Text to Speech Reads PDF and RSS
A Brief History of Synthesized Voice Options for Mac OSX
Computerized speech now allows for the reading of PDF documents, RSS feeds and emails via Apple's OSX operating systems.
Speech to text options on Apple's operating systems OSX have always been of limited use to many computer users, often serving as a novelty rather than an essential part of any work project. The voice options for Tiger, though satisfactory were clearly limited in their appeal due to their over-digitalized sound and their lack of realistic accents and word pronunciation.
Certain voices provided by Apple seemed better than others: the voice of Viki was always the preferred option whilst most others were barely distinguishable from that of a Dalek.
Cepstral and Voices with Accents
Cepstral, a company that synthetically produced realistic voices, exploited this Apple deficiency by providing a greater range of voices that could be used across the operating system for a whole assortment of tasks. One of Cepstral's voices, known as Millie, even provided an English accent in an otherwise North American-dominated field.
With Cepstral, users began to employ voice technology in basic tasks such as having the computer read the time at specified intervals, or giving verbal notification when an email arrived. But the technology allowed for more imaginative uses such as the ability for the computer to read aloud an email or a complete web article. This meant real benefits because it reduced the eye strain associated with spending long periods of time staring at a back-lit screen.
However, despite these advances in speech technology, the user still had to sit at the computer to read or listen to emails and documents, giving it a rather limited appeal. This all changed with the arrival of the MP3 player.
MP3 Players and Ghostreader
As the digitalisation technology improved and hard drive space permitted larger storing facilities, text to speech suddenly came of age and companies started to produce programs like the excellent GhostReader, by Convenience Ware, an advanced text to speech program that not only provided more realistic voices, but voices in different languages other than English. GhostReader also built in a very simple interface that enabled quick text analysis and speech conversion, and then, transferred the file into i-Tunes as a AAC or MP3 file for syncing with an MP3 player.
This small but radical step forward meant that RSS feeds, emails, documents, web pages and even PDF's could be quickly converted into speech files and then sent to a small MP3 player. At last the Mac OSX user was liberated from the desktop by not just being able to take work away on a portable device, but to have that work converted from text to speech.
Language Learning
The addition of other languages also opened up the market for language learners to utilise text to speech tools as part of their language learning methods. By transferring texts in foreign languages to a mobile music player, it was possible to listen back to the written word and slowly learn the pronunciation of phrases.
No longer were language students limited to just reading about subjects that others chose, now it was possible to listen to any text on any subject. Even texts written by a language student could be converted and listened to as though read by a native speaker. For students preparing for an oral presentation in another language, this tool would prove revolutionary.
Today, Apple´s new operating system Leopard has introduced new and better voices for the Mac, but many users are still working with Tiger and its limited text to voice capabilities. However, with an MP3 player and a program such as Cepstral or GhostReader, it is now possible to really listen to all those documents, RSS feeds and PDF's that have been gathering digital dust in that forgotten folder of the computer.
