Newsgroups: comp.speech
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From: idddsb@iddss1.iddis.com (Dean Banfield)
Subject: Audio USENET idea
Message-ID: <IDDDSB.94Sep15094647@iddss1.iddis.com>
Sender: usenet@HQ.Ileaf.COM (Usenet News)
Nntp-Posting-Host: iddss1.iddis.com
Organization: IDD Information Services
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 1994 13:46:46 GMT
Lines: 32

Hi,

My Grandmother's eyesight has been degraded by cataracts.  I'd like to
get her a USENET headline service (Clarinet?), but pump each article 
subject line through a text -> audio file (.WAV?, .SND?), and then
figure out a way to let her negotiate through the the 'headlines'.  Once
she find's an article she'd like to read, then convert the body and
let it play for her.

Due to the USENET focus, and the ready availability of USENET managers
for UNIX, it would seem I'll need a UNIX based text->audio mechanism.  I'd
probably build it in linux to save $$.  Any tips on how I might go about
this, or where I might find the text->audio pieces for the project?  Most
text-> speech items I've looked at produce immediate audio to the speaker
or sound card.  Seems that an intermediate file might be a good thing here
for the headline 'sound bites'.  Probably immediate sound conversion for
the body.

Another thought I had was that access could be via a phone connection, with
an automated attendant/voice response system like a voice-mailbox on the 
back-end to deliver the items.  The voice response system would allow her
to negotiate using a trivial keypad on the phone "Press 1 for International
2 for National 3 for Local news". Everyone knows how to use these kinds of
systems, even my 90 year old grandmother.

Thanks for any suggestions.

-Dean
--
Dean Banfield  IDD/Information Svcs
               90 Grove St
               Ridgefield CT 06877
