14 DAY TRIAL // The evolution to Windows 8 will undoubtedly be synonymous with advances in terms of Natural User Interfaces (NUI) for the platform. And the fact of the matter is that there already is more to Windows NUI than users can “touch” although, in all fairness, Microsoft’s focus has been placed with predilection on a single aspect of natural user interaction models, as far as Windows 7 is concerned. But make no mistake about it, multi-touch is just one detail of Windows NUI, with the operating system already offering support for speech recognition.
“2010 is the year speech hits the mainstream. Speech is changing the way we interact with technology in our homes, in our cars, on our mobile devices and on our PCs,” said Zig Serafin, general manager of Microsoft Tellme during the SpeechTEK 2010 industry conference in New York City. “We are honored to be recognized as leaders in speech technology and will continue our efforts to make speech a natural part of everyday interaction with technology.”
It is important to underline that Serafin was in no way talking about Windows 8, or the Windows client for that matter. At SpeechTEK 2010, Microsoft announced new partnerships built on the acquisition of speech-recognition vendor TellMe in 2007 for $1 billion, and demonstrated upcoming speech innovations. The software giant brought connected devices to center-stage, from mobile phones to automobiles, and to gaming offerings, all benefiting from NUI via speech, touch and gestures.
“Microsoft continues to make significant investments in NUI, and in the next 12 months will be delivering products and technologies that will fundamentally change, for the better, how users will expect to interact with their TVs, mobile devices, and cars,” the company revealed. Again there’s no mention of the Windows client, as Microsoft demoed the new Kia UVO multimedia and infotainment system based on Windows Embedded Automotive software platform and Microsoft Tellme Speech technologies; Windows Phone 7 and Kinect for Xbox 360.
Back when it was preparing to launch Windows Vista, Microsoft did a demo of the speech recognition capabilities for the operating system, and a video of the demonstration went viral, albeit for all the wrong reasons. With the advent of Windows 7, the Redmond company emphasized the new multi-touch capabilities of the platform, and pushed speech to the background.
Maybe it’s time for speech to make a comeback in Windows 8, beyond multi-touch. And maybe it’s also time for Microsoft to start exploring additional interaction models for future Windows 8 computers, perhaps based on the technology behind Kinect for Xbox 360. How about a Kinect-like control system for next generation intelligent TVs via Windows Media Center?
“Microsoft is creating rich, immersive and seamless experiences across devices, delivered from the cloud. Speech will become the tool we use to unlock the power of devices as their connectivity and capabilities accelerate,” Serafin added.
“Just as important as the NUI is the fundamental shift in the architecture of speech, a shift that is accelerating the rate of learning and innovation. Microsoft Tellme has embraced a cloud-based architecture for speech. This architecture takes the billions of speech interactions running on the Microsoft Tellme speech cloud and uses them to improve the underlying recognition engine and improve the understanding of a user’s intent,” the Redmond company added.
According to Serafin, customers will perfect their preferences for NUI systems in the future, and will want the interaction models to become pervasive across TVs, cars, mobile devices, business applications. Then why not Windows PCs? Why shouldn’t users be able to open Photo Gallery with a voice command, then send the pictures to their TV and flick through them with hand gestures picked up by their webcam, while sitting comfortably on the couch?
And of course, Windows 8 machines could be miles away from traditional PCs. How about a Microsoft Surface unit powered by the successor of Windows 7 replacing traditional coffee tables, featuring multi-touch and gesture and object recognition but also complete with speech recognition capabilities, and an evolved Kinect control system?
Windows 7 RTM Enterprise 90-Day Evaluation is available for download here.
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