Going Mobile Means Staying Mobile

Emerging technology provider VuBotics teamed with MagneticTime, a mobile audio company, to co-develop software that will change the way consumers access and use electronic media. The joint software combines MagneticTime's iAudioize speech technology software with VuBotic's VuIT reading technology.

The iAudioize software is designed for iPods, laptop computers, PDAs, and mobile phones and converts text into MP3-formatted audio files that users can listen to on their electronic devices.

The VuIT products use a proprietary algorithm to deliver text in a sequential scroll onto the viewing screen. The word-by-word format is intended to increase reading speed, reduce eye strain, and improve legibility on small screens.

The combination of these two technology lines gives readers the option of an easy-to-read interface or an eyes-free experience for activities like listening to emails while driving.

"We view ourselves, much as MagneticTimes views themselves, as a true productivity tool, really as an information enablement tool. We wanted to extend productivity to environments where people want to be productive but can't, such as in moving vehicles," says David Rollo, chief marketing officer, VuBotics.

As for the reach and impact of speech technologies in the mobile market, "it is a fantastic extension into the mobile market. Again, ninety-seven percent of everything on the Web and delivered digitally is text, so that conversion into speech is a fantastic extension for all involved," Rollo adds. "It is going to continue to expand access to information, increase productivity, and create free time for the users. We can get the same things done in a fraction of the time. If you look at the overall productivity in the last few years, because of these mobile tools, it just dramatically changed how productive you can be in the same period of time. It is really an exciting place to be as we go into the future."