This chapter is about speech technologies and related APIs: VoiceXML, SALT, Java Speech API, and MS Speech SDK. It looks into unified scenarios with audio/video interface (AVI) definitions, considers design and code examples, and introduces important skills for a new world of wired and wireless speech applications.

WHAT IS A NATURAL USER INTERFACE?

Is a natural user interface (NUI) another set of tags and rules covered by a nice name? Absolutely not!

This time, end users—not a standards committee—make the determination on what they prefer for their methods of interaction. An NUI allows end users to give their preferences at the time of the service request, and to change them flexibly.

Are you a “computer” person?

My guess is that you are, because you are reading this book. “Computer literate” folks like you and me enjoy exploring the capacities of computer programs via traditional interfaces. Even so, there are times, such as when we are on vacation, on the go, and in the car, when we prefer “hands-free” conversation rather than using keyboards to access computerized services.

One person prefers handwriting, and someone else is comfortable with typing. One would like to forget keywords and use commonsense terminology instead. Can a computer understand that “find” is the same as “search,” and “Bob” is actually “Robert”? Can it understand that someone has chosen a foreign (non-English) language to interact with it?