Another Hurdle for Microsoft/Skype? Probably Not!
The $8.5 billion acquisition of VoIP and video calling service provider Skype by Microsoft last year has already closed. It received approval from American regulators last summer and the European Union four months ago, but Cisco Systems just can’t seem to let it go. Cisco has appealed to the General Court of the European Union [...]
Siri on iPad Could Really Shake Things Up
Rumors began circulating this week that when Apple unveils its iPad3, the next generation of its already popular tablet computer, next month, Siri will be among a host of new features. Siri, the voice-enabled assistant that Apple installed as a native application on its latest iPhone 4S models, led to a surge in iPhone sales. [...]
Siri’s a Hit on CBS’s Hit Show
Just when you thought Siri, the voice-enabled virtual assistant on Apple’s newest iPhone, couldn’t get more pervasive, the application showed up on last night’s episode of “The Big Bang Theory,” a surprise hit comedy on CBS about four nerds who work in the physics department at an unnamed California University. One of the characters, Raj Koothrappali, [...]
Speech Is the Talk of CES
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, speech was all over the place. Companies of all sorts were out and about talking about products that let users control everything from cars to TVs with voice commands. On the TV front, LG Electronics, Samsung, and Lenovo rolled out models that respond to [...]
The National Cell Phone Ban, Part II
A national scientific poll by Poll Position found that 49 percent of Americans support a controversial proposal by the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) to ban all drivers from using cell phones and other personal electronic devices except in emergency situations. The NTSB-suggested ban would also apply to hands-free use of cell phones and PDAs. [...]
A Rough Road Ahead
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) earlier this week called for a nationwide all-out ban on the use of cell phones while driving, with no exception for the use of hands-free headsets and interfaces. Such measures are likely to hit considerable roadblocks in the halls of state government across the nation, and rightly so. First, [...]
Santa’s Secret Is Out
Children can now hear Jolly Old St. Nick thanks to Talk with Santa, a new iOS application developed by Funnel Design Group for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. The app is available in the Apple App Store. With it, parents can take on the role of virtual Santa via voice chat from another device. Parents can also [...]
