erick:
Since you have mentioned it a couple times now, i have to say something.
With the 6620, as all nokia's that can be made to work with speech, its not
just putting a peace of hardware in to make it talk.  Its software, like a
screen reader, that works with the onboard operating system in the phone.
Either talks, or mobile speak.  Both of which are quite pricy for the first
time user.
It is likely that the software was preloaded on a memory card and then put
into the phone, but you have made reference to this a couple times as if it
is some sort of hard ware that makes the phone speak.  It isn't, and it
really can't be used to relate to implementing speech into digital devices.
If all digital devices used advanced operating systems to function, then
perhaps it could be related, but its a completely different ball of wax when
talking about putting in hardware for speech as opposed to software.

While it is true that adding a chip to speak functions doesn't take up any
more room, and the hardware itself isn't costly, the design process and
engineering is different and the entire device and all of its hard ware has
to be designed around the speech function more or les.  When it comes to
software, the software for speech, or the screen reader, is actually
designed around the OS or application instead of the other way around like
with the hardware.

I know the arguement, that is, we have to start getting the engineers and
hardware designers to start building products that will work with speech.
However, since nothing is standardized, and they are making things at the
absolute lowest cost to return the greatest proffit, spending more time and
money in the initial development stage to implement speech, for a very small
and relatively poor market, just isn't in most companies best interest.
This is why we have very specific devices on the market that are designed
for either speech only, or are built with the premise that the speech will
be the primary mode.

One of the only consumer products that i know about that are designed for
the sighted user, but have been designed for the possibility of speech being
added later are amateur radios.
No other product has this capability.  The reason why ham rigs have it is
because there is a very large sub market within the larger amateur radio
product consumer market that are blind or visually impaired.  Much more so
then in almost any other consumer market.
Also, the average age of ham operators in north america is well up there,
and the companies know that they need to make consession for failing eye
sight in the older population if they want to keep selling radios.
But, sell phone makers, and makers of most digital products aren't selling
to an aging market, they're selling to a young, relatively healthy market
that doesn't require, or demand accessibility to the extent that it is
demanded within the ham community.

73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eric Clegg" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2007 11:02 PM
Subject: Re: Sensory Announces New Time-Setting Technology


> That's unfortunate.
>
> I figure if they can put a little card into my Nokia 6620 cell phone and
> make the menus all talk it shouldn't be that difficult to transfer that
> level of technology to other things like hand held radios and other
> appliances.
>
> Eric
> KU3I
>
>
>
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