Accoona Corp., the artificial intelligence-based online search engine, and Acapela Group, the number one supplier of speech technologies in Europe, today launched revolutionary speech-empowered technology that will enable online users to listen to Internet content. The "Accoona Talking Search Bar" is the first such application tied directly to an Internet search engine.


Horoscopes, weather bulletins, latest news or full articles, e-mails, meeting notes or work documents... the Accoona Talking Search Bar will read any written information out loud for you with Acapela's intelligent and natural sounding voice.


The Talking Search Bar literally converts any written text into speech using an extremely high quality text-to-speech technology, capable of transforming any type of information in real-time as flexibly as the human voice would do.


"The Talking Search Bar is the next step in the fast-accelerating evolution of Accoona as one of the Web's premier search engines," said Accoona CEO Stuart Kauder. "With each step in Accoona's development, which started with the introduction of our artificial intelligence-based search technology, we're striving to enhance the Web experience for Accoona's users. Now, Internet browsers worldwide will be able to 'listen' to any written English information through the Accoona Talking Search Bar. The utility of the technology is virtually limitless -- for everyone from users who want to simply hear the content to toddlers and school-age children in the U.S. just learning to read or those with impaired vision looking for an easier way to access information, to web users who want to read, learn or improve their English anywhere in the world."


Accoona Talking Search Bar is installed quickly. In a few clicks it will sit in the Accoona toolbar, waiting to assist you whenever you need it. Select the piece of text you're interested in, press play and you can sit back and listen.


Experience the "Accoona Talking Search Bar" speech enabled by Acapela for free to:


> Learn a new language: make progress in a foreign language by listening


to the correct pronunciation.


> Learn to read and write: a fun and interactive way to encourage children


to listen and learn.


> Ease access to information: for people suffering from vision troubles.


> Relax: sit back and listen and give your over-worked eyes a rest.


> Save time: do something else while you listen to a work document.


Accoona also designed the feature for global Internet users who want to learn and pronounce English or enhance their English-language skills. The application can used by pre-schoolers, elementary-school students and others first learning to read English, such as English as a second language or adult literacy students.


The China Daily Information Company, the largest English-language web and media destination in China, today separately launched the technology for Chinese Internet users through its exclusive partnership with Accoona.


The benefits of the technology include extending English-language learning skills to a global audience, providing hands-free information from favorite Web sites and enabling "proofreading" of personally created Web pages. Kauder also noted the Talking Search Bar's simplicity as there is no need to copy and paste text into a separate window.


Kauder said the Talking Search Bar eventually will enable users to read and listen to their emails. Accoona also expects to extend the reading functionality to multiple languages this year as part of Accoona's technology roll-out.


The "Accoona Talking Search Bar" is available starting today and can be installed by accessing http://www.accoona.com (60-day free trial period, unlimited license $24.95 USD).