Visual Voice Mail announced by Verizon for LG Voyager

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Verizon Wireless announces Visual Voice Mail service available today on the LG Voyager smartphone.
Visual Voice Mail was first available on the Apple iPhone. Since Apple had to license Visual Voice Mail from Klausner it seems everyone who licenses from them can call it Visual Voice Mail. Read more

Posted on Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:38:02 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

VoiceDial for iPhone 2.0 now available on App Store

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Makayama announces that their VoiceDial application for the new iPhone OS is available via the iTunes App Store.

Makayama already offered their voice dialing application on jailbroken iPhone 1.0 devices.
Voice Dial for the iPhone works with all languages. It does not depend on a dictionary or vocabulary, but it stores your speech samples and links them to contacts, applications or bookmarks. Read more

Posted on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Step Brothers Standee in Theaters Give Free Voicetones via Bluetooth

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Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly’s new film Step Brothers is giving cell phone users with a Bluetooth handset the ability to download free voice tones right from the theater standee advertisement. Moviegoers at 50 different Regal Entertainment Group theaters can get the voice tones free by downloading them from the standee.

The standee has a family album with candid photos of the family as they blend and is equipped with bluecasting media servers to distribute the voice tones. Four different lines from the movie are being offered. One free voicetone can be received via a text message as well as checking out the movie website. Read more

Posted on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:36:48 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

i.Tech Launches i.VoicePRO Bluetooth Headset

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i.Tech Dynamic has announced the launch of its latest Bluetooth headset called the i.VoicePRO Bluetooth Headset. The headset is the first on the market with a dual microphone that uses Bluetooth Profile v2.1 for voice quality.

The headset uses a dual mic design that prevents extraneous sounds from being picked up during conversations. The headset is also designed to pick up clear speech even in windy conditions. Other features include automatic volume control and a talk time of 5 hours with 100 hours of standby. Read more

Posted on Tue, 8 Jul 2008 13:05:12 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Apple, others license Klausner Voicemail Patents

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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Klausner Technology Inc said on Monday that Apple Inc , eBay Inc and AT&T Inc have agreed to license its patents on "visual voicemail" technology and settled Klausner's lawsuit against them.
Read more

Posted on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:33:26 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Nuance Shows iPhone Voice Search Prototype

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Nuance has unveiled a voice search prototype for the Apple iPhone. The application is designed to allow iPhone users to speak search commands into their phone to search the web for items of interest. Nuance says that you could say things like “Find Apple Store in Boston, Mass” and get results.

Nuance also says that future revisions will allow iPhone users to dictate email, text messages and more. Nuance says that no voice training is required for the service to operate. The prototype is code named OVS for open voice search. Read more

Posted on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:11:41 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Q&A: ''Idol'' Contestant Archuleta finds his Voice

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By Fred Bronson

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Just 17, David Archuleta is the youngest contestant still in the running to win Season 7 of the Fox contest series "American Idol." In this exclusive Billboard interview, the Utah native opens up about the vocal paralysis that almost kept him from singing and discusses his desire to attend college.
Read more

Posted on Wed, 7 May 2008 02:48:33 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Sprint licenses Visual Voicemail for Samsung Instinct from Klausner

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Sprint announced the Samsung Instinct 3G touchscreen smartphone last week. One of the striking features is Visual Voicemail. I was a bit surprised that Sprint calls the voicemail management feature the same as Apple on the iPhone.

Interestingly Sprint made a deal with Klausner Technologies to license Visual Voicemail, which the company claims to have patents for. Klausner Technologies already sued Apple and AT&T over the iPhone Visual Voicemail back in December 2007 and again in March 2008. Read more

Posted on Sun, 6 Apr 2008 11:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Yahoo adds Voice Commands to Web Search on Phones

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By Sinead Carew and Eric Auchard

LAS VEGAS/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc on Wednesday unveiled new features to make Web search easier and more relevant to mobile phone users, the latest step in its battle with Google Inc in the next frontier for Web use.
Read more

Posted on Thu, 3 Apr 2008 02:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Recording of Human Voice Found Predates Edison's Invention

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Thomas Edison is credited with the invention of the phonograph and widely believed to have made the first recording of the human voice in 1877 of him singing a child’s song. However, it seems Edison wasn’t the first to have recorded the human voice.

A short song was captured by a Parisian inventor named Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville on April 9, 1860. The inventor used a device called a phonautograph. The device captured representations of sound waves on a piece of paper coated in soot from an oil lamp. Read more

Posted on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:23:57 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Verizon Unlimited Voice Plan

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Verizon wireless announced today that it is adding a new unlimited voice plan to its lineup. The unlimited plan allows users to call anyone in the US on any landline or mobile service.

The new plan will be a veritable bargain at $99.99 a month. Verizon also says it is enhancing its BroadbandAccess plans for two choices in wireless web access. Starting on March 2nd there will be two plans with one data plan giving 50MB of data transfer and another offering 5GB. Read more

Posted on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:16:32 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Ribbit injects Phone, Voicemail features on to Web

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By Eric Auchard

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A Silicon Valley start-up that lets software programmers embed phone-like voice features in everything from Web sites to computers, to phones themselves, unveiled its first product for consumers on Monday. Read more

Posted on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:50:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

iPhone Voice Dialing Software

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Makayama, based in the Netherlands, announces the availability of VOICE DIAL for iPhone 1.0.

Voice Dial for the Apple iPhone lets you dial and call up contacts with your voice. Voice Dial for the iPhone works with all languages. It does not depend on a dictionary or vocabulary, but it stores your speech samples and links them to contacts, applications or bookmarks. Read more

Posted on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:45:44 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Jott Voice Enables Google Calendar

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Jott announced a new service today that voice enables Google Calendar. Jott says after a simple set up the Jott service links users via voice-to-text to their Google calendar.

Jott Networks CEO, John Pollard, commented, "Having the freedom to make Google Calendar entries with any cell phone is what Jott's all about-making it simple to get more done. Our customers told us they wanted this functionality, and we're delivering. We believe anyone who uses Google Calendar should take advantage of being able to post appointments -- completely hands-free -- from anywhere." Read more

Posted on Wed, 5 Dec 2007 13:19:17 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Klausner sues Apple iPhone over Voicemail

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By Eric Auchard

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Klausner Technologies said on Monday the company had filed a $360 million suit against Apple and AT&T Inc over voicemail patents that Klausner claims the Apple iPhone infringes. Read more

Posted on Tue, 4 Dec 2007 00:03:49 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Sanyo Diply Talk 8GB Voice Recorder ICR-PS390RM

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Sanyo announces a digital voice recorder with 8GB of built-in memory dubbed Diply Talk ICR-PS390RM.

Sanyo is able to record 1,116 hours onto the 8GB storage with their new voice recorder. Sanyo claims that this is the world's longest recording capacity, at least for a dedicated small voice recorder that might hold true.
Other features of the Sanyo PCM and MP3 recording, PCM, MP3 and WMA-DRM10 playback support, USB2.0 and line-in. Read more

Posted on Tue, 6 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Sony ICD-UX80 and ICD-UX70 USB MP3 Voice Recorder

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Sony announces two new digital voice recorder ICD-UX80 and ICD-UX70.

The new Sony ICD-UX80 and ICD-UX70 record stereo in MP3 format. You can easily transfer the recordings to a PC via the integrated USB port known from flash memory drives. On the Sony ICD-UX80 with 2GB you can record 581 hours. Read more

Posted on Tue, 6 Nov 2007 08:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

VoiceSense Windows CE powered PDA for the Blind

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A PDA designed for the blind is apparently hitting the shelves in Japan next week.

The PDA that features a set of buttons instead of a screen is called VoiceSense and runs Windows CE.
VoiceSense has a vocal guiding system and allows users to write documents, work with calendar and contact management functions, surf the web and instant message. Read more

Posted on Sat, 14 Jul 2007 08:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

SimulScribe makes fun of iPhone Visual Voicemail [Videos]

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SimulScribe published two Apple spoof ads that make fun of iPhone Visual voicemail feature.

SimulScribe is actually converting voicemails into text and sends them as text message. Apple's visual voicemail is not doing that. The visual aspect is just in the management of the voicemail box.

The SimulScribe Apple spoof ads feature a sexy actress - reason enough to watch the two videos below. Read more

Posted on Fri, 6 Jul 2007 10:59:35 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Globalstar Offers Unlimited Satellite Voice & Data Plan for $49.99

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What do you do when you live or work in an area where you can’t get reliable cellular or land line phone services? You go with satellite phones of course, just like the guys in 24. I have heard of satellite service before but I always assumed it was hundreds of dollars per month to get that sort of service.

Globalstar USA has a constellation of satellites in orbit to provide voice and data services. The surprise for me came in Globalstar’s pricing, they offer unlimited airtime for $49.99 per month. That is cheaper than my cellular plan. Each year through 2010 the price of the unlimited plan goes down so in 2008 it will cost $39.99, and in 2009- 2010 it will be $19.99.

There are a couple catches to the service, the first is the phone. They are larger than current cellular phones and sport giant antennas that you have seen on TV most likely. The phones themselves will run you from $799 to $999 which isn’t that much more than you will pay for that new N95 from Nokia. Read more

Posted on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:08:50 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

It's a Pen, It's a MP3 Player, It's a Voice Recorder! No, it's Super Pen!

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Wing Inter showed off a pen that rolls all sorts of geeky goodness into one package. What all can a pen do you ask? Well it’s an MP3 player for starters, replete with headphone jack.

Just think how cool you will look in the bus with headphones coming out of your pen. It also has a USB flash drive inside and a voice recorder. The battery is good for 5-6 hours of record time and it recharges via USB. Read more

Posted on Fri, 9 Mar 2007 18:00:00 CST | by Shane McGlaun