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Opera Gives Its Browser a Voice

Tom Warren   on 23 March 2004 - 13:55 · 14 comments & 1207 views

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Software will include IBM's ViaVoice voice recognition technology.

Opera Software will include voice capabilities in its updated browser software, using IBM's embedded ViaVoice technology, the company says.

The upgraded browser, which will continue to be offered at no cost, will be available later this year, Opera in Oslo, Norway, says. Initially, it will offer support for ViaVoice in English only, but other languages may be developed in due course, Opera Chief Executive Officer Jon von Tetzchner says.

Voice capabilities could well become the preferred way of interacting with a computer, according to von Tetzchner. While it is obviously useful for people with disabilities, it will also be popular with many other users who prefer voice to using a keyboard and mouse, he says.

For the voice technology to work well, a Web page has to be created using X+V (XHTML+V, or Extensible Hypertext Markup Language and Voice), a standard for browsers in small and mobile devices backed by Opera, IBM, and Motorola.

News source: PCWorld.com


    SharpMT 2.3 offers:
  • Save drafts locally - save entries that you're working on to your local hard drive
  • One button posting - send any of your drafts to the server with one button click
  • Edit multiple drafts simultaneously - a tabbed interface allows multiple drafts to be open at the same time
  • Multiple categories per post - select more than one category for each draft published to the server
  • Standard tag support - add bold, italics, underline, and URL tags via tool bar, menu, or keyboard
  • Shell checking support - built in spell checking module underlines misspelled words in red
  • Download existing posts - download the title and entry of existing blog enties from your server and store it on your hard drive for linking and editing
  • Edit server-based posts - download server-based entries, edit them, and then upload the changes to the server
  • Sync-able links list - advanced download techniques will always minimize data request for new published posts
  • Sync-able categories list - pull an updated category list from your server at anytime
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  • Integrated Preview - built in Previewing allows you to view your drafts based on an HTML template
  • Upload Images - upload any of your local images to anywhere within your blog
  • RSS Aggregator integration - start new Blog entries from the most popular RSS Aggregator applications
  • MP3 Player integration - add "now playing" information into Drafts with WMP9's blogging plug-in
  • Favorites integration - list of Favorites from IE available as insertable links
  • Customizable tag support - change the tags generated for bold, underline, italics and ten custom tags
  • Customizable toolbar images - change the look of SharpMT by changing two images
  • Shell integration - double-clicking a draft file will open it in a SharpMT window
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  • Help system - a standard Windows based help system with comprehensive and detailed documentation
SharpMT is Donation-ware and requires the 1.1 version of the .NET Framework to run on a Windows-based PC.

    Pocket SharpMT 2.3 offers:
  • Save drafts locally - save entries that you're working on to your local hard drive
  • Easy posting - send any of your drafts to the server with one button click
  • Multiple categories per post - select more than one category for each draft published to the server
  • Standard tag support - add bold, italics, underline, and URL tags via menu
  • Integration with Contacts - insert Contact information into drafts
  • Sync-able categories list - pull an updated category list from your server at anytime
  • Sync-able text filters list - apply existing server based text filters for drafts
  • MT specific creation - use MT's extended fields, such as publishing status, categories, and excerpts
  • Upload Images - upload any of your local images to anywhere within your blog
  • Common Drafts format - share local drafts with the PC version of SharpMT
  • Customizable tag support - change the tags generated for bold, underline, italics and two custom tags
  • Pocket PC specific deaign - interface has been designed with the Pocket PC in mind
Pocket SharpMT is Donation-ware and requires the 1.0/SP1 version of the .NET Compact Framework to run on a Pocket PC 2002, Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition, or Windows Mobile 2003 device.

Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 14 additional comments
#1 PlainLazy on 23 Mar 2004 - 14:44
Sounds good to me, hope its a success
#2 SniperX on 23 Mar 2004 - 15:06
Once again, Opera leads while the others follow...
(3 replies) #3 Solarix on 23 Mar 2004 - 15:44
isnt this the stupid browser that you have to pay to use?
#3.1 Sushubh on 23 Mar 2004 - 15:48
aren't u an idiot who use paid version of windows when u can get linux for free?
#3.2 PlainLazy on 23 Mar 2004 - 16:06
No, its free to use, you can decide to pay to get rid of the ad-banner, but no-one has a gun to your head
#3.3 MrA on 23 Mar 2004 - 16:23
Yes, you don't have to pay for it, but then you'd have to put up with the banners. But this is a quality piece of software that's worth paying for.
(2 replies) #4 Galley on 23 Mar 2004 - 15:57
Microsoft should add support for this technology in IE in 2009.
#4.1 Sushubh on 23 Mar 2004 - 16:22
and perhaps they will in 2015! :lol:
#4.2 dandin1 on 23 Mar 2004 - 17:32
You know, the average programmer could do it to IE right now.
#5 xp1ode on 23 Mar 2004 - 16:10
sounds good for the disabled people, but i doubt i will ever be talking to my computer. Im fine the way things are now for ME, i like my mouse, my keyboard and i like typing, this technology is only good for the disbled and whoever wants to be even lazier then they are already...
(1 reply) #6 trance on 23 Mar 2004 - 18:49
Guess what? MS already has this feature. It's called Accessability. Look it up. Its there.
#6.1 demorgoron on 24 Mar 2004 - 00:55
huh?where the hell did that came from?
#7 ZeroSpice on 23 Mar 2004 - 20:21
I think this should be labled "speech recognition", not "voice recognition". Voice recognition implies some sort of security measure rather than a spoken command capability.
#8 naap51stang on 24 Mar 2004 - 00:54
Open source.......the wave of the future. Heck, in a couple of years, Mozilla/Opera/Firefox have
added all sorts of features, while remaining stable, and secure. MS can't go a week without a
patch somewhere....and features? forget it.

I can see it now.......we all pick up our mice and say "computer.....hello computer" (Scotty from ST IV)

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