Opera Promises Voice-Operated Web Browser

Opera Promises Voice-Operated Web Browser 352

Posted by michael on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:24PM from the got-porn? dept.

unassimilatible writes "Opera's latest browser talks and listens, according to AP. The new browser incorporates IBM's ViaVoice technology, enabling the computer to ask what the user wants and "listen" to the request. "Hi. I am your browser. What can I do for you?" asked a laptop with the demonstration versions of the browser. The message can be personalized, such as greeting users by name. The computer learns to recognize users' voices, accents and inflections by having them read a list of words into a microphone. Opera plans to first launch an English version of the voice browser for computers running the Windows operating system. Versions for other systems, including handhelds, will follow. Opera's press release has more details, including Opera's hopes that people will adopt this technology for presentations - and to replace PowerPoint."

Opera Promises Voice-Operated Web Browser

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i can hear see it now (Score:5, Funny)

by rabbot ( 740825 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:24PM (#8649159)

"Computer...Take me to the pr0n!!"

But I don't wanna talk to my computer (Score:4, Funny)

by Control-Z ( 321144 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:25PM (#8649169)

What could I possibly have to say to my browser?

Voice activated (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:25PM (#8649171)

Great.
Now the jerk in the cubicle next to me will talk both with himself, "the fairies" and his browser.

Slash dot (Score:5, Funny)

by moberry ( 756963 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:26PM (#8649177)

*speak it* h t t p : / / slash dot . org

Hard to manage tech (Score:5, Funny)

by grub ( 11606 ) writes: <slashdot@grub.net> on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:27PM (#8649194) Homepage Journal

Voice input and output.. that'll make it a lot harder to discreetly search for pr0n whilst at work.

Computer: "Hi. I am your browser. What can I do for you?"

User: [whispering]Find me "porn"...

Computer: "The band KoRn was formed in 1993 by Jonathan Davis and..."

User: NO! [whispering] Not "KoRn"; "porn".

Computer: "Clogged pores are the major cause of adolescent acne. Starting at puber..."

User: NOT "PORE", DAMMIT!!! [coughs, lowers voice] find me "porn"..

Computer: "Iron Ore is the primary ingredient in steel. Metalurgists will add other elements and compounds to give the steel certain proper..."

User: NOT "ORE", YOU PIECE OF SHIT! [office mates look over cubes] [whispers] Look.. I want to look at naked people..

Computer: "The goatse.cx lawyer has informed us that we need a warning! So.. if you are under the age of 18 or find this photograph offensive, please don't look at it. Thank you!"

The catch... (Score:5, Funny)

by ackthpt ( 218170 ) * writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:27PM (#8649199) Homepage Journal

As it's Opera, you have to sing to it.
"Is this the real life, is this just fantasy..."

Re:Slash dot (Score:5, Funny)

by baryon351 ( 626717 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:28PM (#8649210)

Opera responds with...

"Cannot connect to http:///..org"

Will there be a Majel Barret plug-in? (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:29PM (#8649219)

You know damn well this is the first obvious add-on.

http:///..org (Score:5, Funny)

by modder ( 722270 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:29PM (#8649230)

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't load that.

Let's push the sedimentary lifestyle more.. (Score:3, Funny)

by AgtSmith ( 738147 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:29PM (#8649232) Homepage

Well for some of us the major work out a day is mouse gestures and keyboard pecks. I guess now I'll have to actually get up to burn off that Big Mac with extra value fries.

Re:Slash dot (Score:5, Funny)

by WormholeFiend ( 674934 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:30PM (#8649235)

heytch tee tee pee colon slash slash dot dot org

wow. sounds almost obscene.

And then the browser said: (Score:4, Funny)

by physicsboy500 ( 645835 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:30PM (#8649242)

" I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that"

Re:Slash dot (Score:2, Funny)

by tjmsquared ( 702422 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:31PM (#8649260)

You mean: h-t-t-p colon slash slash slash dot dot org
It will sound like you are stuttering.

Gimmicky blah blah (Score:4, Funny)

by stratjakt ( 596332 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:31PM (#8649265) Journal

How complicated can you make a browser?

I mean, tabbed browsing is cool, I've gotten used to it. But stuff like mouse gestures, voice recognition, etc, all just seems like fluff.

One could have mapped spoken keywords to mouse/keyboard actions already if this is what they wanted.

It's a hard arena to innovate in. This just seems kind of silly.

What's next, support for force feedback chairs that scroll the browser based on which ass cheek I'm clenching?

Re:Let's push the sedimentary lifestyle more.. (Score:2, Funny)

by HellKnite ( 266374 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:32PM (#8649267)

I do believe you meant SEDENTARY. Unless you're some form of mineral/rock, I don't believe you're living a sedimentary lifestyle.

Re:Slash dot (Score:2, Funny)

by Jhon ( 241832 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:32PM (#8649274) Homepage Journal

God... am I going to need to say "colon" every time I want to browse? A contant reminder that I've a scheduled colonoscopy in the near future? Ug!

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:3, Funny)

by freshman_a ( 136603 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:34PM (#8649288) Homepage Journal

actually, since the first version is for windows, i was thinking more of hearing "Where do you want to go today?" when you start it up...

speech recongnition... (Score:5, Funny)

by wwest4 ( 183559 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:34PM (#8649289)

...it's all well and good. but can the speech recongnition module parsebork? [opera.com] if so, it will be the ultimate presentation tool:

"Now gentlemen, pleese-a turn your ettenteeon to-a sleede-a twelve-a. bork!bork!bork!"

the Prez is gonna love this... (Score:5, Funny)

by WormholeFiend ( 674934 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:36PM (#8649312)

"Dubya Dubya Dubya period white house period gov" ;-)
(note to dems, i'm not a troll, i'm canadian)
-

In Oslo, Norway (Score:3, Funny)

by Snork Asaurus ( 595692 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:39PM (#8649356) Journal

browser plugin listens to you.

I'm sorry, but I had to do it just once.

Re: Thermonuclear War (Score:3, Funny)

by OC_Wanderer ( 729511 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:42PM (#8649385)

Computer: Would you like to play a game?

User: I want to play thermonuclear war.

Computer: Wouldn't you rather play a nice game of chess?

User: No goddammit, I want to nuke, not puke!

Re:Homophones... (Score:5, Funny)

by DavidpFitz ( 136265 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:42PM (#8649390) Homepage Journal

There are many words in the English language that have homophones

Absolutely - using Dragon Dictate I once asked my browser to go to hotmail.com... I ended up at hotmale.com and that phrase has now become my test for dictation software!!

Re:The catch... (Score:4, Funny)

by Cyclopedian ( 163375 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:43PM (#8649400) Journal

Caught in a landslide,
no escape from reality. (Ms Windows)

Open your eyes,
look up to the skies and see.... (Mozilla)

I'm just a fool boy,
I don't need sympathy (Linux user)

Cause I'm easy come, easy go
Little high, little low (Mac OSX User)

Any way the wind blows,
doesn't really matter to me... (Windows BSOD)

Now I've got this song stuck in my head. =)
-Cyc

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:5, Funny)

by saforrest ( 184929 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:43PM (#8649405) Journal

"Computer...Take me to the pr0n!!"

And, since pr0n is not an English word, you'll get this [google.ca].

oh god i hope it reconizes hotmail.com and not (Score:2, Funny)

by cyrax777 ( 633996 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:45PM (#8649418) Homepage

I hope it nows its hotmail.com and not some gay porn site.

Re:Voice activated (Score:5, Funny)

by taernim ( 557097 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:45PM (#8649421) Homepage

Well, if Bob can listen to his radio, then I should be able to talk to my browser at a reasonable volume...

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:5, Funny)

by jeffkjo1 ( 663413 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:47PM (#8649453) Homepage

I've seen Star Trek IV one too many times recently. All I can picture is Scotty holding up the mouse to an apple II and asking for pr0n. I feel so wrong.

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:50PM (#8649487)

Two birds, one stone [prawnography.net]

Re:Word Processing is clunky, will this be better? (Score:2, Funny)

by bitflip ( 49188 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:51PM (#8649499)

Voice is the most natural and effective way we communicate...

Psht. And wrong, too. The most natural and effective way we communicate is through body language.

Give me a ring when they invent a web browser that scrolls down when it sees my eyes get to a certain part of the page, or clicks "back" when it sees my jaw slack in boredom.

Or, better yet, automatically browses to another, non-porn, page while the girlfriend/boss is still walking down the hall...

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:2, Funny)

by sempf ( 214908 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:58PM (#8649579) Homepage Journal

Bah! I wrote a voice operated BBS in Assembler for the Apple IIe in 1985!

Re:Gimmicky blah blah (Score:2, Funny)

by Lattitude ( 123015 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @05:59PM (#8649592)

Well, strtjakt, say you were in a straight jacket...

Re:Homophones... (Score:3, Funny)

by mopslik ( 688435 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @06:00PM (#8649606)

There are many words in the English language that have homophones.

Eye for won due knot sea awl aught of miss takes re: salting from hoe mow phones. Inn fact, eye am you sing the pro gram write now.

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:3, Funny)

by sik0fewl ( 561285 ) writes: <xxdigitalhellxxNO@SPAMhotmail.com> on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @06:05PM (#8649642) Homepage

Hmm.. hands free surfing for pr0n. Imagine the possibilities.

Re:voice operated? (Score:4, Funny)

by Unoti ( 731964 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @06:06PM (#8649657) Journal

I'm with goosebane on this-- I have yet to see voice software that are truly helpful rather than just gimmicky.
I have had some success with "hardware", though. The other night I called home and asked my daughter to tell me the address of a shopping mall I was looking for. She googled it, clicked around, and a few seconds I had the address. That's the kind of thing I wish voice recognition apps could do!

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:5, Funny)

by Spetiam ( 671180 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @06:06PM (#8649661) Journal

page loads automated audio file

browser: "close all other tabs"
user: "what the hell!"

Re:Voice activated (Score:3, Funny)

by Seraphim_72 ( 622457 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @06:38PM (#8649993)

....Step into his cube...
hey bob, HOT GRITS...hows that spreadsheet comming? I got some time off coming going to head down to my brothers GOAT farm in middleSEX, could you water the plant in my cube? thanks you're the BREAST.
You know, now that I think about this - I am going to love it.

Re:a few things to say... (Score:2, Funny)

by Brummund ( 447393 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @06:42PM (#8650028)

Imagine, during a presentation, being able to yell "If you look at the sales figures damn Sales Figures *hark* S A L E S F I G U R E S GODDAMNIT GIVE ME A SLIDE YOU SORRY REASON FOR A BROWSER for the year..." ... :-)

Re:Let's push the sedimentary lifestyle more.. (Score:4, Funny)

by peacefinder ( 469349 ) writes: <(moc.liamg) (ta) (ttiwed.nala)> on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @06:43PM (#8650037) Journal

I do believe you meant SEDENTARY. Unless you're some form of mineral/rock, I don't believe you're living a sedimentary lifestyle.

Depends. How long has he been sitting there?

As seen in Futurama! (Score:3, Funny)

by HedonismBot ( 742920 ) writes: <guiller@[ ]il.com ['gma' in gap]> on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @06:59PM (#8650224)

Farnsworth: "Shut up friends! My internet browser heard us saying the word Fry and it found a movie about Philip J. Fry for us. It also opened my calendar to Friday and ordered me some french fries."

3ACV04 - Luck of the fryish

security risk (Score:4, Funny)

by linoleo ( 718385 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @07:04PM (#8650303) Journal

I remember back when the Mac first got voice-activated menus (over 10 years ago), our secretary liked them... so whenever we were passing by her office, we'd stick our head in and say "select - all files - move - trash - yes" (or whatever the magic sequence was) by way of greeting. :-)

Presentations? (Score:5, Funny)

by El ( 94934 ) writes: on Tuesday March 23, 2004 @07:10PM (#8650378)

Are you sure it's a good idea to have presentation software that actually responds to comments shouted out by hecklers in the audience?

There may be more comments in this discussion. Without JavaScript enabled, you might want to turn on Classic Discussion System in your preferences instead.

i can hear see it now (Score:5, Funny)

But I don't wanna talk to my computer (Score:4, Funny)

Voice activated (Score:5, Funny)

Slash dot (Score:5, Funny)

Hard to manage tech (Score:5, Funny)

The catch... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Slash dot (Score:5, Funny)

Will there be a Majel Barret plug-in? (Score:2, Funny)

http:///..org (Score:5, Funny)

Let's push the sedimentary lifestyle more.. (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Slash dot (Score:5, Funny)

And then the browser said: (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Slash dot (Score:2, Funny)

Gimmicky blah blah (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Let's push the sedimentary lifestyle more.. (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Slash dot (Score:2, Funny)

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:3, Funny)

speech recongnition... (Score:5, Funny)

the Prez is gonna love this... (Score:5, Funny)

In Oslo, Norway (Score:3, Funny)

Re: Thermonuclear War (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Homophones... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:The catch... (Score:4, Funny)

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:5, Funny)

oh god i hope it reconizes hotmail.com and not (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Voice activated (Score:5, Funny)

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:5, Funny)

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Word Processing is clunky, will this be better? (Score:2, Funny)

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Gimmicky blah blah (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Homophones... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:3, Funny)

Re:voice operated? (Score:4, Funny)

Re:i can hear see it now (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Voice activated (Score:3, Funny)

Re:a few things to say... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Let's push the sedimentary lifestyle more.. (Score:4, Funny)

As seen in Futurama! (Score:3, Funny)

security risk (Score:4, Funny)

Presentations? (Score:5, Funny)

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