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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Nov. 28, 2008
/ 1 Kislev 5769
You talk, it searches
By
Mark Kellner
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Somewhere, maybe, James Doohan is smiling today. You remember the
affable Canadian actor, whose Scotty on "Star Trek" was often talking
to the computer, even if (in one film) it was the mouse of an old
Apple Mac, don't you? Doohan, a Canadian, died in 2005, but his brogue
affected for the part lives on.
Well, yesterday, I "spoke" to my iPhone and it found a hotel for
me. I did this not by calling 4-1-1, but by using Google's updated
Google Search software. You talk, it looks stuff up.
That seems simple, so simple that Spock might furrow his brow in a a
scorn, but it really isn't. Anyone familiar with the history (and
current state) of voice-recognition software knows that it's not easy
going all the time. With a traditional voice program, you have to
"train" the software to recognize YOUR voice, inflections and do so
with a lot of vocabulary words. It's been a good while since I've
tried this, but it's not easy, and unless injury or incapacity require
it, few of us make the effort. It's just a pain.
Which is why saying something such as "hotels, Warrenton, Virginia,"
into a software program and having it type "hotels, Warrenton, VA,"
and then find said hotels is a minor miracle. Had I wanted to find
lodgings in the place I was then sitting, I could have just said
"hotels" and Google Search, using the GPS features of the iPhone,
would determine my location and found whatever I was looking for, or
so the makers claim.
The voice feature seems to run only on the iPhone right now, though
the location-aware bit is said to run on T-Mobile's G1 "Android"
phone, whose software is made by Google, as well as Windows Mobile
devices. On these. Google's Web site says, the locating is done either
via GPS or knowledge of your nearest cell tower's location. Very nice.
One can only hope it will expand the voice recognition aspect to other
platforms, since Google does seem to want to "spread the wealth,"
applications-wise, to a bunch of computers and operating systems.
(Then again, I'm still waiting for the Mac version of Google's Chrome
Web browser. Sigh.)
This is notable for more than just the "cool" factor. It's a key
evolution in voice recognition software that might render all sorts of
things obsolete. One of these is the often-abysmal directory
assistance service of AT&T Wireless. Call 4-1-1 on an AT&T cellular
phone and you might get your number and you might not. I've even
had operators working under the AT&T name tell me they couldn't find
the corporate headquarters number for AT&T Wireless in Atlanta,
Georgia. It's pathetic. But if Google Search performs as advertised,
it could find those numbers for you; the iPhone operating system would
highlight the number on screen and you can click-to-dial. (Obviously,
such dexterity should not be attempted while driving.)
Other applications are myriad. Ironically, as some have noted, you
can't yet have this search your own online Google directory of
contact, which every Google Mail user has, right? That might come
along "down the road," and if it does, you suddenly have something
truly remarkable.
What fascinates me and what Google isn't advertising yet is how
they got the voice software to recognize voices so effortlessly. I
could see a whole "server farm" of large computers devoted to that
task, but the details are the "secret sauce" here, and Coca Cola might
divulge their formula first.
If you have an iPhone and the Google Search app, it's probably been
updated automatically by now, as mine was. If you don't have the app,
get it, since there's no cost for the software. And if you don't have
an iPhone, here's another, super-cool, reason to drop a hint to Santa
or one of his subordinate Clauses.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Mark Kellner has reported on technology for industry newspapers and magazines since 1983, and has been the computer columnist for The Washington Times since 1991.Comment by clicking here.
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© 2008, News World Communications, Inc. Reprinted with permission of The Washington Times. Visit the paper at http://www.washingtontimes.com
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