Fonix making it embedded

Once upon a time, Fonix tried a desktop application, which very much ripped off an early version of TextAloud. They had licensed a closed version of Natural Voices and spent a ton of money putting it into retail shops, calling it iSpeak. They long since gave up on that space because the product just wasn't that good, but they seem to have found a decent niche with putting the voices into hardware

Fonix Announces FonixTalk - Fonix Text-to-Speech Updated with New Features, New Name

Fonix Speech, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fonix(R) Corporation (OTCBB: FNIX) specializing in embedded speech interfaces for mobile devices, handheld electronic products, video game systems and processors, releases FonixTalk(TM) 6.0, an updated, improved version of its premier text-to-speech (TTS) technology.

SALT LAKE CITY (BusinessWire EON) May 22, 2007 -- FonixTalk 6.0 is multi-language TTS software featuring the industry's smallest memory footprint, making it ideal for embedded applications. FonixTalk builds upon Fonix's legacy DECtalk(R) product, while making significant improvements in the technology's ability to produce more natural, less robotic-sounding synthetic speech.

"Fonix DECtalk has been an industry stalwart in the text-to-speech market," says Lynn Shepherd, Senior VP of Product Strategy, Fonix Speech, Inc. "DECtalk TTS has a longstanding reputation for technical leadership in the embedded and assistive markets, however, the technology has evolved significantly in recent years, and we believe it's time to change the product's identity to better reflect the customized advancements and improvements achieved by Fonix engineers."

DECtalk TTS has a longstanding reputation for technical leadership in the embedded and assistive markets, however, the technology has evolved significantly in recent years, and we believe it's time to change the product's identity to better reflect the customized advancements and improvements achieved by Fonix engineers.

FonixTalk 6.0 features include:

• Intelligible, natural-sounding synthetic speech


• Small memory footprint that surpasses competitive offerings


• Wide array of supported hardware platforms and operating systems


• Multiple languages including:


• U.S. and U.K. English


• Castilian and Latin American Spanish


• German


• French


• Italian


• Korean


• Chinese and Japanese expected later this year


• Improved vocal tract and intonation technology

FonixTalk 6.0 improvements include:

• Improved female and child voices


• TTS voices can be customized and tuned for specific needs (e.g. assistive market)


• Creating custom voices requires a week or two rather than months


• Developers can enter their own codes for added voice expressiveness


• Speech rate can be increased to many times the rate of normal speech while maintaining the correct articulation and intelligibility


• Developers can optimize the sound for specific audio systems, channels or environments


• Improvements in the TTS speech result in a more natural and less robotic sound


• Improved intonation modeling makes the speech prosody (rhythm and stress) sound more natural

"Fonix developers have optimized the new software to run on the same embedded platforms as before without significant increases in memory and CPU usage," explains Shepherd. "New technology breakthroughs bring the quality of the synthetic speech to previously unachievable levels that approach the sound of a human voice. FonixTalk can now compete with concatenated speech technologies, which require significantly more memory. For example, developers can create completely new voices with less than 1 KB of memory for each voice, whereas concatenated systems require 100 to 1,000 times as much memory for a new voice."

Manufacturers and developers can use FonixTalk TTS to create speech-enabled applications for handheld electronic devices like dictionaries and translators, PDAs, mobile phones, automotive applications, and devices to assist people with disabilities.

FonixTalk is available directly from Fonix Speech. Call (801) 553-6600 and say "Sales" for demos, availability and pricing.

About Fonix

Fonix Corporation (OTCBB: FNIX), based in Salt Lake City, Utah, is an innovative speech recognition and text-to-speech technology company that provides value-added speech solutions through its wholly owned subsidiary, Fonix Speech, Inc., currently offering voice solutions for mobile/wireless devices; interactive video games, toys and appliances; computer telephony systems; the assistive market and automotive telematics. Fonix provides developers and manufacturers with cost-effective speech solutions to enhance devices and systems. Visit www.fonix.com for more information, or call (801) 553-6600 and say "Sales."

Statements released by Fonix that are not purely historical are forward-looking within the meaning of the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the Company's expectations, hopes, intentions and strategies for the future. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties that may affect the Company's business prospects and performance. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risk factors include general economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors as discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. The Company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements contained in this release.