REDMOND, Wash. — Dec. 9, 2010 —This has been a big year for speech-controlled computing. Technologies in your home, car and phone now allow people to use their voices, as well as their fingers and gestures, to control gadgets, get information and take action. These Natural User Interface (NUI)-based technologies have become a big part of our lives this year and are poised for even more dramatic growth in the future as NUI becomes more prominent. See the slideshow below for a highlight reel of speech in 2010:

NUI Highlights of the Year

18

Kinect for Xbox 360 debuts

Kinect for Xbox 360 <a href="/presspass/features/2010/nov10/11-03Kinect.mspx">launched</a> worldwide in November and promptly <a href="/Presspass/press/2010/nov10/11-29MSXboxBlackFridayMoPR.mspx">sold 2.5 million units</a>. Perhaps the most ambitious realization of the natural user interface to date, Kinect lets you use your voice and body to interact with your favorite games, movies and music, literally turning you into the controller.

Image: Thumb | Page | Web | Print

---

Windows Phone 7 boasts impressive NUI capabilities

In November, Windows Phone 7 went on sale, and its seamless touch and speech experiences have won positive <a href="/presspass/presskits/windowsphone/wp7stories.aspx">reviews</a> from users and professional reviewers alike. "Let’s just get it out of the way: Windows Phone 7 is the most exciting thing to happen to phones in a long time." – <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5668738/windows-phone-7-review">Gizmodo</a>

Image: Thumb | Page | Web | Print

---

Bing voice search soars

Late last year, Bing launched Bing for Mobile with voice search, so you can instantly search and accomplish tasks using your voice. Today, 1 out of every 5 Bing for Mobile searches are done using voice search, marking strong adoption in its first year of availability. The feature is available on the latest Windows Phones, iPhones and Android phones.

Image: Thumb | Page | Web

---

Microsoft Tellme ranks as top speech engine of 2010

In July, Speech Technology Magazine <a href="http://www.speechtechmag.com/Articles/Editorial/Cover-Story/Market-Leaders-Speech-Engine-67965.aspx">named</a> Microsoft Tellme the top speech engine for 2010. Microsoft Tellme received exceptional scores in affordability, execution, functionality and customer satisfaction. This same engine powers the speech technology behind Microsoft’s advancements in the natural user interface.

Image: Thumb | Page | Web

---

Ford and KIA take speech on the road

In-car infotainment technology continues to grow, and Microsoft Tellme is at the center of the action. Today, more than 2 million Ford vehicles are equipped with Ford SYNC, which is powered by Microsoft Tellme technologies. Drivers get hands-free information like real-time traffic, directions, weather, stock quotes, movie times and horoscopes.

Image: Thumb | Page | Web | Print

---

Microsoft Tellme Platform Central debuts

Top companies such as Avis, Orbitz and E*TRADE use the Microsoft Tellme Interactive Voice Response (IVR) service to enable self-service capabilities for their callers. To help these organizations improve caller success, in June Microsoft Tellme released a new reporting and analytics portal, Microsoft Tellme Platform Central, with applications like Trendspotter.

Image: Thumb | Page | Web

---

It’s a small(er) world with Office Mini Translator

More than 750 million people worldwide use Microsoft Office, and among the new features in Office 2010 is <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/office_global_experience/archive/2009/07/31/using-the-new-mini-translator-in-office-2010.aspx">Mini Translator</a>, an on-the-fly translator. Office Mini Translator lets you translate single words or many paragraphs simply by hovering over the text with your mouse. You also can speak the text to the Mini Translator using Microsoft Tellme’s text-to-speech (TTS) engine.

Image: Thumb | Page | Web

---

Exchange Server 2010 includes Voicemail Preview

Exchange is the most widely used communications technology in business today, and Exchange Server 2010 uses Microsoft Tellme technology to bring voice mail preview to everyone. With it you can preview voicemails directly in Outlook via your PC, phone and browser. The preview provides a text snapshot of voicemails and also flags urgent messages or those requiring action.

Image: Thumb | Page | Web

---

Click here to embed this slideshow in your website or blog

What we’re seeing today is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential for NUI. As more people become accustomed to using their voices, fingers and gestures to interact with computers and gadgets, the technologies are poised for widespread use, and the implications for the home, for entertainment and for business are tremendous.