Speakable items
Encyclopedia
Speakable items is part of the speech recognition feature in the Mac OS
and Mac OS X
operating system
s. It allows the user to control their computer with natural speech, without having to train the computer beforehand. The commands must be present in the Speakable items folder though but can be created with something as simple as a shortcut, AppleScript
, keyboard command, or Automator
workflows.
in 1993. Originally available only on Quadra AV
models, it was later integrated with the System 7.1.2
release of the Macintosh system software.
With the release of Mac OS X v10.4
it was featured as #12 on their list of features.
If a workflow is saved as an application and put in the Speakable items folder it becomes available to the speech recognition software. The words the computer will recognize to execute the command will be the name of the saved Automator application. Some words might have to be misspelt for the computer to know the proper pronunciation. (For example, the computer best recognizes "Les Misérables
" as Lay Mizzer Ob).
Because Automator is made to comply with AppleScript
applications only, most third party or non AppleScript applications, such as Limewire
or Final Cut Studio
apps will not work with speakable items, unless you configure commands only with "define a keyboard command": in which you'll just select "this application only" after making a keyboard command such as +C or other combinations.
There has also been recurring problems users experience where Speakable Items inexplicably stops functioning, and can no longer be accessed. This can be corrected by doing the following:
Some people have also found that they have a problem with speakable items once the chess.app file is opened: it autostarts and cannot be gotten rid of, even when chess.app is closed again, except by going through activity monitor.
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s. It allows the user to control their computer with natural speech, without having to train the computer beforehand. The commands must be present in the Speakable items folder though but can be created with something as simple as a shortcut, AppleScript
AppleScript
AppleScript is a scripting language created by Apple Inc. and built into Macintosh operating systems since System 7. The term "AppleScript" may refer to the scripting system itself, or to particular scripts that are written in the AppleScript language....
, keyboard command, or Automator
Automator (software)
Automator is an application developed by Apple for Mac OS X that implements point-and-click creation of workflows for automating repetitive tasks into batches for quicker alteration, thus saving time and effort over human intervention to manually change each file separately...
workflows.
History
Speakable items was first introduced as part of Apple's speech recognition software PlainTalkPlainTalk
PlainTalk is the collective name for several speech synthesis and speech recognition technologies developed by Apple Inc.In 1990, Apple invested a lot of work and money in speech recognition technology, hiring many respected researchers in the field. The result was "PlainTalk", released with the...
in 1993. Originally available only on Quadra AV
Macintosh Quadra
The Macintosh Quadra series was Apple Computer's product family of professional high-end Apple Macintosh personal computers built using the Motorola 68040 CPU. The first two models in the Quadra line were introduced in 1991, and the name was used until the Power Mac was introduced in 1994...
models, it was later integrated with the System 7.1.2
System 7 (Macintosh)
System 7 is a single-user graphical user interface-based operating system for Macintosh computers. It was introduced on May 13, 1991 by Apple Computer. It succeeded System 6, and was the main Macintosh operating system until it was succeeded by Mac OS 8 in 1997...
release of the Macintosh system software.
With the release of Mac OS X v10.4
Mac OS X v10.4
Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger is the fifth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Tiger was released to the public on 29 April 2005 for US$129.95 as the successor to Mac OS X Panther , which had been released 18 months earlier...
it was featured as #12 on their list of features.
Automation
Mac OS X v10.4 added Automator workflows which can also be used as Speakable items.If a workflow is saved as an application and put in the Speakable items folder it becomes available to the speech recognition software. The words the computer will recognize to execute the command will be the name of the saved Automator application. Some words might have to be misspelt for the computer to know the proper pronunciation. (For example, the computer best recognizes "Les Misérables
Les Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
" as Lay Mizzer Ob).
Because Automator is made to comply with AppleScript
AppleScript
AppleScript is a scripting language created by Apple Inc. and built into Macintosh operating systems since System 7. The term "AppleScript" may refer to the scripting system itself, or to particular scripts that are written in the AppleScript language....
applications only, most third party or non AppleScript applications, such as Limewire
LimeWire
LimeWire is a free peer-to-peer file sharing client program that runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and other operating systems supported by the Java software platform. LimeWire uses the gnutella network as well as the BitTorrent protocol. A free software version and a purchasable "enhanced"...
or Final Cut Studio
Final Cut Studio
Final Cut Studio is a professional video and audio production suite for Mac OS X from Apple Inc., and a direct competitor to Avid Media Composer in the high-end movie production industry...
apps will not work with speakable items, unless you configure commands only with "define a keyboard command": in which you'll just select "this application only" after making a keyboard command such as +C or other combinations.
Problems
While Speakable Items is useful, as well as innovative, recognition gets hard and distorted some times.- When playing iTunes tracks (or other audio) Speakable Items often doesn't recognize voices or mistakes sounds as commands not being spoken at all.
- Audio in the background easily distracts the receiver and does not recognize a user's command.
- When "listening continuously" (the setting contrary to "Push to talk") it may mistake clicks and typing for short commands.
- Sometimes, usually with custom commands, the pronunciation so that the computer will understand varies from the proper pronunciation in its respective languages.
There has also been recurring problems users experience where Speakable Items inexplicably stops functioning, and can no longer be accessed. This can be corrected by doing the following:
- Go into Spotlight
- Type
com.apple.speech - A few results will pop up. Click "reveal in finder."
- Highlight all, and drag to a backup folder (or alternatively, to the trash bin)
- Open System Preferences -> Speech - > Settings tab.
- Turn off Speakable Items, then turn back on.
- The speech bubble float should pop back up
Some people have also found that they have a problem with speakable items once the chess.app file is opened: it autostarts and cannot be gotten rid of, even when chess.app is closed again, except by going through activity monitor.