We can think of many types of uses for using computer speech technology, some might be if you think of it, just assisting us to save typing everything by just saying them, and let the computer type them for us by recognizing the words coming out of our mouth.

This technology is not that easy to implement since each and every one of use uses different pitches, different pronunciations, different lingo, different slang, different voices, etc… We might be using voice recognition using a phone line, which might make it difficult to identify our voice etc..

When you understand how complicated these issues is, you can try and understand what is out there that we can use. What type of technologies are out there and maybe we can make some for our own needs to make our lives simpler, more fun, and maybe more efficient. It is easier to speak than to write, it takes less time, and mostly has fewer mistakes, since we do speak before we start writing 🙂

So let’s go over some of the computer speech technologies out there:

Text to Speech

There are technologies (already working pretty nicely) that can turn written words into speech, those type of programs can identify the words, and read them to you in a simulated voice (using a speech synthesis program) which will enable you to listen to the article instead of reading it, wouldn’t this be more usable? sometimes we do not have the time to sit down and read the article, maybe we just want to read while we have a long drive somewhere, so maybe we could be more productive since we can’t drive and read. We can drive and listen 🙂

There are some who have a 1-hour drive to and from their working place and some learn languages while driving. Maybe you might just want this system to read your e-mails ? while you’re on your way home, or on your way to work? This will be a time-efficient solution. Maybe just talk and your mobile phone will write the SMS to your friend or colleague by itself. There are of course many other examples, but I am sure you have got the picture. .

Here are some text to speech solution software/websites:

  • NaturalReader 9.0 – It can read almost from anything and turn it to voice, so you can hear (instead of reading) from your IE browser, you PDF file, or your Word document.
  • yRead2 – This program is free and simple. It has also a yRead3 that is more suitable for XP and Vista operating systems.
  • Verbose Text to Speech Software – This program reads aloud any text, and saves the files in MP3 file format.
  • TextAloud – This program turns text into speech, and has many different voices to choose from, check it out.
  • vozMe – Free online text to voice converter – try it out
  • yakitome – Free online text to speech converter – try it out

Speech to Text

We might want someday to record all conversations, but instead of keeping them as voice files (since they do take much more space than a text file) we might want to turn the recorded conversations into text files, for safekeeping. This solution might be excellent for those who have hearing impaired problems, and when the phone rings (and the light is lit), they can read the voice message on a monitor attached to the phone, while they can’t actually hear the voice and they can type back the message and by using the previous solution of text to speech, talk back to the voice on the other side of the phone.

Here are some Speech to Text software solutions out there:

  • Dragon naturally speaking solution – This is one of the oldest and the only one worth using in the market today, I checked it once myself a while back. It was working great, and I am sure they have progressed and improved much since then. This program lets you turn talk into text. You can dictate to the computer (instead of dictating to your secretary) and the letter will be written by itself :).
  • Article about – “Interlingual speech-to-text-conversion in real-time: Challenges and Opportunities”

Speech Recognition
Some use speech recognition as a way to secures chats for only those who are authorized by the system, the system knows how to identify the caller. This might be usable on Voip switchboard or other more sophisticated switchboards for a business that needs such a security feature. When using switchboards, you might want to identify if the speaker is a male or a female for processing and market audience evaluation, so that might come in handy as well.

  • Vista speech recognition – Explaining how to use the vista speech recognition feature.
  • Dragon naturally speaking solution – This program enables speech recognition as well as transferring speech into text.
  • e-speaking – This one is an easy software that enables you to control your computer, dictate documents, and have text read to you. This engine is using Microsoft’s speech engine (Vista / Win7).
  • Lumenvox – (Speech recognition as a service solution) – You can pay a small fee per month, and get a voice recognition solution.
  • VoxForge – This is an open-source speech recognition system (can be used with Linux, Windows & Mac).
  • VeCommerce – This website gives some solutions, that include security and customer interactions, check it out.