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Talking Gadget Theater: Blade Runner, starring the Kindle 2 and iPod Shuffle
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.
By Old Man Dotes at 2:16 PM ON 04/23/09
Both of them are made of fail.
By icowrich at 5:09 PM ON 04/23/09
The Kindle 2 wins, but I am surprised how much more natural they sound than voice simulators of the past. The question marks, in particular, sound pretty good.
By Icarus at 5:37 PM ON 04/23/09
The Kindle wins for sure. The Ipod still sounds far too much like Microsoft Sam. Fun to mess with, but not really good to listen to.
By Doutor at 1:43 AM ON 04/24/09
But iPod's voice when sync with a Mac is different, with much better quality. You should compare that voice too. When sync with windows it probably just uses the crappy system voice...
By fred at 6:53 AM ON 04/24/09
ipods voice is based on the os voice system. it is different for ms and mac os as said.
By Shaddam IV at 8:53 AM ON 04/24/09
It's male when the iPod is synched with a Mac, and female when synched with a PC, for all I've heard. They're the same voices shipped with each Mac. And I agree, the Mac (and iPod) voice synthesis needs a serious upgrade.
By gir at 5:43 AM ON 04/25/09
can't look at the vid - flash loads but the whole thing just stays empty forever. :(
any suggestions?
By Kindall at 1:10 PM ON 04/29/09
Ha, that's funny - I was just looking up stuff about the Kindle 2. The Kindle 2 wins for sure, the shuffle still has that robotic sound.
By Graveyard Fields at 11:39 AM ON 05/01/09
When are we going to see the orgasm scene from When Harry Met Sally?
By frank at 12:17 AM ON 06/26/09
So the new Ipod shuffle can smoke a Cigarette now.
on your cellphone!
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frank:
So the new Ipod shuffle can smoke a Cigarette now....More »