Personal Voice
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US $24.88
Picture this...you're setting in front of your computer, staring at the desktop trying to decide if you want to surf the Net or do a little word processing. You finally decide to write to your in-laws and see if they got the pictures you sent them.
Instead of reaching over and moving the mouse pointer to the "Word" icon, you simply speak, (Assuming you've already put on your microphone headset) "[computer load Microsoft Word.]" And while you watch, the desktop disappears and Microsoft Word appears. So far so good. Next you say, "[new file]" and immediately, a new white screen appears in front of you. (This could be habit forming) Now, it's time to write, but you never touch your keyboard.
Again, you speak to your computer, "[new paragraph] Hi Aunt Ruth [comma new paragraph] I was just thinking about you and wondered what you thought of the kid's pictures I sent you last week [question mark new paragraph]."
I'm able to operate in this "No hands" mode because of a voice recognition program called Naturallyspeaking. Not only can it transcribe your speech, as you speak, it can also be used instead of the keyboard and mouse to control your computer. This is only one of several such programs on the market. I chose Naturallyspeaking because of its excellent reviews. How well does it work? Most of the reviews say that with sufficient training the computer will achieve an accuracy of over 95%. I've not reached anywhere near that yet, but my computer is still in its infancy. Fortunately, it's a quick learner!
Before I could actually start controlling my computer by voice, I had to train the program to recognize me, and the pattern of my speech. Each person will be different. Humans have little trouble in deciphering what another person is saying, even if they stumble over a few words or leave one out entirely. We group words into sentences and our brains tend to fill in any missing parts. But computers don't have this luxury. So it's very important that they know our voices, the way we enunciate, and most of all, the patterns in which we string words together.
Training is easy though somewhat boring. In order to understand your voice, the computer has you to read something it has already analyzed. Dragon software uses the text from several popular novels in these reading/learning exercises. As you read the text, the computer compares the way you pronounce certain words with patterns previously stored in its memory. As you read into the microphone, the computer builds a voice file that describes in phonetics, exactly how "you" speak. After a while, the computer will have discovered patterns in your speech and will be able to extrapolate these patterns to new words that it has never heard you speak before.
Working with "voice recognition" takes a little extra thought. Because the computer doesn't know when you've reached the end of a sentence or a paragraph, you have to tell it. There are dozens of commands you can use already programmed into the software. Words like, "new paragraph, space, new line, backspace, erase word, correct that, etc." These words tell the computer that you want it to perform a command of some kind.
In the actual document, these commands never appear on the screen. I enclosed the commands in brackets above so you could see how, when, and where I was using them.
The first time I spoke into my microphone and watched the words magically appear on the screen gave me an eerie feeling. It was like some unknown hand was typing my thoughts.
Naturallyspeaking comes with a microphone included in the package. All of these types of programs are very particular about the quality of the microphone being used. The voice engine requires high quality sound files so the microphone plays a crucial role in determining the final accuracy that can be achieved. It's also very important to speak into the microphone exactly the same way every time. Otherwise, you'll have to reset the sound levels every time you want to use voice control.
Dragon Software is not the only producer of "voice recognition" software. IBM has its own product as well as several others. If you think you might be interested in finding out more about voice recognition, check out these links.
http://www-4.ibm.com/software/speech/
One thing I haven't yet mentioned is that you can turn the tables and have the computer read printed text back to you. I'm using it to proof my new book by having the computer read aloud my text files. Welcome to the 21st century!
Randy Benjamin is an author and syndicated columnist. His latest books, "FREE Internet" and "How To Publish Anything On Amazon's Kindle" are available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle e-book formats. For more information, visit his website: http://www.randybenjamin.com.
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In each Meet the Mentor Video, real-world mentors model the literacy skills they use every day and set meaninful examples to inspire children. ISBN: 0590548522. |
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A photographer named buscape narrates short stories of his youth growing up in one of the most crime ridden areas of rio de janeiro. The film introduces many characters including a boyhood friend on a path to becoming a drug dealer in one of the worlds most dangerous areas from the late 60s to the early 80s... |
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Personal Voice in Biblical Interpretation $43.95 The Personal Voice in Biblical Interpretation makes evident the multiplicity and legitimacy of different interpretations and break new gound in the ongoing debate of the hermeneutics and methods in biblical scholarship. |
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Voice $14.99 "Revealing, heartfelt and eloquent, readers will love these 100 prayerful poems. Kristian Krawford brilliantly captures the essence of her faith and her deeply personal relationship with God. Visions, dreams and private conversations illuminate a writer in a permanent state of inspirational bliss. From her imaginations of "God at lunch" to her dreams of "Serene Street" and visions of "What God Th inks About While He's Drinking Coff ee," Kristian Krawford perceives God as only she can. Th e reader is left with an endearing sense of one woman's quest to know God profoundly and intimately." |
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The Personal Voice in Biblical Interpretation $42.85 No Synopsis Available |
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The Voice: A Metaphor for Personal Development $16.53 No Synopsis Available |
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Prophets and Personal Prophecy: God's Prophetic Voice Today $14.99 "> There are more examples of personal prophecy in Scripture than any other biblical subject. ""Prophets and Personal Prophecy" is not an abstract theological doctrinal statement but a practical, "how to" guide on what personal prophecy is and what you are supposed to do with it. This book is an absolute must for anyone who has ever heard (or even thought they heard) from God." - Dr. John Gimenez Prophets and Personal Prophecy, God's Prophetic Voice Today, makes incredible strides towards restoring Personal Prophecy to the Church and is the only book of its kind. Topics include: Putting Personal Prophecy in proper perspective The nature of Personal Prophecy Decisions for marriage, business and geographic moves Guidelines for handling Personal Prophecy God's purposes for Prophets" |
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The Voice Of Knowledge $10.45 In this book about personal growth, Don Miguel Ruiz argues that we need to get rid of the voice in our heads that contaminates and sabotages us, which he calls "the voice of knowledge." This voice of others, which we accumulate over our lifetime, makes us |
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Voice Inbox $10 Voice Inbox is your personal mobile secretary. The software empowers your mobile with an answering machine, relying on an independent local storage of messages. When enabled VI will play your custom greeting to all callers and record voice mail for you. Setup and activation are manageable in just a few operations. |
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A Sacred Voice Is Calling: Personal Vocation and Social Conscience $22 "What does it mean to find and follow our personal calling? Howdo we distinguish between the "still, small voice" of our authentic vocation and all of the other competing counterfeit voices in our hearts and the needs of our world? Drawing widely on the wisdom of saints, sages, and the traditions of spiritual direction, Neafsey describes a path to living in the place, as Frederick Buechner has put it, "where our deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." |
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A Voice Crying in the Wilderness: Personal Testimonies $15.55 No Synopsis Available |
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A Voice Crying in the Wilderness: Personal Testimonies $24.38 No Synopsis Available |
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The Voice $3.49 The Voice |
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The Voice Of Knowledge $11.09 In this book about personal growth, Don Miguel Ruiz argues that we need to get rid of the voice in our heads that contaminates and sabotages us, which he calls the voice of knowledge. This voice of others, which we accumulate over our lifetime, makes us insecure. He draws on several key growth points in his own life, as well as on his own reworking of Toltec philosophy, to show how we can, instead, learn to hear the true and healthy inner voice of the spirit. He offers a framework of storytelling for self-empowerment, and shows how we can use the four agreements from his precious book to expand our personal freedoms and transform our lives. |
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The Voice Of Knowledge $18.57 In this book about personal growth, Don Miguel Ruiz argues that we need to get rid of the voice in our heads that contaminates and sabotages us, which he calls the voice of knowledge. This voice of others, which we accumulate over our lifetime, makes us insecure. He draws on several key growth points in his own life, as well as on his own reworking of Toltec philosophy, to show how we can, instead, learn to hear the true and healthy inner voice of the spirit. He offers a framework of storytelling for self-empowerment, and shows how we can use the four agreements from his precious book to expand our personal freedoms and transform our lives. |
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The Voice Of Knowledge $27.64 In this book about personal growth, Don Miguel Ruiz argues that we need to get rid of the voice in our heads that contaminates and sabotages us, which he calls the voice of knowledge. This voice of others, which we accumulate over our lifetime, makes us insecure. He draws on several key growth points in his own life, as well as on his own reworking of Toltec philosophy, to show how we can, instead, learn to hear the true and healthy inner voice of the spirit. He offers a framework of storytelling for self-empowerment, and shows how we can use the four agreements from his precious book to expand our personal freedoms and transform our lives. |
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Ukulele & Voice $11.19 Her first ever E.P. "Ukulele & Voice", a refined and intimate personal journey with Brown, stripped down to the powerful simplicity of her remarkable voice and expressive ukulele. Five intense songs, plaintive and melancholy, vulnerable and exposed, joyful and exuberant. All written by Brown, "Kiss Of Love" co-written with Jools Holland which previously appeared on Jools' 2003 album as a fully orchestrated duet with Nick Cave, here presented as Sam originally wrote it. And "Void" co-written with Dave Rotheray from Homespun and The Beautiful South. Plus "Over The Moon" inspired by your magnificent response to Brown's plea for a sixth album title! |
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Ukulele & Voice (Import) $8.81 Her first ever E.P. "Ukulele & Voice", a refined and intimate personal journey with Brown, stripped down to the powerful simplicity of her remarkable voice and expressive ukulele. Five intense songs, plaintive and melancholy, vulnerable and exposed, joyfu |
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A Voice in the Wind $14.99 "This classic series has inspired nearly 2 million readers. Both loyal fans and new readers will want the updated editions of this beloved series. These editions include a new foreword from the publisher, a new preface from Francine Rivers and discussion questions suitable for personal and group use. #1 A Voice in the Wind: This first book in the classic best-selling Mark of the Lion series brings readers back to the first century and introduces them to a character they will never forget--Hadassah. Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, a young slave girl clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome." |
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A Voice in the Wind $12.99 This classic series has inspired nearly 2 million readers. Both loyal fans and new readers will want the latest edition of this beloved series. This edition includes a foreword from the publisher, a preface from Francine Rivers and discussion questions suitable for personal and group use. #1 A Voice in the Wind: This first book in the classic best-selling Mark of the Lion series brings readers back to the first century and introduces them to a character they will never forget—Hadassah. Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, a young slave girl clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome. |
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A Voice in the Box $21.95 The host of The Bob Edwards Show and Bob Edwards Weekend on Sirius XM Radio, Bob Edwards became the first radio personality with a large national audience to take his chances in the new field of satellite radio. The programs' mix of long-form interviews and news documentaries has won many prestigious awards. For thirty years, Louisville native Edwards was the voice of National Public Radio's daily newsmagazine programs, co-hosting All Things Considered before launching Morning Edition in 1979. These programs built NPR's national audience while also bringing Edwards to national prominence. In 2004, however, NPR announced that it would be finding a replacement for Edwards, inciting protests from tens of thousands of his fans and controversy among his listeners and fellow broadcasters. Today, Edwards continues to inform the American public with a voice known for its sincerity, intelligence, and wit. In A Voice in the Box: My Life in Radio, Edwards recounts his career as one of the most important figures in modern broadcasting. He describes his road to success on the radio waves, from his early days knocking on station doors during college and working for American Forces Korea Network to his work at NPR and induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2004. Edwards tells the story of his exit from NPR and the launch of his new radio ventures on the XM Satellite Radio network. Throughout the book, his sharp observations about the people he interviewed and covered and the colleagues with whom he worked offer a window on forty years of American news and on the evolution of public journalism. A Voice in the Box is an insider's account of the world of American media and a fascinating, personal narrative from one of the most iconic personalities in radio history. |
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Voice of Destiny $9.99 The greatest opera star of her time, but fame and fortune cannot make up for the loss of love... Lucia Visconti was born Lucy Fisher in the Australian mallee country in 1923. Her father is an Australian WWI veteran who married her mother, Helena, in Italy during the war. Lucy, they discover, has an exceptional singing voice. In 1936, Helena leaves her husband and takes Lucy to Italy with her. It is easy enough for her to become Lucia Visconti, for she has always spoken Italian. She is taught by a famous opera singer and Helena, ambitious for Lucia, uses her contacts in the Fascist Party to have Lucia audition for the Conservatorium. In 1943, the commander of the occupying German troops orders a performance of 'La Traviata' and Lucia goes on stage when the leading lady is taken ill... As Lucia gradually becomes the world's foremost dramatic soprano, her personal life is plagued by disaster. She cannot forgive her mother for ruining her childhood, nor can she escape accusations that she was a Nazi collaborator. All of her love affairs seem doomed - will she ever discover what true love really means? |
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Voice of Matthew $24.65 The Voice of Matthew is a unique retelling of the life of Jesus from the perspective of a Jewish believer who wants to connect the past with the future. The writer of this retelling is Lauren Winner, a young Jewish woman who has become a follower of Jesus. She is an extremely talented writer and a lecturer at Duke Divinity School that brings an intellectual edge to the biblical story. At the heart of this retelling is an accurate rendering of the traditional Bible text with historical and cultural expansions of the story that are placed in italic type to help the reader differentiate the expansions from the Bible text. Throughout the book the writer adds significant statements as ancillary asides. These ancillary statements are separated from the biblical text as ruled text. They include further development of the narrative setting, connective statements to explain the story, or development of character or background information. Because Lauren has written all of the material, the elaborations in the text and the ancillary statements are in the same style and tone as the biblical text and make for a thoroughly stimulating read. While Lauren`s writing style is very conversational, her scholarship is of the highest quality. An extremely accurate rendering of the biblical text is the foundation for this provocative and enlightening retelling of Matthew`s Gospel. The reader will feel as if he is having a personal discussion with Matthew. A unique formatting of the narrative text of the Scriptures is being used in all of the Gospel products in The Voice. It is readily apparent who the speaker is in dialogue without the interruptions to the story found in most versions of the Bible, the narrative element of the text is clear, and the ancillary material is easily distinguished from the Bible. The story reads like a novel with fascinating bonus gems provided to make this one of the most satisfying Bible reading experiences ever.The biblical scho |
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Voice of Matthew $16.57 The Voice of Matthew is a unique retelling of the life of Jesus from the perspective of a Jewish believer who wants to connect the past with the future. The writer of this retelling is Lauren Winner, a young Jewish woman who has become a follower of Jesus. She is an extremely talented writer and a lecturer at Duke Divinity School that brings an intellectual edge to the biblical story. At the heart of this retelling is an accurate rendering of the traditional Bible text with historical and cultural expansions of the story that are placed in italic type to help the reader differentiate the expansions from the Bible text. Throughout the book the writer adds significant statements as ancillary asides. These ancillary statements are separated from the biblical text as ruled text. They include further development of the narrative setting, connective statements to explain the story, or development of character or background information. Because Lauren has written all of the material, the elaborations in the text and the ancillary statements are in the same style and tone as the biblical text and make for a thoroughly stimulating read. While Lauren`s writing style is very conversational, her scholarship is of the highest quality. An extremely accurate rendering of the biblical text is the foundation for this provocative and enlightening retelling of Matthew`s Gospel. The reader will feel as if he is having a personal discussion with Matthew. A unique formatting of the narrative text of the Scriptures is being used in all of the Gospel products in The Voice. It is readily apparent who the speaker is in dialogue without the interruptions to the story found in most versions of the Bible, the narrative element of the text is clear, and the ancillary material is easily distinguished from the Bible. The story reads like a novel with fascinating bonus gems provided to make this one of the most satisfying Bible reading experiences ever.The biblical scho |
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Personal Effects $26.5 In Personal Effects, Holdstein and Bleich compile a volume that cuts across the grain of current orthodoxy. These editors and contributors argue that it is fundamental in humanistic scholarship to take account of the personal and collective experiences of scholars, researchers, critics, and teachers.  With this volume, then, these scholars move us to explore the intersections of the social with subjectivity, with voice, ideology, and culture, and to consider the roles of these in the work of academics who study writing and literature. Taken together, the essays in this collection carry forward the idea that the personal, the candidly subjective and intersubjective, must be part of the subject of study in humanities scholarship. They propose an understanding of the personal in scholarship that is more helpful because more clearly anchored in human experience. |
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Hearing God's Voice $13.43 Outlines for readers ways to hear and comprehend the voice of God, explaining how to listen and respond in obedience while considering God's unique and personal methods for communicating in ways that are consistent with biblical teachings. |
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Collector's Choice, Collector's Voice $9.67 In Collector's Choice, Collector's Voice, collectors who are members of a group associated with the Asian Art Museum explain in their own words what led them to select favorite works for their personal collections. The result is a fascinating picture of t |
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