Speech Recognition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Speech Recognition - Essay Example Normal human interaction is verbal and nonverbal (facial expressions). A logical progression in computer technology should be a move away from keyboard and mouse interaction and toward verbal or facial recognition technology. Biotechnology already exists in the form of fingerprint recognition and speech recognition programs. Fingerprint recognition simply plots three points of a fingerprint and gives it a numerical equivalent. Many school systems use fingerprint recognition programs to speed up their lunch lines. Students simply put their thumb on the reader, their print is recognized, and their account is charged for the lunch. In 1965 Gordon Moore made a prediction that computer technology would double about every two years. Specifically, Moore predicted that the number of transistors on a chip would double every two years and that chip size would gradually become smaller. More capacity would open up the possibility to run more and more complex programs. The increased capacity was achieved by each chip having the ability to hold more and more transistors over time. Moore's law is very important because the computer technology of the 1960's would need to increase capacity to handle programs such as speech recognition and facial recognition programs. ... Moore's law has held true. Chip technology has doubled capacity at approximately two year intervals since 1970. Intel's Duel Core Itanium 2 Processor holds approximately 1,000,000,000 transistors compared to the 8088 processor of the 70's which held approximately 15,000 transistors. Speech Recognition A keyboard/mouse interface with computer systems is a design that followed the logical progression from typewriters to computer based word-processing programs. But, this interface does not replicate how people communicate with one another. Natural communication is verbal and includes facial recognition as well. As computers have become integrated into just about every sector of society their uses have become more varied (away from simple word-processing). It is only logical that interfaces should change and evolve as well. Speech recognition technology moves users away from keyboard/mouse interfaces and toward an interface that is more natural for the user. A speech recognition program includes both synthesizers and recognizers. These two devices replicate human interaction by taking human speech and turning it into text (recognizer) and taking text and turning it into speech (synthesizer). Anyone who has used computerized telephone answering services knows that, although recognizable as speech, computers do not do an adequate job of replicating tones of voice or accents found in normal speech patterns. The most up to date speech recognition program on the market is Window's Vista. Intel technologists are working on an AVSR (Audio Visual Speech Recognition) program that will upgrade technology that exists in the form of an audio visual interaction program. Technological advances, such as speech recognition technology, will allow

PHL #6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PHL #6 - Essay Example It is therefore, different from other concepts such as Cartesian dualism and Skinnerian behaviorism (Carruthers, 1998). Therefore, the two theories are compatible in this regard as they discuss various concepts of the mind. Their thinking and philosophies are based on the fact that the mind rather than the soul. The man is defined by is relationship to an organic structure. Both theories state that it is not only humans that have souls and intrinsic principles but also beasts and plants (Carruthers, 1998). According to Aristotle, plants have vegetative souls and these include the powers of growth, nutrition and reproduction. Human beings on the other hand, have additional powers of perceptions and locomotion and for this they possess a sensitive soul. The existence of the sensitive soul is manifested by the fact that each animal has a sense faculty(Carruthers, 1998). Functional roles help identify mental states. There are several types of functionalism, and these include: machine state functionalism, psych functionalism, analytic functionalism, Homuncular functionalism and Mechanistic functionalism. All these types of functionalism point to the fact that, mental states are manifested in individual system such as computers as long as the necessary as the system perform the required set of functions (Carruthers,

Ethics in Medicine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics in Medicine - Research Paper Example Subsequently, an analysis of womens rights to their bodies is outlined in this paper. This will be achieved in this paper through the identification of a point of argument relative to womens rights to their bodies, an elucidation of the logical strengths and weaknesses of the issue as well as how it is approached, and also through a determination on whether the issue attempts to overreach into personal liberty. Krieger postulates the fact that the history of womens fight for the right to their bodies runs back to the 1970s. This began when women established movements geared towards the protection of their rights to "access safe, legal abortion and contraception in North America and Europe and soon afterwards Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa" (p. 726). During this period, women fought for their right to make their own decisions in regard to what point at their lives to have children, as well as the method or technique to be used when giving birth not considering their ethnic background, age, abilities, and also their social and economic status. Womens rights to their bodies became an issue when countries all over the world started creating and implementing plans of action aimed towards denying women their rights. For instance, this became an issue in India when the government enforced rules that required women to undergo sterilization and also insert hormonal implants in their bodies. Similarly, womens rights to their bodies became an issue in the Philippines and South American countries as a result of imposed strategies supported by the religious organizations disallowing or making illegal birth control methods and termination of pregnancies. In some African countries such as Egypt and Nigeria, womens rights to their bodies became an issue based on the governments disregard to dangerous and harmful cultural practices such as female circumcision (Krieger

PHL #6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PHL #6 - Essay Example It is therefore, different from other concepts such as Cartesian dualism and Skinnerian behaviorism (Carruthers, 1998). Therefore, the two theories are compatible in this regard as they discuss various concepts of the mind. Their thinking and philosophies are based on the fact that the mind rather than the soul. The man is defined by is relationship to an organic structure. Both theories state that it is not only humans that have souls and intrinsic principles but also beasts and plants (Carruthers, 1998). According to Aristotle, plants have vegetative souls and these include the powers of growth, nutrition and reproduction. Human beings on the other hand, have additional powers of perceptions and locomotion and for this they possess a sensitive soul. The existence of the sensitive soul is manifested by the fact that each animal has a sense faculty(Carruthers, 1998). Functional roles help identify mental states. There are several types of functionalism, and these include: machine state functionalism, psych functionalism, analytic functionalism, Homuncular functionalism and Mechanistic functionalism. All these types of functionalism point to the fact that, mental states are manifested in individual system such as computers as long as the necessary as the system perform the required set of functions (Carruthers,

Hildegard's Spirit-Filled, Visionary Music Term Paper

Hildegard's Spirit-Filled, Visionary Music - Term Paper Example Some people live such extraordinary lives that their death doesn’t particularly slow the spread of their influence at all. Hildegard Von Bingen was such a person, and music was central to her experience and to her identity. In fact, she referred to herself as a tone from the tuba of God (Phillips 59). This paper aims to provide some insight into her life, and to discuss the impact her music has had on both secular and sacred music that followed. She was born in Bermersheim, near Alzey, in the summer of 1098, to a noble family. She had her first visionary experience before the age of five, and furthermore was not a healthy child. Her parents dedicated her to the religious life at age eight (Flanagan 2) She was enclosed in the cell of a pious, recluse noble woman, Jutta, where she spent most of her days in prayer. (3). More girls were also enclosed there, and by the time Hildegard was age 13 or 14, the cell had grown into a Benedictine convent, attached to a monastery (3). Jutta died when Hildegard was 38, and Hildegard subsequently was chosen to take over the leadership of the convent. Up to that time, Hildegard had continued to see visions, but had learned at an early age not to speak of them to anyone, to avoid embarrassment. She told only Jutta and later her teacher (3). At age 42, Hildegard had a mystical vision in which she suddenly accessed the meanings of all scripture and was told to write and publicize what she heard and understood. She resisted at first, out of low self esteem and humility, but her resistance caused her to become very ill. Her illness only left her when she was finally able to write (4). She spent 10 years writing her first visionary work. During this time, Hildegard announced that God had instructed her to move her convent away from the monastery. The monks resisted, for reasons of finance and reputation, wanting to retain control over Hildegard, as an asset (5). She received papal permission and authority, once the church esta blished that her visions were authentic and that the Holy Spirit was revealing truths to her. She took her nuns to the place indicated in her vision, and she wrote three major volumes of revealed visionary information, left correspondence and other writings and art, and innumerable musical compositions, which are appreciated today (5). Although she suffered from health problems throughout her life, still she was a successful author, composer, artist, mystic, religious leader, visionary-prophetess, correspondent, abbess, teacher, rebel, scholar and healer, and she died at a ripe old age. One theory about her illness, a feminist explanation, is that it was a result of her struggle to find her own voice (Grant and Bingen). After all, she had been given away by her parents and grew up in a restrictive locked cell with a woman who spent her days in prayer and chanting. She had visions, some rather frightening, with dark and monstrous beings and explosions of blinding light, which she had to mostly keep to herself, to avoid embarrassment, Her health was delicate, a fact not conducive to claiming her own power, and consequently her own voice. She was creative and talented, artistically and intellectually gifted, but she was under the authority of monks and male church leaders who upheld the most stringent male-dominated values and norms of an extremely patriarchal society. Her most personal self-expression required papal permission. An alternative interpretation of the meaning of her illness and visions is offered by Dr. Charles Singer a founder of modern scholarship in the history of medicine and science, from a century ago. He thoroughly analyzed Hildegard’s writings and offered the opinion that they were likely her interpretations of the auras and visual distortions that can come with migraine headaches (Singer 78) and that her illness would likely be considered to be

Apple Inc Social Strategy Essay Example for Free

Apple Inc Social Strategy Essay In the case â€Å"Apple Inc. in 2010†, we can see that between 1980 and 1996, the company struggled with different management style and strategies. During those 16 years, Apple was a computer-based company that was not trying to differentiate itself from its competitor. That is why, in 1996, when Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he started to focus on the social aspect of Apple but also on how to innovate and create new products in order to differentiate the company. First of all, when Steve job came back, the company name went from Apple computer to Apple Inc. Jobs goal was to change Apple’s image by creating a culture around the company. In order to create its culture around the brand, he developed an ecosystem of products that could be connected together. Furthermore, Apple not only developed products, they developed software and platform such as ITunes or Icloud that would help customers to use their products easily. Moreover, by creating this ecosystem, Apple was able to attract and retain customers because with their Icloud platform for example, â€Å"Apple users† were able to synchronize, store and share data from all their Apple devices in one place which made life easier for customers. Secondly, its product became the must have if customer wanted to be part of â€Å"the Apple Family† or â€Å"community†. Apple products were not anymore electronic products (iPod, iPad, IPhone) or computer; Apple products were seen as a social status since Apple product prices were higher than the competition. Thirdly, Customers are buying Apple products in order to have high quality products that are sold in huge bright store that gives customers a unique shopping experience. In addition, customers can now bring their product in store to have them fixed but they can also come in store to receive lessons on how to efficiently use their Apple products. By offering that type of services, Apple is able to develop customer’s loyalty that will make them feel like they are part of the â€Å"Apple community†. Finally, the culture force that Steve Jobs created is now Apple’s best social strategy in order to attract customers. Apple should focus on this culture force and try to improve its existing products to make them even more connected by creating new apps that are like â€Å"iMessage† or â€Å"Facetime†. Apple could also develop new products that could be integrated inside the product ecosystem that is already in place to increase its connected product line.

The City Of Timbuktu Environmental Sciences Essay

The City Of Timbuktu Environmental Sciences Essay The city of  Timbuktu  is located in the African nation of  Mali, near the Niger River. It is small trading town in central Mali and the Tombaugh Cato its official name. It was one of the richest commercial cities in Africa and a center of Islamic learning in the third and sixteenth centuries. It is population 20.483 inhabitants. This name comes from the language spoken by the Tuareg nomads who life in it. It was well known to Arabs and other traders when it served as a hub of culture and commerce during the 14th and 15th centuries Timbuktu  is also home to several famous mosques, including Sankore, Djingareyber, and Sidi Yahya, all of which are made from the distinctive mud which characterizes buildings in  Timbuktu. Due to  desertification  and related issues,  Timbuktu  is a very difficult city to live in it. [1] The objective of this research is to review the literature as it pertains to desertification, to define the current status of desertification, to document that designed to reverse the negative effects of desertification, and to analyze effect of desertification as well as their consequences. Review of Desertification [2] Desertification  is a type of  land degradation  in which a relatively  dry  land region becomes increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife. Desertification is known as Desert encroachment. Any drought on agricultural land or cultivable, and converted into barren land and is caused by long drought on the one hand, and human activity on the other. And desertification phenomenon is also known as: turning wide range of fertile areas and high production to poor areas of vegetable and animal for many reasons. Desertification has four types in term of dangerous the United Nations designated it. First, very severe desertification: a shift of land to a non-productive state completely. This can be reclaimed by expensive costs and only limited spaces and in many cases, the agricultural reform process becomes totally unproductive. There are many examples such as Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Somalia. Second, Desertification: when spreading of unwanted plants, and there is a decline of good vegetable production up to 50%, like land in the east and north-west of the delta in Egypt. Third, Moderate desertification: where good vegetable production declines. It causes salinization of the soil, which reduces production by 10-15%, and up to 25% such as Egypt. Fourth, slight desertification: when damage occurs or destruction very simple in vegetation and soil which can be negligible as in Saharan desert of the Arabian island. Desertification has a many reasons where causes or factors are divided into two categories: natural and human. Natural factors: climate, drought, quicksand, the high soil salinity and soil creep. Human factors: such as over grazing, poor irrigation methods, deforestation, creeping urbanization and pollution. We can overcome desertification in many ways, such as: sand dune stabilization, increase the area of agricultural land, the enactment of laws that prevent harvesting, water pollution prevention and the introduction of new crops more suited to the environmental conditions. Desertification in Timbuktu [3] Where it came from the sand on the vegetation that surrounded the city, the river and bridge branch with a length of about 7 km which connects the city by the main reaches of the River Niger that facilitates the transfer of goods to the city by river navigation. Although the exploitation of the financial governments reputation historic wide of the city in bringing Western tourists, ((the share of infrastructure projects is negligible)), which impact on tourism in the city itself, this as well as the resulting manifestations of poverty and misery, despite this bleak picture but Timbuktu seem always tall and a source of pride and pleasure if we look at the reality of cultural, as it is one of the few regions in the world that has maintained the kind of cultural Alkuzmosa, where managed city smelting several cultures in one pot, to make them their culture which rarely found elsewhere. The rolled on the Timbuktu region several crises of drought between the years 1970 1997, because of desertification which overgrazing was the most important causes of it. Where the regions population depends on livestock grazing in large numbers may increase the need for per household because it is the main source of livelihood. Also because of negligence or lack of awareness of the importance of other fileds such as agriculture and others. In addition to other influences such as global warming and the burning of fossil fuels which was and still have devastating effects on the environment of the region. Programs designed to reverse the negative effects of Desertification in Timbuktu These are a few of the relevant measures. Investment program and rural areas in northern Mali[4] The program aims to reduce rural poverty in the regions of Timbuktu and Gao restoring social networks and creating the conditions necessary to support economic activity. It operates the hydro-agricultural potential of the Niger River. The interventions under the program are concentrated in 14 municipalities along the Niger River and five common pastoral concern devices and small farmers, pastoralists, rural women, youth and marginalized social groups. The program aims to: Strengthen the capacity of local organizations and institutions to express their collective needs and to create and manage their investments. Develop the potential of agro-pastoral zone in a sustainable manner. Improve access to basic services through the development of community health centers. Contribute to the development of national policies to fight against rural poverty. Promote policy dialogue to promote the interests of local rural communities. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification [5] [6]   In those countries experiencing serious drought and / or desertification, particularly in Africa, the Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that include long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements. This Convention is the only agreement that has been drawn from the direct recommendation of the Conference Agenda 21, adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994 and entered into force in December 1996. The agreement is the first and only carry an international, legally binding and to put to address the problem of desertification. The Convention on the principles of partnership, participation and decentralization the backbone of good governance, sustainable development and the Convention has now 194 countries member making them bear recipe World to help in promoting the Convention announced in 2006 the International Year of Deserts and Desertification, but discussions broke on the effectiveness of the International Year on a practical level. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations[7] Desertification like illness Earth which seriously affects vegetation of land cultivated with crops, as well as pasture and forest areas.  Also have negative effects on the phenomenon of biodiversity and soil fertility and the hydrological cycle of water resources and crop yields, in addition to the production of livestock. t should be noted that the Food and Agriculture Organization supports and supports a number of countries in the world in the implementation of its country programs to combat desertification, and those countries are: Mali, Senegal, Turkey, Chile, Cuba, Yemen, Lebanon, and Cambodia. As the organization pays special attention to dry areas and through its Special Programme for Food Security. In Africa, seeking Food and Agriculture Organization to strengthen its cooperation with UNESCO and the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel region, in response to desertification in the Sahel and West Africa, has coordinated an initiative of the United Nations on the Horn of Africa, which includes the countries most affected by desertification. Effects of Desertification on the Mosques of Timbuktu [8] There are three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, recall Timbuktus golden age. Although these monuments are continuously restored, current desertification enhances desert encroachment and sand storms: the site is under threat. The satellite image shows the landscape surrounding Timbuktu, composed mainly of sand and desert. The temperature increased by 1.4 °C in that area and the impact of the drought was remarkable between 1901 and 1996. Research has shown that in the future region will face a decline in average rainfall, and an increase in the temperature and that will surely enhance the encroachment of the desert and sand blown damage in Timbuktu. Consequences of Desertification for Timbuktu Desertification has huge economic consequences the World Bank estimates that at the global level, the annual income foregone in the areas affected by desertification amounts to US$ 42 billion each year, while the annual cost of fighting land degradation would cost only US$ 2.4 billion a year. In all, more than 110 countries have dry lands that are potentially threatened by desertification. [9]Africa, Asia and Latin America are the most threatened by desertification. There are several things to do to reverse the negative consequences of desertification[10] Restore and fertilize the land: A simple and cheap way to fertilize the land is to prepare compost that will become humus and will regenerate the soil with organic matter. Reforestation: trees play several roles: they help fix the soil, act as wind breakers, enhance soil fertility, and help absorb water during heavy rainfall. Develop sustainable agricultural practices. Traditional lifestyles: as practiced in many arid zones offer examples of harmonious living with the environment. Combat the effects of the wind: By constructing barriers and stabilising sand dunes with local plant species. Developing education and training: It is important that every individual has access to information and understands the action proposals communicated by the media and literature. Reading and writing skills provide people the opportunity to become better informed and help them understand and organize projects that combat desertification. Education therefore enables them to share knowledge and better manage the available resources. Mandating environmental priority. Relieving pressure on forest. Investing more external aid in rural. Strengthening institutions.