Imagineng has introduced list management software for Windows Mobile that uses both voice recognition and voice recording capabilities. "Memic List" can be controlled via voice commands, records items using a device's microphone, and automatically trims recordings to save on storage space, the company says.
According to Imagineng, the need to enter text on a device's keyboard or keypad deters many users from effectively using a PDA or smartphone for "to dos" and other types of list management. To get around this, Memic List is designed to store voice memos instead, each up to 14 seconds in duration.
Voice memos are organized into lists that may be created, opened, or added to via either keyboard commands, or the software's pared-down voice recognition capabilities. To add an item to a list, a user would, for example, first speak the words "add item," then respond to a spoken "say item to add?" prompt. At that point, the software would record the user's voice memo, either to a device's internal memory or to an installed storage card.
A demonstration of Memic List Source: Imaginenc, Inc. (click to play)
Memic List requires 6MB of storage on a device. But, Imagineng says, the software makes the most of this by automatically sensing when a user stops speaking, then trimming the resulting file down to its minimum size. Ordinary text can also be entered into the program if desired, the company adds.
The program's voice recognition capabilities do not target converting dictated notes into text. Rather, they serve merely as a means of operating the program without using a keypad. Therefore, says Imagineng, the vocabulary required is limited, which keeps processor usage down and makes operation speaker-independent.
As for Memic List's spoken prompts to the user, these employ text-to-speech synthesis when required, but were mostly pre-recorded for Imagineng by jazz singer Lorraine Feather. Ironically, the artist recently released an album called Language, which, according to a recent interview on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, deals with "life's ordinary aggravations," such as losing keys.
Further information
Memic List is available in separate editions for Windows Mobile Standard and Windows Mobile Professional devices, each priced at approximately $25. More information is available from the company's website, here. To read more about Lorraine Feather and listen to three songs from her new album, visit the NPR website, here.
