Ryan Joe
Editorial Assistant - Speech Tech Magazine

I graduated from UCLA with a BA in English and have completed coursework for my MFA from Columbia. Like Lauren, I write features and case studies for the print edition of the magazine. I contribute heavily to the FYI and author the new Overheard/Underheard column, which premiered in the March issue. I enjoy comics, novels, creepy country music, and pints of Stella. I also enjoy speech technology. I can be reached at rjoe@infotoday.com

We got copies of the March ‘08 issue of Speech Tech on our doorsteps today. Look for it in your mailbox soon. And, if you don’t subscribe, do so now! It’s free if you’re in a field related to speech technology. Sign up here.

In the March issue, I check out the market for contact centers and IVRs in China and India with some help from Paul Greenberg and Sunny Rao; Ryan takes a look at the progress and hangups with voice search; and Len talks with speech industry professionals about Bill Gates’ proclamation that speech would be part of the next “Digital Decade.” And, bonus, David and I (Ed — Mostly David.) finally convinced Ryan to write his own column — “Overheard, Underheard.” It’s written in Ryan’s voice, and, let’s just say the phrase “gangsta flava” manages to make it in.

The features section dives into: budgeting for speech projects, the pluses and minuses of agent-assisted IVRs, and why usability testing is always a good idea.

We’ll also be introducing some new columnists in the March issue: Moshe Yudkowsky, Alex Halikias, Melanie Polkosky, and Adam Elman.

And, just because I’m in a weird mood today, here’s a video that was recently uploaded to YouTube, which demonstrates the worst TTS ever:

- Marilyn Monroe Speaking [YouTube]