Verbalizer: the open-source wireless microphone of your Arduino-loving dreams
Google's Voice Search for desktop is nifty and all, but what it's really been lacking is a worthy way to trigger it into action. The Verbalizer is an open-source dev board made specifically to be used with the search giant's new tools from up to ten meters away. This microphone-shaped piece of circuitry was made with Arduino compatibility in mind, which means that voice search is just the beginning. The company (who happens to be the same folks behind the brilliant Instaprint) will be distributing schematics and source code through its website, and promises to give away a "limited run" of kits for free in a drawing starting today. Head on over to the source link if you feel like testing your luck, but not before checking after the break for one more shot of these mini masterpieces on display as well as the nitty gritty PR.
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BREAKFAST RELEASES THE VERBALIZER - AN OPEN SOURCE DEV BOARD TO USE WITH GOOGLE'S VOICE SEARCH FOR DESKTOP
Sneak preview given to 20 lucky workshop participants
NEW YORK - June 23, 2011 - Today BREAKFAST released the Verbalizer, an open- source development board designed to interface with Google's freshly-minted Voice Search for the Desktop. Out of the box, simply touching a certain part of the device will remotely trigger Voice Search from up to 10 meters away, providing an audio cue telling you to "speak now" to submit your search. The board itself is a geek's work of art in it's own right, but the real beauty lies in it's potential to allow anyone to modify the device, turning it into anything from a magic genie lamp that you rub and speak your searches into, to a modified radio microphone that, when turned on, illuminates an "On Air" sign as you speak queries to your computer. You can see some photos and video of some of these creations at breakfastny.com/verbalizer.
The board is designed to be Arduino-compatible and completely open source, so anyone can modify it with additional components to give their own creative spin (or even build their own from scratch).
BREAKFAST gave a sneak preview of the device at their first ever Make 'n Break workshop on Tuesday June 21. Everyone was given a quick lesson in electronics design before getting their hands on a Verbalizer kit and using their creativity to turn it into something delightful and amazing.
To let others in on the action, BREAKFAST will be giving away a limited run of Verbalizer kits for free. Starting on June 23 you can enter your name in the drawing by visiting breakfastny.com/verbalizer.
For more information, including hardware schematics, source code and a video of the Verbalizer in action, head over to breakfastny.com/verbalizer.
