Gotta love Exchange these days. Unified messaging has completely changed the way we laugh at emails:

Voice Mail Preview:

John this is John I'm on the cell she could you get a signed copy town spamid place thank you very much.

Created by Microsoft Speech Technology.

I'd like to point out that my name is Charles. Usually Exchange adds a little note to the top of the email saying 'confidence is low' when it's had trouble converting the speech to text. This one didn't have the note - nor was it even close to what the voicemail said. I don't think I've ever seen one that's even remotely close. Microsoft say that for 'most customers' the default speech-to-text settings work well and are over 80% accurate. This is an outright lie. They also want you to spend hyperbillions to get a specialist out to fine-tune your exchange config to get this working. I originate from London, and have a clear well spoken accent (not a hint of cockney in there gov'nor) - yet it fails miserably every time to distinguish simple words. My mobile phone has a better stab at it (though to be honest it is using Google's servers to do the recognition)

Today I had a phone conversation over Lync for 20 minutes with a colleague. Exchange decided, after the call, that it wasn't actually a call but instead a voicemail; it proceeded to send me a 2mb attachment with the 20 minute conversation from my colleagues side. My voice is absent from this audio file, rendering it pretty useless even if I did want a record of the conversation.

Lovely

Anyone else using Exchange Unified Messaging (TM) and finding that voicemail preview is a bag of poo?

On a lighter note - previewing voicemail in your email client is nice.

Charleh:

I originate from London, and have a clear well spoken accent (not a hint of cockney in there gov'nor) - yet it fails miserably every time to distinguish simple words.

Maybe the speech recognition system shipped with Exchange is fine tuned for another accent. Try some alternatives, like sounding scottish or canadian.

I once had problems with a speech recognition program (it asked me to read some text to calibrate to my voice), and the tech support asked me if I could try again while faking with a brittish accent. And no, I'm not kidding about it.

Renan:

I once had problems with a speech recognition program (it asked me to read some text to calibrate to my voice), and the tech support asked me if I could try again while faking with a brittish accent.

 

They didn't say what region of Britain?  You should have immediately went into a "pirate" accent.

Our company uses some Cisco thing. It just emails us the MP3 files of the voicemail, it doesn't attempt to transcribe them.

Renan:

Maybe the speech recognition system shipped with Exchange is fine tuned for another accent. Try some alternatives, like sounding scottish or canadian.

 

"Hi, you've reached my voice mail. Please leave your name, number, a brief message, and do it with a North Australian accent. *beep*"

Renan:

Charleh:

I originate from London, and have a clear well spoken accent (not a hint of cockney in there gov'nor) - yet it fails miserably every time to distinguish simple words.

Maybe the speech recognition system shipped with Exchange is fine tuned for another accent. Try some alternatives, like sounding scottish or canadian.

I once had problems with a speech recognition program (it asked me to read some text to calibrate to my voice), and the tech support asked me if I could try again while faking with a brittish accent. And no, I'm not kidding about it.

Whatever you do, don't try sounding Welsh.

Voice Mail Preview:

Dear aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all

Created by Microsoft Speech Technology.

Can someone who has access to this thing try sending themselves a voice mail with a quote from some famous speech, MLK or Shakespeare or something that well-known, post Exchange's attempt to transcribe it, and we'll all try and guess what it originally was? 

 

db2:

Dear aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all

So topical.

DaveK:

Can someone who has access to this thing try sending themselves a voice mail with a quote from some famous speech, MLK or Shakespeare or something that well-known, post Exchange's attempt to transcribe it, and we'll all try and guess what it originally was? 

Challenge accepted... I always found it strange that I could dial my own phone - I will report back when I've done it

DaveK:

Can someone who has access to this thing try sending themselves a voice mail with a quote from some famous speech, MLK or Shakespeare or something that well-known, post Exchange's attempt to transcribe it, and we'll all try and guess what it originally was? 

 

+1

FrostCat:

Whatever you do, don't try sounding Welsh.

Welsh?!! Since the clip features only Scots with Glaswegian (look it up) accents, who frequently say 'Scotland' and 'Scottish' throughout; and even when mimicing other accents, the protagonists don't mimic any Welsh accents, why on Earth do you mention Welsh? Or do you assume Canada and the USA are exactly the same place as well?

Cad Delworth:

Or do you assume Canada and the USA are exactly the same place as well?

Are you implying that at one point Canada got its independence?

Cad Delworth:

Or do you assume Canada and the USA are exactly the same place as well?

Wait, are you saying that Canada isn't the 58th state?!

Cad Delworth:

Or do you assume Canada and the USA are exactly the same place as well?

Wait are you saying {INSERT CLICHED CANADA JOKE #316 HERE}?

blakeyrat:

Cad Delworth:

Or do you assume Canada and the USA are exactly the same place as well?

Wait are you saying {INSERT CLICHED CANADA JOKE #316 HERE}?

Good one blakey!  You're so funny!  I'm so glad you're here!

frits:

Renan:

I once had problems with a speech recognition program (it asked me to read some text to calibrate to my voice), and the tech support asked me if I could try again while faking with a brittish accent.

 

They didn't say what region of Britain?  You should have immediately went into a "pirate" accent.

 

That's so 19th century.

You should try to sound Pakistani.

 

FrostCat:

Whatever you do, don't try sounding Welsh.

YouTube:

This video contains content from Channel 5, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbrLl9H5RDE also gives that error.

da Doctah:

You should try to sound Pakistani.

Any excuse to link to one of my favorite skits ever

Charleh:

DaveK:

Can someone who has access to this thing try sending themselves a voice mail with a quote from some famous speech, MLK or Shakespeare or something that well-known, post Exchange's attempt to transcribe it, and we'll all try and guess what it originally was? 

Challenge accepted... I always found it strange that I could dial my own phone - I will report back when I've done it

I'll just leave this here for you then.

Cad Delworth:

FrostCat:

Whatever you do, don't try sounding Welsh.

Welsh?!! Since the clip features only Scots with Glaswegian (look it up) accents, who frequently say 'Scotland' and 'Scottish' throughout; and even when mimicing other accents, the protagonists don't mimic any Welsh accents, why on Earth do you mention Welsh? Or do you assume Canada and the USA are exactly the same place as well?

I misrememberd and didn't bother rewatching the clip. I found the URL by googling "welsh elevator voice recognition," which, btw, Google autocompleted after about 8 letters. You might try removing the chip from your shoulder.

PJH:

FrostCat:

Whatever you do, don't try sounding Welsh.

YouTube:

This video contains content from Channel 5, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbrLl9H5RDE also gives that error.

An open proxy would probably fix that for you but if you can't find one and haven't seen the video, it features a couple of Scotsmen stuck in a voice-operated elevator. It's pretty darn funny.

FrostCat:

Cad Delworth:

FrostCat:

Whatever you do, don't try sounding Welsh.

Welsh?!! Since the clip features only Scots with Glaswegian (look it up) accents, who frequently say 'Scotland' and 'Scottish' throughout; and even when mimicing other accents, the protagonists don't mimic any Welsh accents, why on Earth do you mention Welsh? Or do you assume Canada and the USA are exactly the same place as well?

I misrememberd and didn't bother rewatching the clip. I found the URL by googling "welsh elevator voice recognition," which, btw, Google autocompleted after about 8 letters. You might try removing the chip from your shoulder.

He's Welsh; without that chip on his shoulder, he's got nothing.

db2:

Dear aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all

Dat you, Swampy?

morbiuswilters:

FrostCat:

Cad Delworth:

FrostCat:

Whatever you do, don't try sounding Welsh.

Welsh?!! Since the clip features only Scots with Glaswegian (look it up) accents, who frequently say 'Scotland' and 'Scottish' throughout; and even when mimicing other accents, the protagonists don't mimic any Welsh accents, why on Earth do you mention Welsh? Or do you assume Canada and the USA are exactly the same place as well?

I misrememberd and didn't bother rewatching the clip. I found the URL by googling "welsh elevator voice recognition," which, btw, Google autocompleted after about 8 letters. You might try removing the chip from your shoulder.

He's Welsh; without that chip on his shoulder, he's got nothing.

Surely he'd have a hunch on the other side?

FrostCat:

morbiuswilters:

FrostCat:

Cad Delworth:

FrostCat:

Whatever you do, don't try sounding Welsh.

Welsh?!! Since the clip features only Scots with Glaswegian (look it up) accents, who frequently say 'Scotland' and 'Scottish' throughout; and even when mimicing other accents, the protagonists don't mimic any Welsh accents, why on Earth do you mention Welsh? Or do you assume Canada and the USA are exactly the same place as well?

I misrememberd and didn't bother rewatching the clip. I found the URL by googling "welsh elevator voice recognition," which, btw, Google autocompleted after about 8 letters. You might try removing the chip from your shoulder.

He's Welsh; without that chip on his shoulder, he's got nothing.

Surely he'd have a hunch on the other side?

Excellent point.

morbiuswilters:

FrostCat:

morbiuswilters:

FrostCat:

Cad Delworth:

FrostCat:

Whatever you do, don't try sounding Welsh.

Welsh?!! Since the clip features only Scots with Glaswegian (look it up) accents, who frequently say 'Scotland' and 'Scottish' throughout; and even when mimicing other accents, the protagonists don't mimic any Welsh accents, why on Earth do you mention Welsh? Or do you assume Canada and the USA are exactly the same place as well?

I misrememberd and didn't bother rewatching the clip. I found the URL by googling "welsh elevator voice recognition," which, btw, Google autocompleted after about 8 letters. You might try removing the chip from your shoulder.

He's Welsh; without that chip on his shoulder, he's got nothing.

Surely he'd have a hunch on the other side?

Excellent point.

Sadly disqualified; competition rules state that humps are required to be blunt at all times.