Voice recognition technology, which converts speech into text, is a hot topic in the technology world at the moment. This has been largely because of the introduction of Siri, the automated personal assistant in the iPhone 4S. Google also has its own voice recognition software integrated into the Android mobile operating system. Engineers in both companies are working towards improving the technology as app developers the world over rush to take advantage of it.
One such app, Closed Capp, allows you to say short statements such as ‘Grandma, would you like some coffee?’ The voice recognition software converts this into text which is displayed on your Android device to your Grandma who may be losing her hearing. Closed Capp only allows you to speak for 5–10 seconds before it has to process your message, so you will need to talk using the app sentence by sentence.
Although voice recognition technology has improved in recent years, the accuracy of the text is still dependent on a number of factors, including how clearly a person speaks, if that person has an accent and how good the algorithm behind the voice recognition software really is.
At 99c, Closed Capp is cheap enough for you to give it a go. Although you might find that a pen and paper works just as well.
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