Apple pips its rivals with the iPod that talks
      RICHARD GRAY
rgray@scotlandonsunday.com)
http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=999772006
FROM Walkman to Talkman. Not content with changing the world's
      music-listening habits, Apple has come up with another innovation:
the talking iPod.
      A new generation of machines will use sophisticated software to
      convert the names of bands, albums and individual tracks into
recognisable speech.
      The new iPod will tell you what it is about to play, removing the
need For users to look at the screen while selecting music, and making the
Device safer and easier to use while driving, cycling or in badly-lit
locations.
          Crucially, the talking machines could give the iPod a badly-needed
new competitive edge in the hotly-contested digital music player market.
The iconic machines were last week reported to have lost some of
      their sheen, with consumers following a series of technical problems
and controversy surrounding the working conditions of those who make them.
To make matters  worse, software giant Microsoft is said to be working on
its own  iPod-bashing digital music player.
Apple has flatly refused to comment on the design, but a patent
      lodged By the company in the United States makes clear the sixth
generation  of iPods will be able to convert those famous text menus into
speech.
The ingenious system will rely on home PC processing power and
      clever software. The computer being used to download tracks will
analyze each Album title, song name and artist and convert them into sound
files. These will  be loaded into the iPod, along with the song files.
Users of the music players will still operate the Clickwheel as
      normal, but hear the names of songs and bands through their
headphones.
The patent reveals the idea is driven largely by safety
      considerations.
It states: "A user will have difficulty navigating the interface
      in 'eyes-busy' situations.
"Such activities include, for example, driving an automobile,
      exercising and crossing the street."
The patent also makes clear that text-to-speech technology is
      likely to spread to other hand-held electronic devices such as mobile
phones and palm-top computers.
The move is expected to spark a new digital player war as
      competing manufacturers attempt to cram more and more features into
their Digital music playersIn a bid to keep up.
  iPods have recently begun losing favour with consumers, amid
      claims of Poor working conditions at a Chinese factory where the
devices are made.
Microsoft is reported to be planning a digital music player with wireless
internet capabilities, removing the need for a PC to download music.
The firm is believed to be keen to break Apple's stranglehold on
      the download market with its iTunes software.
The iPod and iTunes enjoy market share of about 80% in the US and
      the UK, as well as more than half the online music market in Europe as
a whole.
Sony is also believed to be working on a wireless product that can
      download music and video broadcasts in venues such as concert halls
and  even shops. The firm filed a patent in 2004 which states that
compressed files  could be sent to concert-goers with footage from the
concert they had just seen.
Converting text into speech has been a major goal of the computer
      industry for decades, but early versions of the technology struggled
with difficult words and names.
It also requires formidable computer processing power to carry out
      the difficult conversion.
But Apple says its system will break down words in a new way that
      makes it possible to pronounce perfectly even the most obscure song
titles  and artist names.
It also proposes using "voice talent" - such as famous actors - to make the
speech more human and add in the celebrity factor.
The patent also proposes using different voice "characteristics",
      such as gender, for different sections of the iPod menus.
Professor Steve Renals, a speech technology expert at Edinburgh
      University, said: "It is possible to create very high quality
text-to-voices  these days.
"We have seen some already used in mobile phones, but it has
      struggled
In the past with difficult words and names. The technology is much
      better now and can cope with most things."
Safety experts have raised concerns over cyclists, pedestrians and motorists
being involved in accidents when they are distracted by their  digital music
devices.
Last month, a teenager from Preston was killed while listening to
      his iPod on his bike when he collided with a tractor. Another teenager,
Kathryn Thomas, caused a fatal road accident last year when she took her
eyes off  the road to show a friend how to use her iPod. Roger Vincent,
spokesman for  the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "If people don't
      need To Take their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel then
there are  clear benefits to that.
"Provided there is a sensible approach and the technology is used
      in a way that it is intended, it could make using such devices far
safer.
"There are concerns, though, about the isolation from surroundings that
wearing earphones creates, and this can cause serious accidents,
particularly among cyclists."