TuVox Voice Interface

pablos writes: "NYTimes has an article about Tuvox who set up Handspring and Activision with voice interfaces for tech support. Apparently they can do away with the annoying 'press # now' menus. I've used things like TellMe, which played an ad everytime it didn't understand you, but I'm wondering if this sort of thing is starting to work anywhere. Anybody called Handspring for tech support lately?"

Comments

First ever slashdotting of a phone number?

[Chuck Chunder]

I wonder....

SJ's system

[Mike Connell]

The train company in Sweden has one of these systems. It's always amusing listening to my other half battle with it when she wants to buy a ticket:

OtherHalf (in very clear voice): Stockholm
Computer : click, click,... Kiruna!
OtherHalf : Stockholm!
Computer : click, click,... Moscow!
OtherHalf : Stockholm!
Computer : click, click,... Alpha Centauri!
etc...

To be fair, it does eventually work, it just takes a while. It probably also takes less total time than the alternative (short conversation with a human, but a long wait to get to talk to them).

The best thing about them was a recent radio program. They had done some reseach to find out what words sound (to the system) like destinations. During the show they'd phone SJ up and say things like "I want to go to FsckingBastardVille", to which the computer would reply "Northern or central Stockholm?" and other such amusements.

Hours of fun :-)