> Online Community Focuses on the Needs of People With Disabilities
>
> FOR RELEASE -- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2002
>
> FLORHAM PARK, NJ -- AT&T Labs today announced that it has signed an
> agreement to provide AT&T Labs' Natural Voices (tm) Text-to-Speech Engine to
> Minneapolis-based
> Serotek Corporation for its Freedom Box Internet accessibility product line
> and its Freedom Box Network online community.
>
> The Freedom Box Internet accessibility product is a conversational Internet
> interface that allows users to access the Internet and operate computers
> using
> voice commands alone.  The Freedom Box Network is a full-service Internet
> Service Provider (ISP) and custom-designed online network community focused
> on
> the interests and needs of people with disabilities.  The Freedom Box
> Network removes many barriers to Internet use and provides custom content so
> users
> with visual disabilities don't have to visit text-based Web sites.  If users
> want to surf beyond Freedom Box's custom network, they can still listen to
> Web-based content because the ISP automatically converts text to Voice
> Extensible Markup Language in near-real time.
>
> Users can simply speak and listen.  Freedom Box is a "conversational" Web
> interface that tells users the choices they have and describes exactly what
> is
> available on a Web page using AT&T Labs Natural Voices text-to-speech
> engine.  If the Web page has links to other pages, Freedom Box can turn
> those links
> into an audio menu that it reads aloud.  Users simply tell the Freedom Box
> which link to take.   If users get confused they can simply say "Back" or if
> an explanation is needed, they can say "Help" and Freedom Box will explain
> the current Web page and what choices are available.  Just like anyone else,
> Freedom Box users can access the Web to check electronic mail, shop online,
> retrieve news, whether, sports and stock information, and even participate
> in chat rooms.
>
> "The natural-sounding quality of AT&T Labs Natural Voices text-to-speech
> engine will help alleviate the fatigue often associated with listening to
> robotic-sounding
> voices over long periods of time," said Michael Calvo, president and chief
> executive officer of Serotek Corporation.  "The AT&T speech engine offers us
> the best choice for easy integration with our Freedom Box products."
>
> The Freedom Box is offered in three different accessibility product packages
> including: PC software for qualified personal computers, a plug-and-play
> Internet
> access device, and a high-powered computer that will run virtually all
> applications customized for disability access.
>
> "The Freedom Box is a great product that will open up Internet access for
> many people with disabilities," said Lex McCusker, general manager of AT&T
> Labs
> Natural Voices products.  "By selecting AT&T Labs' speech engine, Serotek
> has reaffirmed that we have the best product on the market to meet the
> rigorous
> needs of its customers."
>
>> From the first synthesized speech system in 1939 to today, AT&T Labs has
> been the world's leading speech technology pioneer, creating the highest
> quality
> and most robust speech systems available.  AT&T Labs holds more than 150
> patents in automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech, speech synthesis
> and
> speech translation technologies.  The AT&T Labs Natural Voices web site can
> be found at
> www.naturalvoices.att.com
> Information is also available by phone at 1-877-741-4321.
>
> Serotek invites interested parties to visit its Web site at
> www.freedombox.info
> for more detailed descriptions of the products and services.  Information
> packets in Braille and demonstration tapes are also available by calling
> 1-877-661-3785.
>
> About AT&T Labs Natural Voices Speech Products:
> AT&T Labs Natural Voices Text-to-Speech (TTS) Engine was launched on July
> 31, 2001.  Considered to be one of the most human-sounding computer-speech
> systems
> in the world, AT&T Labs TTS engine has the capability to recreate
> practically any voice.  The product consists of a text-to-speech "engine"
> that turns
> written words into natural-sounding speech, a library of male and female
> voices in different languages, and the ability to custom develop a voice
> that
> becomes the unique property of the customer.  New languages are introduced
> approximately every three months and product enhancements are added on a
> regular
> basis.  Headquartered in Florham Park, NJ, the product team leverages the
> talents and expertise of AT&T Labs, one of the world's premier corporate
> research
> organizations.  Since its introduction, AT&T Labs Natural Voices products
> are quickly becoming an accepted standard by which all other TTS engines are
> measured.  For more information go to
> www.naturalvoices.com
>
> ###
>
>
>
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