text-to-voice
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Samsung’s latest acquisition could give Bixby its voice
Despite unveiling Bixby in March, Samsung's digital assistant remains an elusive beast. An ETA was predicted for June, but we're now in the throes of summer and Bixby is still in hiding. However, the Korean manufacturer's latest acquisition sounds like it's tailor-made for the voice assistant -- and any other Bixby-powered devices it may have in the pipeline.
Google Play Books gets high quality read aloud, pinch zoom, recommendations
If you like having your classics read to you by your handheld device but don't care for the usual robot-stuck-in-a-well tones, Google Play Books has been updated with a more dulcet option. The "read aloud" function (which has been around for several versions, despite Google saying it's new) now has a high quality voice option, which only works if you're connected to the internet. We gave it a whirl ourselves, and it's now far more tolerable to listen to "Oliver Twist" or other flowing text books, thanks to a more natural sounding voice -- as heard in the audio file after the break. In addition, Google has added pinch or double-tap zoom options, text editing features for notes, personalized recommendations and "numerous bug fixes and performance enhancements." To give it a look (or listen) for yourself, check the source for more info.
Snail concept rolls out Braille-to-speech translation
A new concept that fits nicely in the things-you-never-knew-you-wanted category is determined to make speed readers out of the visually impaired. Snail -- deceptive name aside -- uses a pressure-sensitive touch pad to read patterns in a Braille passage, then translates them to speech, speeding up the reading process and allowing users to record audio passages for later playback. The user places his / her thumb, in the obvious opening and glides the device over a line of Braille. The translated audio is then played back either through a built-in speaker or over a connected Bluetooth headset. Snail was made with the blind in mind, but considering we've always been curious about what resides in those bumpy white lines, we wouldn't mind rolling with one of these things ourselves. As is the case with so many concepts, however, there's no telling when or if this Snail will slither on to the market.
Tesla Model S will support third-party apps and text-to-voice, red lights will never be the same
Now that pretty much every gizmo from your smartphone to TV has apps available for it, what's the next logical frontier? Of course, your car! Yesterday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told Cleantech Forum attendees in San Francisco that the upcoming Model S would indeed come with support for third-party applications to run on that monster 17-inch infotainment console. We're happy to see the company encouraging developers to put that Tegra chip to good use, though we can't help but worry about the myriad distractions that could come along with it. Of course, we're still in the dark about what OS is powering the whole shebang, but we're sure there will be a port of Angry Birds before you can come to a complete stop.
Intel Reader handheld device converts text to spoken word
While we busy ourselves with arguments about how to replace the perfectly usable book gadget, Intel is dealing with the complications that keep far too many people from being able to 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.
Cepstral brings text-to-voice to IMVU
Cepstral's imVoices is a way to update dreary old text chat by assigning different voices to your written speech. This is something I've been interested in for quite a while; I've never been a big fan of voice in Second Life. An app like this would go a long way toward maintaining suspension of disbelief. There's a video to watch, showing how imVoices works in IMVU, the virtual world that's currently the only place you'll find this service. While this is nitpicky, I can't help but call attention to the fact that the video could have used a little closer editing. Watching the invisible typist enter text, then waiting 20 seconds for the voice to read it aloud is either a fault of imVoices or IMVU's text system -- either way, it's not the greatest endorsement. Still, this technology could be put to good use in other virtual spaces. Let's hope Cepstral branches out.
