Next January IBM Corp will start selling a ‘talking web browser’ which it says is designed to open the doors of the world wide web to blind and visually impaired computer users. IBM says the new software, called Home Page Reader, utilizes its ViaVoice OutLoud technology to scan web pages and read them out loud. The technology, the launch of which was timed to coincide with National Disabilities Week, was developed at IBM’s Tokyo research lab. Home Page Reader uses ViaVoice OutLoud text-to-speech technology and Netscape Navigator to speak, IBM claims, web-based information in a clear, easy-to-understand manner and at the same speed as the fully-sighted. A 10-key numeric keypad allows users to interact with the PC and navigate the internet. In addition, a fast forward function allows users to skim web pages to locate the appropriate site more quickly. It also offers an integrated email feature as well as providing the ability to save and organize web page bookmarks. The software runs on Windows 95, 98 and NT. It requires 32Mb of RAM on 95/98 systems and 64Mb for NT. IBM said Home Page Reader would be available in the US in January 1999. The initial package costs $149 and additional user licenses cost $129. IBM isn’t the only company making noise about voice over the internet. Earlier this month (CI No 3,507) Motorola introduced VoxML as a means of writing voice-activated applications that can be hosted on regular HTTP servers. VoxML (for voice markup language) is derived from XML and will enable users to use telephones and voice commands from other devices to get information from VoxML applications hosted on the internet. Lucent Technologies and Spyglass Inc are also working on a voice- driven browser.
