Ask Your Phone  

Grattan introduces Intercom readers to voice portals, an emergent technology that allows phone access to Internet-based information.

Grattan, Naomi. Intercom (2001). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>User Interface>Voice

IBM ViaVoice, Millenium Edition  

Schulter reviews the performance of IBMís latest speech recognition software.

Schulter, David. Intercom (2000). Articles>Technology>Software>Voice

Listen Up!: Speech Recognition's Impact on Communication, Rhetoric, and Interface

Look around the computer screen on which you're viewing this document. Do you see a keyboard and mouse a short distance away? These two traditional input devices have become so deeply entrenched as the established human-computer interface that they are inseparable from our notion of the 'computing experience.' Yet in many ways, keyboards and mice only make our experiences with computers more unnatural, forcing us into modes of interaction that we would never use with other people. In other words, they make humans interact with machines, rather than machines with humans.

Propper, Ryan. Stanford University (2005). Articles>User Interface>Rhetoric>Voice

OnStar Takes Voice XML for Drive

GM unit prepares for mobile content delivery.

Sliwa, Carol. ComputerWorld. Articles>User Interface>XML>Voice

Usable Interactive Voice Response Applications

An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) application is any telephone-based application which interactively takes input from callers and returns output in the form of a previously recorded human voice or other auditory information (Noonan). Cost and efficiency considerations means that IVR applications are fast becoming a common supplement, or indeed alternative, to direct contact with customer service representatives. The principles of User-Centred Design can be applied to make a more efficient and intuitive IVR applications. A solely auditory interface means that the user can hear only one thing at a time. The interface is sequential. With visual interfaces, like computer screens, it is possible to emphasise content through fonts or colour. The user can review any part of the screen at a glance. Therefore, the manner and order in which information is rendered on an IVR application is very important. The following are some guidelines for the design of an intuitive IVR application.

Gaine, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Articles>User Interface>Accessibility>Voice

Voice Broadcast Messaging  

A new genre of computer-mediated communication has unceremoniously appeared in the marketplace, promising to solve countless problems that you probably never knew you had. The new technology, generically known as broadcast messaging, represents the convergence of fax, e-mail, short messaging service (SMS), and voice messaging in a single, Web-based front end.

Archee, Raymond K. Intercom (2004). Articles>Collaboration>Online>Voice

Voice Extensible Markup Language Status  

Introduces readers to Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML), a markup language that allows vocal interaction between users and applications via a telephone-based communication system. The author also discusses World Wide Web Consortium specifications for VXML.

Lippincott, Richard J. Intercom (2004). Design>Information Design>XML>Voice

Voice Interfaces: Assessing the Potential

Visual interfaces are inherently superior to auditory interfaces for many tasks. The Star Trek fantasy of speaking to your computer is not the most fruitful path to usable systems.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2003). Design>Usability>Accessibility>Voice

Voice Portals  

Perlin discusses the latest developments in voice portal technology.

Perlin, Neil E. Intercom (2002). Articles>Technology>Software>Voice

Voice XML 2.0 Nears Final W3C Standard

It may already be the de facto voice platform for the Internet, but this week the Voice XML 2.0 specification has moved closer to becoming an official World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standard. The W3C, the body responsible for maintainin many of the core standards and protocols at the heart of the Internet, has publishe the new Voice XML 2.0 specification as a Proposed Recommendation

Lyman, Jay. TechNewsWorld. Articles>Multimedia>XML>Voice

Web Authoring Strategies for Voice Browsers

A HWG position paper for a W3C workshop on voice browsers.

Bartlett, Kynn. HTML Writers Guild (1998). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Voice

What is Talklets?

Many people find it difficult to read from a computer screen - especially visually impaired users, and those with reading difficulties such as dyslexia. Many people print pages out to read them later, which isn't very efficient in terms of time (as well as paper consumption). Unsurprisingly, a number of 'read aloud' applications are emerging for web sites.

O'Gribin, Niall. Erigena (2006). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Voice

Why Mobile Phones are Annoying

Bystanders rated mobile-phone conversations as dramatically more noticeable, intrusive, and annoying than conversations conducted face-to-face. While volume was an issue, hearing only half a discussion also seemed to up the irritation factor.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2004). Design>User Interface>Usability>Voice

XHTML Voice in Style

This article builds upon topics in the XHTML Voice by Example article. A knowledge of CSS is also assumed.

Axelsson, Jonny. Opera (2008). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Voice

Getting to Know Voice

From a different world than the traditional browsing world comes a range of techniques that allows a developer to code for speech behaviours much easier than previously possible. Opera has early support for this. W3C is working on standards for combining speech and the ordinary graphical user interface.

Axelsson, Jonny. Opera (2008). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Voice

How to Add Voice Interactivity to Your Site

This tutorial aims to help you add voice interactivity to your site, with minimal code changes and maximal browser compatibility. Along the way, examples will be provided, and at the end, you will be able to test a fully working, real World, voice-enabled site. This tutorial describes the use of a reusable VoiceXML form. Because the voice capability is included in the browser, you do not need to write your own speech recognition engine or speech synthesizer. This is a great advantage to you and to your Web application users.

Sucan, Mihai. Opera (2008). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Voice

Emotion and Voice User Interfaces

When you hear the term voice user interface (VUI), what comes to mind? Most likely, memories of an interactive voice response system (IVR) for customer service arise. IVRs are certainly not going away. For many companies, they remain the foremost contact point with customers. But voice user interfaces are more than just IVRs. In fact, VUIs have tremendous potential for enhancing the experience of any mobile phone user. As the use of mobile devices and applications proliferates internationally, understanding how to integrate, or mash up, graphic user interfaces (GUI) and VUIs is becoming critically important.

Clayton, Darnell and Colleen Jones. UXmatters (2008). Articles>User Interface>Emotions>Voice

Voice Enabling XML, Part 1: Develop a Voice-Enabled RSS Reader

RSS is a hot topic these days, as it provides an easy way to stream data online. This article, the first of a four-part series on developing VoiceXML applications, shows you how to develop a voice-enabled RSS reader. The input to the application is RSS data, and the output is VoiceXML that can be read and spoken by your favorite compatible voice application.

Brown, Martin. IBM (2007). Articles>Information Design>XML>Voice