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Full-Text Audio Search
Captain Chad writes "The latest print edition (12/16/2002) of InfoWorld has an interesting article about an audio search program by Fast-Talk Communications. (The article is not yet available on the InfoWorld web site, but the Fast-Talk site has some good info, including a downloadable trial version.) The product works by breaking the audio stream into phonemes, which are the 'basic units of sound in a language.' The search is then performed for a specific sequence of phonemes. This method is faster and far superior to traditional audio searches which convert to text and then perform a normal text search. The author of the Infoworld article, Jon Udell, tried a variety of searches that were surpisingly successful. If this technology is as good as he claims, there is a reasonable chance it will revolutionize the way we store data. Maybe there will even be an 'Audio' tab on Google." Here's the Infoworld article.
Agent Red, a fellow MAC user, said that this "vaguely insulted" him, although he "couldn't put his finger on why."
To explain why he feels so uneasy, and indeed to unveil the true plight of MAC users everywhere, I have taken it upon myself to draw the parallels between MAC users and the H.O.M.O.'s of the world:
Well, think about it:
They're ten percent of the population.
The object of their desire comes in rainbow colors.
They are constantly vocal about their preferences for fear of being snowed under by the rest of society.
When people try to get them to switch, they scream and yell about how it's the right thing for them and ask them to "try it just once and see if they like it."
Most of them have been this way for years; it's not a decision they just made overnight.
Although their functions are criticized, the moral majority STILL agree that they are tastefully designed, have an innate sense of colour, and are always on the leading edge of style and fashion.
Too, they are often emulated by the majority with thinly-veiled knockoffs of their style.
And, no matter how we are begged and pleaded, no matter how they may tear their families apart with the shame and stigma of their choice (and some still say it was never a choice!), still they'll never change them.
Finally, their biggest and most visible supporters are in San Francisco.
It's official: Apparently, all Macintosh users are honorary homosexuals.
FAGGOTS !
More info at http://www.gmug.org/