Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!edcastle!erci18
From: erci18@castle.ed.ac.uk (A J Cunningham)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: New MacinTalk (with MacinListen!) ?
Keywords: MacinTalk
Message-ID: <2909@castle.ed.ac.uk>
Date: 19 Mar 90 10:37:46 GMT
Reply-To: erci18@castle.ed.ac.uk (A J Cunningham)
Organization: Edinburgh University Merry Pranksters
Lines: 34

This is an extract from an article which appeared in 'New Scientist' on
the 17th March. In the light of the discussion of ManinTalk's lack of a
future I thought it might be interesting to others on this group.
Reprinted without permission.

'Scottish software may run voice-controlled computer'

A computer system which can recognise continuous speech, launched by
researchers from Edinburgh last week, may form the basis of a personal
computer controlled by voice. The American computer company Apple,
famous for its Macintosh range of personal computers controlled with a
"mouse" which moves a pointer around the screen to select various icons,
are (sic) planning to adapt some of the approaches used in the new
system for its own computers.
	Mervyn Jack, director of Edinburgh University's Centre for
Speech Technology Research, says that work with Apple began several
months ago and that an agreement on collaborative research is expected soon.

End of Extract.

So will the next MacinTalk sound like Sean Connery? The article
describes the hardware being used at the moment which consists of 4
transputers working together to recognise the user's speech (at the
moment it's in the back of a PC). Interestingly it doesn't need to be
coached for each user's voice. Dictionary size is 300 words. Can anyone
in Apple comment on this article? The finished product (if there is to
be one) looks to be some years away. Anyway I'm off to the Centre to
lubricate a few throats and (hopefully) loosen some tounges :-)
			Tony
-- 
Tony Cunningham, Edinburgh University Computing Service. erci18@castle.ed.ac.uk

	Yuppies think I'm a wino 'cos I seem to have no class,
	Girls think I'm perverted 'cos I watch them as they pass.