Apple's Speech Recognition Manager Adds a New Dimension to the User
Experience

By Incorporating Apple's Speech Recognition Technology Into Their
Applications, Developers Can Capture Their Customer's Imagination and
Enhance the User Experience

WWDC, SAN JOSE, California--May 13, 1996--Imagine being able to control a
computer with your voice like your favorite Star Trek character.

A new software development kit (SDK) from Apple Computer, Inc., called
Speech Recognition Manager, lets developers incorporate speech recognition
into any application. Speech recognition gives people who already
communicate with their computer by mouse or keyboard one more option:
Speech.

Among the first to take advantage of this new technology is the Star Trek
Omnipedia CD-ROM from Imergy, a voice-activated guide to a galaxy of Star
Trek facts, characters and movies. Billed as the single greatest
compilation of Star Trek fact, lore and history, Star Trek Omnipedia was
one of 1995's top-selling CD-ROMs. Going where no other developer has gone
before, the creators of Star Trek Omnipedia have given voice-activation
powers to anyone navigating the database.

"We're always looking for a WOW factor in our titles," said Peter Mackey,
vice president of media integration at Imergy, creators of Star Trek
Omnipedia. "Apple's speech recognition technology delivers that in Star
Trek Omnipedia. We were amazed at how accurate the recognition is, even
for phrases like 'Denibian Slime Devil'."

Apple's Speech Recognition Manager lets developers create speech-savvy
applications that recognize and respond to spoken voice commands. Users
will be able to engage their Macintosh computers in conversation, adding a
whole new dimension to computer interaction.

Developers will be pleased to know that the vocabulary in Speech
Recognition Manager is highly accurate and flexible, ensuring the easy
addition of new phrases. The Speech Recognition Manager is speaker
independent, which means that it doesn't depend on one particular voice to
understand commands. The optional push-to-talk feature toggles the
microphone off and on, allowing the Speech Recognition engine to function
accurately in real-world environments.

"Speech Recognition Manager features the same easy-to-use and intuitive
technology that makes Apple a household name around the world," said
Howard Lee, senior vice president Macintosh systems division at Apple.
"Talking to a computer is even more intuitive than using a mouse or
keyboard. Apple's built-in speech recognition capabilities enables anyone
to tap into the power of speech. This could make computing accessible to
new audiences and redefine computing for others."

Developers can enhance any application with Apple's Speech Recognition
Manager. Apple expects Internet, multimedia, entertainment and
productivity developers to find the Application Programming Interface
(API) particularly appealing. Apple's Speech Recognition Manager SDK
includes the Speech Recognition Manager, Speech Recognition API, Speech
Recognition Extension, sample code, libraries and documentation.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Speech Recognition Manager runs on any PowerPC microprocessor-based
Macintosh or PowerBook computer, requires 16-bit sound input, a PlainTalk
microphone or an AudioVision monitor. Speech Recognition Manager uses the
same speech recognition technology found in Apple's PlainTalk suite of
speech recognition and speech synthesis software. The PlainTalk software
kit can be purchased by calling 1-800-950-5382 and has a suggested retail
price of U.S. $49.00 (Part No. M2844LL/B).

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

The SDK is available free of charge on the Internet at Apple Speech
Program's newly-launched Web site: http://www.speech.apple.com/.

Apple is a leader in speech synthesis as well as speech recognition
technologies and offers a wide variety of computer-generated voices which
are scalable to accommodate differences in memory size and processor
speed. The 22 available voices are not only highly natural and
intelligible, but also fun and entertaining.

Apple Computer, Inc., a recognized innovator in the information industry
and leader in multimedia technologies, creates powerful solutions based on
easy-to-use personal computers, servers, peripherals, software, personal
digital assistants and Internet content. Headquartered in Cupertino,
California, Apple develops, manufactures, licenses and markets solutions,
products, technologies and services for business, education, consumer,
entertainment, scientific and engineering and government customers in more
than 140 countries.

If you are considering the purchase of an Apple product and would like to
have product information faxed to you, please call 1-800-462-4396 in the
U.S. or 1-800-263-3394 in Canada. If you do not have a fax machine or
would like to locate an Apple authorized reseller near you, please call
1-800-538-9696. Customers outside the U.S. should contact their local
Apple representatives for information.

Apple's home page on the World Wide Web: http://www.apple.com/
 
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