Microsoft Gets Documents Talking

I just read about Microsoft’s new DAISY XML plug-in that will allow users to save text files created in Microsoft Word into DAISY XML, which is short for the Digital Accessible Information SYstem eXtensible Markup Language. DAISY XML tags and maps the text documents so they can be converted to eBooks and digital talking books later on. It’s designed for Microsoft Office Word 2007, Word 2003, and Word XP.

This seems like a move in the right direction, but I don’t get why its taken so long though. I’ve been putting talking animated avatars into my Powerpoint presentations for about 8 years, by using a Sensory avatar/lipsync technology. It makes presentations very engaging to have an avatar pop up and start talking to the audience. Seems like Microsoft should add something like this to Powerpoint; if any Microsoft people read this, I’ll give it to you for almost free.

Hey, do you get the humor in Microsoft’s naming? The first singing computer was credited to IBM and it sang “A bicycle built for two” with the lyrics “Daisy, Daisy”. Arthur C. Clark saw a demo of this and made his robot HAL from 2001 A Space Odyssey sing this when it was being shut down.

Todd
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