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The man sits down in front of the computer and says, affably: "Computer!"
Nothing happens. In a now-hear-this tone, the man repeats: "Computer?" Still nothing happens. Puzzled, he picks up the mouse and speaks into it: "Hello, computer?"
Beside him, the impatient owner says: "Just use the keyboard." The first man replies, "A keyboard?" Then, slightly annoyed: "How quaint."
The scene comes from the 1986 film Star Trek IV, where Scotty, the engineer, and the rest of the crew have flown back in time from the 23rd century; Scotty needs to get some work done on the computer, and, of course, in the 23rd century they all work by voice command, unlike those 1980s throwbacks. Ha, ha.
Yet if the crew were to land 25 years later, in the present day, Scotty would still be just as puzzled at the computer's lack of responsiveness – unless, that is, he picked up one of the latest breed of smartphones, where being able to respond to the human voice has become the new frontier in interaction.
www.theguardian.com
Nothing happens. In a now-hear-this tone, the man repeats: "Computer?" Still nothing happens. Puzzled, he picks up the mouse and speaks into it: "Hello, computer?"
Beside him, the impatient owner says: "Just use the keyboard." The first man replies, "A keyboard?" Then, slightly annoyed: "How quaint."
The scene comes from the 1986 film Star Trek IV, where Scotty, the engineer, and the rest of the crew have flown back in time from the 23rd century; Scotty needs to get some work done on the computer, and, of course, in the 23rd century they all work by voice command, unlike those 1980s throwbacks. Ha, ha.
Yet if the crew were to land 25 years later, in the present day, Scotty would still be just as puzzled at the computer's lack of responsiveness – unless, that is, he picked up one of the latest breed of smartphones, where being able to respond to the human voice has become the new frontier in interaction.
Voice recognition: has it come of age?
Apple's voice-controlled 'personal assistant' Siri has got everyone talking (in more ways than one). Is this just the start of a computer revolution? By Charles Arthur
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