like a subtle dig at Barnes & Noble, whose brand new Nook reader is skipping out on text-to-speech (for this generation, anyway). Barnes & Noble claims that it’s due to the sub-par experience on “other devices,” but for now that means the Kindle might just be most accessible dedicated e-reader around — at least once this new software rolls out, supposedly by summer 2010.
Amazon beefing up Kindle’s functionality for vision-impared users as B&N’s Nook stays silent originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | 
Amazon | Email this | Comments
Intel Reader reads books to the lazy and infirm (video)
While we’re busying ourselves with arguing about how to replace the perfectly usable book gadget, Intel is right to point out that plenty of people, for whatever reason, can’t read at all. Presenting its Reader as a necessity rather than luxury, Intel has shown off its vision for how visually impaired and dyslexic people can obtain access to the written word. Combining a text-scanning camera with a text-to-speech engine (powered by an Atom inside) is certainly no bad idea, but as the video beyond the break will show you, Intel’s execution isn’t exactly stellar. The arrhythmic, robotic reading from Alice In Wonderland left us shaken, but what floored us was the $1,499 asking price. Yes, it’s a customized niche device, but we reckon we could build something similar for a third of the price. Full PR and video after the break.
Continue reading Intel Reader reads books to the lazy and infirm (video)
Filed under: Digital Cameras, Handhelds
Intel Reader reads books to the lazy and infirm (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments