You can even click on the “Listen” feature to hear the translated words spoken back to you.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Google Chrome Adds Speech-to-Text
Version 11 of Chrome now includes speech input and speech to text capabilities. Using Chrome, you can now translate what you say into other languages with Google Translate. If you’re translating from English, just click on the microphone on the bottom right of the input box, speak your text, and choose the language you want to translate to.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Motorola promises more Atrix-like Smart Phone Docks
Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha says "you will see multiple devices from us in the second half launching with these capabilities, and we will expand the range of our Lapdock devices so we cover a broader price point, addressing both the enterprise premium tier as well as more consumer tiers."
Some observers say they were disappointed by the Atrix, but lots of concepts do not fair so well in their first incarnation. Consider the tablet device itself, something suppliers have experimented with for more than a decade, and which conceptually has been thought about for several decades.
Not all users will necessarily be intrigued by future implementations, simply because a tablet with a touch interface is what works for them. There is another group of users that requires fuller PC style features in a device, typically because the work tasks to be accomplishments require more horsepower and a wider range of interface options.
And not all the initial issues were Motorola's doing. See http://www.bgr.com/2011/04/29/att-issues-update-for-motorola-atrix-4g-hsupa-restrictor-plate-removed/.
And not all the initial issues were Motorola's doing. See http://www.bgr.com/2011/04/29/att-issues-update-for-motorola-atrix-4g-hsupa-restrictor-plate-removed/.
The potential for a docking system of this sort will appeal to some portion of those users who need a keyboard interface when traveling or otherwise away from a desk.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Video on Demand Consumption Grows, So Does Rest of "On Demand"
Video-on-demand services offered by cable, satellite and telco TV providers have been a modest success so far. In fact, one might well make the argument that digital video recorders represent the biggest innovation in "on demand" viewing in recent years, though some also would note even that viewing is relatively low, compared to total viewing.
According to the Leichtman Research Group, DVR penetration rates have reached 54 percent for consumers with households exceeding $75,000 while those with incomes below $30,000 only have a 16 percent penetration rate. See http://www.marketingforecast.com/archives/6941.
Still, there was a 35 percent increase in VOD transactions in 2010, compared to 2009, according to Rentrak OnDemand Essentials, an audience measurement company.
According to the Leichtman Research Group, DVR penetration rates have reached 54 percent for consumers with households exceeding $75,000 while those with incomes below $30,000 only have a 16 percent penetration rate. See http://www.marketingforecast.com/archives/6941.
Last year, a Nielsen survey revealed that over 30 percent of consumers owned DVRs, but a more recent survey conducted by Comcast says that up to 60 percent of households may be time-shifting their TV viewing.
According to Leichtman analysts, live programming still represents about 80 percent of total viewing. But DVR now represents about 41 percent of that activity.
Online is 17 percent of total TV consumption while other forms of video on demand represent 16 percent of viewing.
According to Leichtman analysts, live programming still represents about 80 percent of total viewing. But DVR now represents about 41 percent of that activity.
Online is 17 percent of total TV consumption while other forms of video on demand represent 16 percent of viewing.
But estimates vary. Overall, consumers watch an average of 158.25 minutes of TV per day, according to Nielsen. And they spend just 9:36 minutes watching time shifted TV daily, a 14 percent increase from last year, but still a small amount, according to Nielsen.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
AT&T's Broadband Caps Start Now
AT&T's new broadband data caps take effect April 2, 2011, affecting more than 16 million U.S. broadband users. The new limits include 150 Gigabytes of consumption each month for DSL subscribers and 250 GBytes for UVerse users.
The typical Comcast residential broadband user consumes 2 Gbytes to 4 GBytes of bandwidth per month, Comcast's own studies have shown. See http://ipcarrier.blogspot.com/2010/12/typical-comcast-user-consumes-2-gbytes.html.
The typical Comcast residential broadband user consumes 2 Gbytes to 4 GBytes of bandwidth per month, Comcast's own studies have shown. See http://ipcarrier.blogspot.com/2010/12/typical-comcast-user-consumes-2-gbytes.html.
So the reason ISPs are worried about the impact of increased online video consumption is that the current level of usage is roughly equivalent to two or three or iTunes-sized movies per month. But everyone expects video consumption to keep growing.
A widespread shift to significant movie viewing online would disrupt usage patterns fairly quickly. But is probably fair to note that a typical consumer is two orders of magnitude (about 100 times) away from having to worry about the current caps.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Google, Apple Location Data Benefits Consumers
Google and Apple are facing, and will face more scrutiny, about the protections built into collection of Wi-Fi hostspot location data. A legitimate case can be made about potential abuses, but consumers will benefit directly if anonymous data can be used to enhance GPS and cell site mapping data.
"Information about the location of WiFi networks improves the accuracy of the location-based services, such as Google Maps or driving directions, that Google provides to consumers," Google explained last year in a letter to U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles.
"Information about the location of WiFi networks improves the accuracy of the location-based services, such as Google Maps or driving directions, that Google provides to consumers," Google explained last year in a letter to U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles.
"Because GPS and cell tower data can be unreliable or inaccurate, in some cases using the location of Wi-Fi access points can enable a smartphone to pinpoint its own location more quickly and accurately," Google said.
Beyond improved navigation services, there is lots of interest in location-based marketing, promotion and e-commerce applications. Some would not see that as providing a direct consumer benefit, but advertising underwrites much access to free, reduced cost or "no incremental charge" content, for example. Consumers also will benefit from discount offers of other types.
In the future, Google and Apple will have to be more careful and transparent about how they collect such information, and well as how personally-identifiable data can be used. But the data will be directly useful to end users, all that said.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Millennials Most Responsive To Text Ads
GFK MRI has found that the Millennials (born between 1977 and 1994) are 57 percent more likely to recall seeing a text message ad on their mobile device, compared with the average mobile phone user. More importantly, they are 93 percent more likely to have responded to a text ad or made a purchase using text messaging.Overall, the study found that about 6.2 percent of adults with a mobile phone had looked at an ad sent by SMS. In terms of response, 2.65 percent had used SMS to respond to an ad or make a purchase during the last 30 days.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Google, MasterCard, Citibank Team for Mobile Payments
Google is working with MasterCard and Citibank on mobile payments.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
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