Microsoft's New Intelligent Speakers Deliver Its Promised Meeting Room of the Future (theverge.com) 27
Microsoft demonstrated prototype hardware a few years ago that promised meeting rooms of the future with automatic speaker identification, transcription, and even translation. Microsoft now claims it's delivering this for real with new Intelligent Speakers, small puck-like devices that can identify up to 10 different voices in a Microsoft Teams meeting. From a report: These speakers will automatically generate a transcript during a meeting, with individual identification of those speaking. They will also help remote attendees follow along and see who's talking in a meeting. Microsoft has teamed up with Yealink and Epos to create the hardware, and it even supports translation if you want to follow a meeting in a different language.
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Re: Exploits (Score:1)
I didn't know MS was a Chinese front. I thought it was a US front. ;)
Re: Why is it hardware? (Score:1)
So they can sell corporations a talkie puck for $250 per employee per year on subscription basis?
They'll probably require a USB key dongle a la 1987 for activation and licensing.
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Re: Why is it hardware? (Score:1)
They were serial bus dongles back then, and you know he meant that
Re: Why is it hardware? (Score:1)
Should I send you the definition of the phrase "a la" in this context?
Yes. I should.
https://www.dictionary.com/e/s... [dictionary.com]
Have a nice day!
Re: Why is it hardware? (Score:2)
Iâ(TM)m imagining directional microphone data that isnâ(TM)t transmitted as audio could be used to disambiguate who is saying what.
Re: Why is it hardware? (Score:2)
I was kind of wondering the same thing.
But I know from time to time we've seen hardwate assist software with certain tasks, GPUs obviously come to mind, but I also remember a time when smooth DVD playback required hardware assisted decoding as well.
Even if it were as simple as breaking down different voices into separate audio streams before hitting the software, it might make specialized hardware make sense.
Re: Why is it hardware? (Score:1)
Sup Dawg, I herd yo like spying!
So we'll sell you a spy device to put into the room with our spy devices so you can spy while you spy!
-- Xzibit
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We switched to using Zoom conferencing instead.
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The best quality teleconferencing was 15 years ago with Polycom devices on copper phone lines. There, I said it.
Better than team subtitles ? (Score:1)
But each time we try to play with it it's pretty bad and inaccurate (english by not native).
Do they have an unknown voice to text algorithm working perfectly on multiple language and give us a crappy english only in teams ?
If my employer decided to use this... (Score:2)
I’d never participate in a meeting again - at least not without some sort of voice modification device.
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Oh fuck off with your virtue signaling. As if you everyone in your company meeting doesn't already know it's you from all the stupid shit you say.
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Nothing to do with the people I work with - it's about not giving a tech mega-company that data.
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> it's about not giving a tech mega-company that data.
If this is a work meeting, then the microphones belong to your employer and so do the contents of the discussions. The decision about sharing the company meeting data belongs to your employer, not you.
The IT team should already have vetted the hardware, so your employer should be aware of the way the microphones work. The fact they're using them means they're ok with whatever sharing happens with Microsoft.
Of course, as a professional, you're keeping
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If you think this is even remotely different to what you already do then you are incredibly ignorant.
Also it's not up to you what your employer does with the data their software collects.
You're virtue signaling. If you are concerned over this and you had the balls you'd actually quit rather than declare on Slashdot that you're actively sabotaging your own employment and trying to get fired.
Corporate spying, pro league. ;) (Score:2)
You make *them* pay, to record everything they say, and send it to your servers.
Is there a Risitas of this yet? I bet MS are in tears from laughing so much they have to wring out the carpet.
Love the idea (Score:3)
Intelligent speakers? (Score:2)
Not speakers - microphones (Score:5, Insightful)
Why do they call them speakers? All features mentioned are about microphones.
Microsoft says "look at me!" (Score:1)
I guess the thing to keep in mind here is, as an 'also ran', Micr