Fonix Adds Support for MP3 Files to iSpeak Personal Text Reader

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (June 26, 2001) - Fonix Corporation, (OTC BB: FONX), a leading provider of natural-user interface technology and voice solutions for wireless and mobile devices, just announced version 2.0 of Fonix iSpeak, the easy-to-use personal text reader that reads aloud any text file in a natural, human-sounding voice. “iSpeak 2.0 offers all users, be it students, learning disabled, productivity-minded business people, or even English as a Second Language (ESL) students, an efficient, highly-effective way to access and hear any text, anywhere,” said Kirk Feller, Vice President of Marketing at Fonix. “The addition of email reading for optimal efficiency, MP3 file support for maximum portability, and the option of a female or a male voice are highlights of this high-quality, extremely cost-effective text-to-speech solution.”

iSpeak 2.0 has been enhanced to allow users more flexibility in accessing and listening to their text. Support for MP3 file format enables text files to be synthesized and saved as an MP3 file and listened to from any standard MP3 player. Files can also be saved in the .WAV format. The email parsing feature, meanwhile, lets users listen to their email in their Microsoft Outlook 2000 in-box (rather than reading it on-screen) while doing other tasks.

Fonix iSpeak customer, Lee Erickson, of Elite Enterprises, claims that “iSpeak has met every expectation that I ever had and given me much more. It has given me my time back. Now I can listen to updated books every month instead of reading them, and since I am an audio learner, I retain the information ten times better.”

In addition, the look and feel of the interface has been improved and streamlined, while additions to the sound bank have increased the number of recognized words substantially.

The program is designed to increase the productivity for users of all sorts, including students, researchers, commuters, information workers, the learning disabled, and the visually impaired. iSpeak provides life-like voices, quite unlike the monotone, robotic and synthesized speech once offered by computers and other devices. Using industry-leading Fonix Text-To-Speech (TTS) technology, iSpeak reads text aloud with inflections, intonations, pauses, and changes in emphasis.

iSpeak automatically reads aloud any ASCII text. Users can easily adjust pitch, speed, and volume via a user-friendly button bar menu. The program offers unmatched and feature-rich options, including speaking names and addresses with accuracy; accepting input from a variety of sources including the keyboard, files, or the clipboard; and speaking specialized words that can be entered into a personal dictionary.

System Requirements: Microsoft Windows 95 or higher; Pentium 100 mHz or better, 32 MB RAM, 65MB disk space, CD-ROM drive, and SoundBlaster 16 or compatible sound card.

The new version of iSpeak will be available at CompUSA stores nationwide on August 1 at a suggested retail price of $69. Fonix iSpeak can also be ordered after by calling the company (801) 553-6600, or via the Fonix secure online ordering system at www.fonix.com.

SOURCE Fonix