It’s a test designed to invoke an emotional response

From GPSes to synthetic rabbits, more and more gadgets are being blessed with the ability to speak. Two prominent examples from recent weeks are the Amazon Kindle 2 and Apple’s latest iPod Shuffle. Can their computery speech pass for human? We thought the point would be best explored by having the two gadgets act out a scene from the ultimate movie about man vs. machine, Blade Runner. Consider the video above speech technology’s 2009 audition — and judge for yourself who’s the better actor.

April 30, 2009 by Uncategorized 6

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6 Responses

  1. Bibliofuture says:
    April 30, 2009 at 5:32 am

    Kirk v. Kahn

    When it comes to screen pathos, nobody does it better than Shatner and Montelban in the classic confrontation Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. Now the twisted minds at the SciFi Network’s Dvice blog have taken a wonderful cinematic moment, full of overwrought line readings, and handed it over to the voice-synthesis capabilities of the Amazon Kindle 2 and the iPod shuffle via Talking Gadget Theater. “Buried alive… buried alive…”

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says:
    April 30, 2009 at 2:03 pm

    this is an example of the greatest effort producing the least
    benefit.

    Maybe if they threw in a Speak & Spell and “Reiner” AT&T Labs text-to-speech (have him say “Kaaahn!”) and Adobe Reader broadcast through a Darth Vader voice changer, it might become entertaining…

    but not this. What they did is just a waste of time.

    Reply
    • Anonymous says:
      April 30, 2009 at 2:51 pm

      Not a waste of time
      The Author’s Guild has been up in arms over the text to speech technology on the Kindle. These videos demonstrate the limited capacity of the text to speech. The machines have no ability to show the emotion that is happening in a scene.

      The point of these videos was not to wow you it was to not wow you. Obviously success was had.

      Reply
      • Auntie Nanuuq says:
        April 30, 2009 at 5:30 pm

        Bah!
        It’s an electronic generated voice…like on an answering machine, voice mail, big business electronic phone operators……who in the world wants to listen to that?

        I want to hear a real person speak…(well most real people)

        >^..^<

        Reply
  3. Anonymous says:
    April 30, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    ah.
    the lack of entertainment proved its value. time well spent then.

    Reply
    • Anonymous says:
      April 30, 2009 at 4:56 pm

      Entertain me
      It is nice to live in a world where only entertaining things are of any value. Note to self: Remember to entertain the sheeple.

      Reply

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