Spinvox

My pal Euan Semple mentioned that Spinvox had changed his life: a service that converts voicemail to email by voice recognition. I thought I would give it a go.

I signed up, and finally got around to doing the set-up, which seemed deceptively simple. Just jigger your phone settings to forward unanswered calls to go to a Spinvox number dedicated to your voicemail. But, small problems started to arise immediately. The introduction email directed me to do this:

To get started with your Cingular GSM mobile phone, follow these simple steps:

Step 1. Activate ‘Call Forwarding’ to SpinVox voicemail

1. Select Settings on your handset

2. Select Call Settings

3. Select Forwarding

4. Now select the appropriate Forwarding options

It is not advisable to forward all calls. Typically forward for these conditions:

· If busy

· If not answered

· If out of reach or if not available

5. Follow the menu prompts and enter your SpinVox voicemail number shown above

6. Select OK

Turns out my new (very nice) n95 (courtesy of the Nokia Bloggers program) doesn’t have a ‘call forwarding’ option. Instead it has a ‘call diverts’ option, but everything else seemed as described. I diverted the various flavors of calls to the provided Spinvox number.

When I tested the setup by calling my mobile from Skype, I was diverted to Spinvox, but Spinvox thought it was me calling in to get my vmail. I wasn’t being considered a random caller. It only seems to work as advertised if I manually reject the incoming call on my mobile.

But the results are pretty good, considering I was intentionally mumbling, and using Skype via a data modem connection:

[via email]

You received a new voicemail from WITHHELD:

———————-

So I’m trying SpinVox to see if it works. I hit the reject button to get it to work maybe that will ___ either solution in general. I wonder if the other ___ doesn’t work.

- Powered by SpinVox.

———————-

Message received at Jun 8, 2007 3:01:55 PM

If you wish to listen to this message, call your voicemail on +14085555555 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +14085555555      end_of_the_skype_highlighting and press *01

For assistance, see www.spinvox.com or email service@spinvox.com

Thank you,

SpinVox

In general, I think people will speak more clearly than I did.

I wonder if this service is using people to do the translations? Not that I care, as a user, but several people suggested that translation software is just not ready to do what Spinvox is doing.

I also wonder what happens if I just call myself, and record some random thoughts, or play some audio to my phone. Is this a cheap transcription service?

<update> 16 Oct 2007

Got this clarification from Spinvox via email about the role of human beings in its transcription service:

Hi Stowe,

I’m Tony Carter and I work for SpinVox, and I read with interest your recent post on Jott, in which SpinVox was mentioned. I wanted to clarify a few things about the way messages are converted.

In your post, you suggested that both companies “must be using human beings to do near time real transcription.” While I can’t speak for Jott, I can tell you that as far as SpinVox is concerned, this is not an accurate statement.

SpinVox has developed a sophisticated learning system called the Voice Message Conversion System to carry out automatically the majority of conversions. When the system encounters a word or phrase its does not know or understand, it is able to refer to a human for assistance. The human then trains the system so that word or phrase becomes known to the VMCS for future use. In that way, the VMCS is constantly evolving and learning, increasing in accuracy and speed with each conversion.

But the main point is that while humans do help train the system, messages are converted by machines.

I was hoping you would consider posting a clarification or follow-up post on your blog so that your readers fully understand how the service works. We’d be happy to post a response, if you’d prefer it be addressed that way.

Thanks and please let me know if you have any questions.

Tony Carter

Public Relations Director - North America

SpinVox

</update>