If my memory is correct, it was several years after "talking" ATM machines
instructing customers with automated voice, complete with crude animation of a
female bank teller bowing and saying "thank you for your business" had became
ubiquitous, when a camera company started marketing a new product - a talking
camera. I was young and still ignorant of the pain of wearing eyeglasses all
the time, so I didn't see the point. My only thought was why it's always same
old automated female voice. Since they were only a handful of simple
instructions, it should've been easy to implement different voices which users
could select - male or female celebrities, or deep soothing voice of a veteran
anchorman from NHK telling "say cheese" when pressing the shutter would be
nice. (It's still not too late for camera/toy campanies to implement voice of
Justin Bieber, or Elmo in cameras. I think they can sell)
Fast forward
to 21st century comes SIRI. As long as TV ads go, it seems possessing
rudimentary conversational skills. Considering its accessibility to a vast
database, it may even pass Turing test sometime soon. I'm sure right now
someone mesmerized by "her" quick wit and intelligence is in love with Siri, and
within a few years there will be, though just symbolic, a first ever wedding
ceremony between a human and an i-phone. (married life of a man and i-phone
will be strictly Platonic, unless considering some form of phone sex, if it's
even possible. On the other hand relationship between a female and i-phone can
be...)
I'm not interested in wasting time with cellphone for now,
however when Siri is no longer Siri, but called Emily, Audry, or Tracy,
and
implement the voice of impossibly adorable Zooey Deschanel, then, I may switch
to a smartphone. And I may even profess my unconditional affection toward said
handheld device. (Or Siri being Mikey with deep soothing voice of Mike Rowe,
and I'll have some philosophical conversation with "him." Voice of Elmo on Siri
would cause sirious violence)
That wont happen. I can't bear the thought
of repeated rejection of my advance, or more precisely constantly denied
access.
"Sorry Keikichi, what did you say?" Or "Sorry, I can't
understand."
nice work
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