iSpeech Free Text to Speech Blog

iSpeech at CTIA

2010-03-15T13:00:00.002-04:00

Between the 23rd and 25th iSpeech and its flagship app DriveSafe.ly will be featured at the CTIA wireless convention in Las Vegas. Come drop us a line at booth #5969 in the North Hall within the Safe Driving Pavilion.

DriveSafe.ly Approaching 3 Million

2010-02-20T21:38:00.003-05:00

iSpeech's flagship application, DriveSafe.ly is fast approaching 3 million users! It hasn't yet been 6 months since our launch. We sincerely thank all of our fans :-)

DriveSafe.ly on KOIN 6

2010-02-12T16:06:00.002-05:00

iSpeech's very own star application, DriveSafe.ly was recently featured on KOIN 6. The local news station looked into the dangers of distracted driving and even took the app for a test drive.

Ask About Us

2010-02-08T17:52:00.002-05:00

If you ask about iSpeech right now we can tell you that we've been nominated for another award. More specifically our star application, DriveSafe.ly is the contender.

This time the nomination is for an About.com reader's choice award. Our category? Best Blackberry application. So don't wait, show your support for iSpeech and our products and get to voting!

The Road Ahead

2010-02-01T16:17:00.002-05:00

DriveSafe.ly and the upcoming DriveSafe.ly 2.0 are powerful applications showcasing the potential of iSpeech's proprietary text-to-speech engine.

In addition to DriveSafe.ly the iSpeech engine is being put to work to power a number of upcoming applications One of which is almost complete and is generating quite a buzz.

What is it? You'll have to stay tuned to find out more!

Need Help with DriveSafe.ly?

2010-01-29T14:07:00.002-05:00

As the iSpeech team continues to perfect DriveSafe.ly so does our support of the app.

However, sometimes you just need a quick fix, a tip or maybe a handy how-to. So where do you go to find such things? In fact, you can find solutions to almost 95% of all problems and inquiries right on the DriveSafe.ly FAQ!

To visit the FAQ you can navigate to it from the main page or simply follow this link: http://www.drivesafe.ly/faqs/

One Step Closer to 2.0

2010-01-25T15:31:00.002-05:00

The iSpeech team has been working hard day and night to make version 2.0 a reality. While 2.0 will come out when it's good and ready v1.12 recently released with a number of technical updates. Primarily a huge boost in Bluetooth compatibility across the spectrum.

If you have DriveSafe.ly on your device you can download the update by visiting www.DriveSafe.ly and following the instructions for your personal device.

If you don't have DriveSafe.ly there hasn't been a better time to pick up the completely FREE app!

Job Opportunities

2010-01-23T12:00:00.001-05:00

Everyday DriveSafe.ly and iSpeech are accepting applications from talented individuals who wish to be a part of our rapidly growing team.

We currently have openings in:

- Administration / Clerical (Local Only)

- Development (Java, C#, C++) (Local and Remote)

- Sales / Public Relations (Local and Remote)

All interested candidates may submit an email to jobs@ispeech.org. Applications should contain the desired position in the subject line, an attached resume and any sample code or other example of your work and capabilities. iSpeech is based in Newark, NJ and is an equal opportunity employer.

Jump on Board!

2010-01-22T12:25:00.003-05:00

iSpeech is proud to announce that the facebook fan page for DriveSafe.ly has surpassed a quarter of a million fans. That's quite the feat!

We understand that our community is large and hope to see it grow rapidly in the future as iSpeech's powerful text-to-speech technology continues to provide users with innovative products such as DriveSafe.ly!

Remember, we don't want you to be silent! Drop us a line, leave your feedback on the latest build and encourage your friends to join the community and take advantage of our powerful and FREE app!

First Peek at DriveSafe.ly 2.0

2010-01-21T19:03:00.002-05:00

While the DriveSafe.ly team was at CES a lucky few individuals got to take a peek at early builds of our next big update.

A few members from sprintusers were treated to a live demonstration of 2.0 by our very own Heath and Tyler. Now you too can take a peek! Hope you all enjoy and check back often for more exciting updates.

DriveSafe.ly on the Web

2010-01-18T12:21:00.001-05:00

Our most successful mobile app continues to make a scene all over the web.

As the buzz continues, DriveSafe.ly has been spotted all over the web. Recently we’ve appeared on Lifehacker and a number of videos have been popping up on Youtube! Check out the post and keep up with us as some new an exciting updates are coming very soon!

iSpeech Debuts DriveSafe.ly at CES

2010-01-14T14:58:00.001-05:00

A team from iSpeech headed out to Vegas to exhibit at the annual CES (Consumer Electronics Show) and we’d like to start by thanking everyone that stopped by our booth!

In addition to our booth in the North Hall, DriveSafe.ly was featured alongside other powerful apps at the RIM (Research in Motion) display.

Version 2.0 Announced!

At CES we announced the upcoming release of DriveSafe.ly 2.0!Among many new and exciting features comes the ability to finally respond via Speech to Text. Stay up to date by following our blog and facebook fan page to learn more about this years big release!

Text to Speech iPhone App Released Today

2009-07-15T17:59:00.006-04:00

Today our new application was posted on Apple's iTunes App Store. We still don't actually see it in the list of new releases, but it is there. We've already had over 1000 downloads, but it is a mystery how or why. Maybe it is just not showing up in the American App Store?

Regardless, the Free Text to Speech iPhone App is made to showcase iSpeech's capabilities. Hopefully someone can answer our question as to why we can't see the application on iTunes!

Here is what our user interface looks like:

Very clean and easy to use.

Simply enter your text and press "Listen". You can also cut and paste text from the iPhone Web browser, Emails and more!

Keep checking back with us as this application is just a preview of things to come.

Color your iSpeech!

2009-05-12T18:26:00.003-04:00

We've added an advanced options editor to the embed code generator. You can now customize colors or use the 'mini' version of the iSpeech player.

We've also streamlined the new 'colorized' iSpeech player and made it 180 pixels wide so it now fits snuggly into almost all sidebars.

You can access these options by clicking on the 'Advanced' tab under any embed box.

Text to Speech is Free Now... Put Away Your Credit Card

2009-04-21T13:19:00.003-04:00

We are happy to announce that we now have a free text to speech voice on our conversion clusters!

Anyone can come and get a feel for our service using the free voice, and when they decide that it would be helpful, they can try our premium voices free too. We have been working on this for quite some time and we would like to thank all of our wonderful customers for their patience.

New iSpeech Office in Newark, NJ

2009-03-01T15:22:00.000-05:00

March 1st, 2009, we begin the move into our new office! Going from working in the dark datacenter basement to a nice new building at NJIT's Enterprise Development Center is thrilling and gives us all quite a sense of accomplishment. After being accepted into the incubator many doors have begun to open for us.

If anyone would like to visit us at our new office, you will need to call and make an appointment. Maybe you can be the first to help us test out the sweet conference room?

New Dry Erase Board - :-)

2008-12-15T16:41:00.006-05:00

We finally have our dry erase board up! It takes up an entire side of the office, but is a nice addition to the decor. Having a bright blue office is fun and it makes the white really jump out. We had a smaller easel before but there is so much to do that this enormous board actually works for us!

We try to prioritize every day for each member of the iSpeech team. This board enables us to record everyone's daily goals. We are a group that appreciates color, creativity, and organization all in one. With the dry erase board, each of us has our own color and way to display our daily challenges and allows us to acknowledge our goals that we meet each and every day. It is very rewarding to be able to go up to this huge board and draw a red line through the items on the lists we have made for ourselves.

If you are looking to get organized in a big way, try a dry erase board that you can mount on your wall!

iSpeech is "very impressive" according to Speech Technology Magazine

2008-11-16T21:25:00.006-05:00

On November 11th

Speech Technology Magazine's blog introduced iSpeech to the speech technology community. Adam B. had this to say:

"iSpeech is a web-based solution that allows users to convert websites and blogs into audio. iSpeech has been in development for more than eighteen months and does not require users to download or install anything. They simply cut and paste what they want to convert into the box provided on the site, or upload the files in question. After that, it’s easy to share the files in pretty much any format or forum.

I decided to test it out with the following quote from Speech Tech Blog favorite Emma Goldman:
“No great idea in its beginning can ever be within the law. How can it be within the law? The law is stationary. The law is fixed. The law is a chariot wheel which binds us all regardless of conditions or place or time.”

The results–which can be heard here–are very impressive.

So impressive, that we may start using iSpeech for the Speech Tech Blog. We will keep you posted."

I wanted to take a second and thank Adam for his kind words. iSpeech is still in beta, and I am confident that if you like iSpeech beta, you will love what's to come! To Adam and all of our friends at Speech Technology Magazine, thank you!

Technical Post - New Filing System at iSpeech - MD5

2008-11-14T10:39:00.011-05:00

We have a new filing system at iSpeech to ensure that no two documents will ever collide. In case you have heard someone else's audio, it has been fixed!

The problem: computers cannot be truly random, even when generating a 32 bit sequence.

The solution: Files are named according to their message digest checksum, a hash of the actual file contents- aka MD5.

Note: any file that was previously converted will continue to work as normal. This fix only applies to new text to speech conversions.

iSpeech.org is recognized by KillerStartups.com

2008-11-11T23:25:00.008-05:00

At iSpeech.org (http://www.iSpeech.org), we always appreciate recognition for our hard work, but we were very happy to see that KillerStartups.com http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/ispeech-org-read-with-your-ears recognized us as a viable startup business. It seems that every day there are at least a few new Web 2.0 sites launched with hopes ranging from filling a niche market to becoming the next Google. Fairly recent success such as PlentyOfFish.com has sparked a free website rush. iSpeech.org definitely qualifies as Web 2.0 and as Free, but there is something that sets iSpeech apart from other Web 2.0 sites.

iSpeech is a true Webservice that converts any text into speech instantly. Not only does iSpeech convert text to speech, but it also allows the user to download an MP3, podcast, and even embed a customizable widget into any website or blog that supports objects. But why stop there? Why not give users the ability to convert any Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat (PDF), HTML, or RSS feed into spoken audio.

As per customer service, contact iSpeech.org and ask for an improvment or an add-on. Your idea will be met with open minds and may very well make it onto the site.

iSpeech mentioned by Zooped.com

2008-11-11T15:45:00.000-05:00

iSpeech (http://www.iSpeech.org) is noted by Zooped.com (http://www.zooped.com/tag/ispeechorg/) as an easy-to-use way of converting text to speech. With iSpeech, anyone can dowload or paste any file and convert it to audio in seconds.

In Zooped.com's words, "In a nutshell, iSpeech is a web-based solution that will allow you to convert your favorite websites and blogs to audio. A service like this caters for multiple users. For example, bloggers can easily increase their existing reader base by giving readers the chance to listen to the blog, whereas content providers can easily mobilize digital content and reach a broader audience instantly. Of course, the general public will also find such an approach compelling as they will be able to dispense with sitting in front of the computer to read the news – rather, they can listen to them"

For all you bloggers out there, this is a great way to grow your audience. Using iSpeech, readers can easily listen to your blog.

iSpeech CEO Featured in Rutgers University Article

2008-10-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

Rutgers Focus ran a nice article on iSpeech CEO Heath Ahrens this week: iSpeech Rutgers Article. In this article Ahrens explains how he conceived the idea for iSpeech and how he got started. Here is an excerpt from the article:

"I was sitting in traffic on Route 78, wasting time with a ton of reading still to do, and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could listen to reading assignments while I was driving?' Ahrens began to search for software that would convert text to audio. He was familiar with these types of programs because he had worked on computers that automatically answer telephone calls using text. “The software I found was time consuming and difficult to use,” said Ahrens. “I thought there must be a way to make this easy for students.”

Check out the article and let us know what you think!