Blakely, Rhys. “Microsoft makes big noise over voice computing.” 15 Januray 2007. The Times. March 3, 2008.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technolo...

The article discusses software giant Microsoft's commitment towards the developing field of voice computing. The company has labeled speech recognition software as the next "macro revolution" in computing. The company is promoting this feature as a major advancement in Vista, its new operating system, which is expected to be used by 500 million homes within the next five years.

It discusses extremely sophisticated versions of the software, which can carry out operations that could affect our daily lives beyond basic computing. For instance,

when a parent reads a pre-programmed book to a child, it will trigger the room's lights to dim. I chose this article because most articles covering this development were technology based magazines, whereas this article was published in The TImes, a mainstream British newspaper. This is significant, because it tells us that this technology has acquired mainstream status, and is already being recognized worldwide. Also, there is clear indication that voice recognition technology goes beyond cellphones and automobiles. It has a much broader appeal, and the market potential is immense.
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Blakely, Rhys. “Internet giants target voice recognition.” 12 April 2007. The Times. March 3, 2008.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technolo...

The article focuses on software behemoths Google, Yahoo and Microsoft, and their active pursuit of a large share of the voice-recognition software based market. Microsoft has extensively used such software at its "home of the future" site in Redmond, Washington , and believes that the technology will be available to mainstream consumers within a decade. It recently based voice-recognition software pioneer Tellme Networks for $800.

Google unveiled "Google Voice Local Search" last year, in what it calls an experiment. Users can search local business by names or categories, and there is no service charge (unlike the 411 numbers). Another company, Jingle Networks, an upstart which is only 18 months old, already controls 5% of the directory inquiries market, and is backed by heavyweights such as Goldman Sachs and Comcast.

Thus, there is a clear indication that all the major players realized the untapped potential of this market. I found the article interesting, because the voice based directory concept has immense potential in Asian markets, where handling cellphones is banned while driving in most countries.
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Fost, Dan. “There Are Ways to Help Lassie Come Home.” 5 December, 2007. The New York Times. 2 March, 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/technology/techspecial2/05pets.html

In this article, Dan Fost talks about the use of G.P.S. devices to locate lost pets. These devices are based on either RFID technology (radio based) or cellular technology, and the author discusses the pros and cons of both technologies. Several companies have already started providing such subscription based services across the nation.

This article was rather interesting, and off-beat compared to most articles discussing G.P.S technology, which tend to focus on cellphones, cars and hotly debated privacy issues. Also, it shows us a rather creative use of the technology, which also happens to have a potentially large market appeal. I can foresee similar implementations, such as putting similar chips into childrens' schoolbags, mountaineering gear, and sooner or later, into expensive watches such as Rolexes and Patek Phillippes, which could then easily be retraced when stolen.

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Quain, John. “Voice Recognition Closes In on HAL.” 20 May 2007. The New York Times. March 2, 2008.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/automobiles/20VOICE.html?_r=2&pagewant...

The HAL 900 in behind the development of voice recognition programs that don't just understand what people say, but allow people to almost converse with their cars. Currently, automobiles are limited to basic commands. However, more sophisticated Voice Recognition programs will be able to differentiate between a driver saying "Traffic, please?" in regard to the 1970's supergroup, or saying it in reference to the current traffic conditions.

This seems to be an extremely ambitious endeavor, and I found the concept rather interesting. In fact, in order to completely understand what a driver is asking for, the system integrates video technology along with voice recognition. This is an extremely advanced and rather recent development, and I decided to use it in our paper because of a reason already mentioned above: it was featured in The New York Times, and not just some Silicon Valley paper. It is an indication that such developments are being monitored nationally, and aren't some super-advanced programs that won't make it into the markets soon. Instead, they are rather feasible advancements, and we could be using them in our daily routines sooner than we think.