A couple of new companies (e.g. Simulscribe, SpinVox, Callwave) is developing software that converts voice mails into text messages or e-mails.
At first glance this development may sound consequential but on closer inspection an interessting trend reversal is appearing. Some years ago mobile network operators offered services that did the complete opposite: a “VoiceButler” read the e-mails in your inbox to you. But times have been changing and in the meantime reading dozens of e-mails a day has become common. Therefore the desire for “the graphical representation of language” seems comprehensible.
Two questions are emerging in this context:
- Was this evolution predictable?
To my mind it definitly was. You just have to compare the sales figures of traditional books and audiobooks. - Is this evolution reasonable?
Again I would answer yes because there is a general trend to channel incoming information into one single inbox to keep an overview. And this inbox should contain written messages so that you are able to controll the speed of handling. Furthermore it is also advantageous for archiving and searching.
The following NY Times video demonstrates the benefits of voice-recognition technology with a sense of humor:
[youtube IE1pBV376Xc nolink]
