Although portable CD players and walkmans have been around for quite some time, MP3 players and ipods seem so revolutionary to me. There's so much freedom in being able to carry around your entire music collection in your pocket wherever you go. I have taken advantage of toting around audiobooks, lectures, podcasts and sermons, as well. Marvelous.
This week I learned about a new technology that has probably been around for awhile without grabbing my attention. I believe the technology is referred to as text-to-speech. There are lots of free programs out there that turn text into an audio file that can be stored on an MP3 player. This means you can basically turn any digitized book into an audiobook and turn any electronic article into a lecture.
The biggest downside is the mechanized voice, although some advertise their “natural voice.” I need to experiment a little more to see if I agree, but regardless, this seems like an excellent tool for auditory learners (and any busy student, really). I know this isn’t revolutionary, but sometimes it’s the simple things…
Anyone had experiences (good or bad) with TTS (text to speech)?
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My first encounter with a high quality text to speech was stumbling across an add for sitepal. I must say, the progress we've made in naturalizing computerized voices is stunning. Yes, they still sound mechanized, but they have come LONG way.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had any experience with TTS but I want to second your happiness with MP3 players. Libraries are jumping on the bandwagon now too. I've seen a couple of set ups where libraries are loading audiobooks onto MP3s. They then lock the MP3 so it can't be erased or altered and library patrons can check it out just like they would any other library material. I just think that is super cool.
ReplyDeleteI have never had any experience with text to speech but my father uses one for his speech writing in which you speak into the mic and the computer types it out and he loves it since he can't type!
ReplyDeleteMy library has just invested in a new technology called Playaways. Apparently it is an entire novel on a single player so patrons don't have to deal with losing a CD in a set or a cassette tape as with children's books. I don't know how much circulation they will get but you listen with just the one unit and a pair of headphones. I am glad we have updated to this small change. I don't know how much further they will go with it though.
I too remember when CD's came out. It was like something out of a sci fi movie! I think I was around 8 or 9 so it seemed that way to me. Gosh, I also remember before my family bought a VCR and we could rent one from the video place. It really is amazing to see how far we have come as a society in that amount of time.
I was just reading a post about something on this topic and at the end the author said that she had dictated the entire thing. The system clearly was familiar with her voice because there were no transcription errors. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteText to speech, how cool! On the flip side I wanted to comment a bit on the opposite, speech to text. Recently I heard about a phone system (please forgive me for not remembering , though I think it was google, of course) that actually combines all of your phones into one number (combines your cell phone, your home phone, your yacht phone, etc.) and leaves you with one voicemail box for all of those phones (instead of having four or five to check). But more than that it also will send your voicemail to your inbox, it actually transcribes your messages! While this sounds great to many, one of the big fears brought up was the invasion of privacy...someone listening to your messages to transcribe them. While realistically this is all being done by a computer, a lot of people are scared.
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