Viva Voice Search | Viva Veracruz & Viva Puerto Escondido

We started using computers when card punch readers were the order of the day – ancient times.

While working at Capitol Records in the mid-seventies we owned one of the first IMSAI 8080 computers – arguably the first microcomputer, although it was large enough to call it a mini-computer and expensive. C/PM was the operating system – later it ran FORTRAN and BASIC as well.

During that same period we had access to a time share computer at UCLA. We used that to evaluate and determine available commercial components from actual design formula parameters. A real design to prototype time saver.

We got onboard and championed the two Steve’s (Jobs and Wozniak) Apple products over Bill Gates more structured, less user friendly Microsoft (IBM world) products; perhaps choosing the wrong horse to make the big bucks then? Back in the late 90′s we abandoned our Apple affiliation feeling the closeness of the two technologies had Gates products reluctantly a winner based on price, demand and massive amounts of software.

Here we are 37 years later from those beginnings, an older and perhaps wiser computer user – but truly less involved – “USER” is the key word. We have several years ago left development and programming to the likes of our now 22 year old son and others with youthful energy and interest

It has to be conceded that the United States engineers were in the forefront of computer technologies early development – on this July Fourth we salute them for that.

Computer technology in some respects has evolved more slowly than we had hoped and dreamed back in those early days. We had envisioned keyboard-less computers before now. We should have been successfully conversing with our computers long ago.

In that light – are you using Google Chrome as a browser? If not you are missing an advanced technology – Google’s Voice Search.

If you have a built in microphone (or an outboard installed) you merely click the microphone icon in the right corner of the Google search window and state your query (see photo below) – very cool!

Google Voice Search Screen (Red circle marks the spot to Click and talk)

Señora Calypso and I are avid Google searches.We encourage you to try Voice Search – a real time saver.

We have spent a tidy sum on voice recognition software programs over the years. Perhaps we will take a stab at one of the current favorite voice recognition programs again. In the meantime Viva Voice Search! Stay Tuned!

Dan in NC

Interesting that you were at Colombia when I was the IBM service tech that took care of Your place , Paramount, A&M records,MGM, et al- the entertainment accounts – were assigned to me when i worked out of the office at 3424 Wiltshire blvd. I also took care of the dp gear at the pressing plant in Santa Maria that Colombia had, when I moved up there as a “resident CE” ( loved the 25 cent album sales they had!) with the main responsibility of supporting the missile launches out of Vandenburg! While you were coding, I was making sure the I/o did what is was supposed to do. I was trained on the Burroughs 205, the NCR 390, IBM 705, the system 360/370 – and all associated gear! I loved wearing a suit, and fixing real computers that took up whole floors of a building. Sheesh! Now my iPad has more power than we were able to generate back then! As to pc’s? In Boca in the late 80′s creating the serviceability plans for the XT etc… Nuf’ said.. Thanks for reminding me that it really is a small world, and we probably crossed paths a couple of times on Ivar…
Dan in NC
http://vivaveracruz.com/blog John Calypso

Dan I worked at CAPITOL Records – not Columbia. Our building was located at 1750 N. Vine and there were pressing plants in Glendale and Winchester, Virginia. Prior to Capitol I worked at RCA on Balboa in the Valley building Saturn S1B and Saturn V ground teat computer systems (a total of 13 cabinets) to perform pre launch tests. 12 of those 13 cabinets you could stand inside of. ;-0.
Dan in NC

Ahhhh, pardon the mental fart…olde people ya know? The reason I said ivar, was that there were a couple of joints to eat lunch that were rather reasonable across from where Galpin has its studio rentals now. The only place on Vine I remember was the “brown derby” and it was well out of my pay scale. Hollywood blvd was too touristy, and Pinks, and Barney’s were usually too busy for the limited time we had. Really cool that you got to work on the Saturn project ! I do not believe I ever saw one of those BIG birds launch at v’burg. Most of ours were minutemen, used in training runs from the silos on base, pitched down to Quadulain atoll, with the occasional mil sat….
Dan in NC
http://honduras-gumbo.com/ Laurie Matherne

I never thought about why that tiny little icon was there. Now I know.
Ron

Google – no respect for IP laws, no respect for privacy laws, not respect for copyright.

You are not the customer, you hare their product.
norm

Cobalt, Fortran , syntax errors and then a stack of computer cards as long as your arm to write a simple program. It was not for me.
http://vivaveracruz.com/blog John Calypso

Cobalt was the de facto standard for business programing for a time and now one of the oldest languages. FORTRAN was for easy translation
of math formulas into code - math intensive projects – also a dinosaur now. Unix seemed to be the best way to go for a long time
http://vivaveracruz.com/blog John Calypso

Hm OK Ron – tell us how you really feel Our computers are no longer our own – lets face it – nor is our privacy.
http://vivaveracruz.com/blog John Calypso

There you go! You learn something new here occasionally
http://vivaveracruz.com/blog John Calypso

Musso and Franks was my favorite local spot (right on Hollywood Blvd.) Maybe it is still there – the Brown Derby was too far south to get there and back for lunch; and as you suggest spendy.

Also liked Sinatra hangout – The Villa Capri. I know it is gone ;-(
Anonymous

Yo Dan in NC, I too was an IBM “CE” (customer engineer) from 1968 to 73–minus a 2-year educational leave in Puebla, Mexico.

I started out repairing card-punch machines, keyboards, etc. Lots of fun the first 2 years, then got boring, so I started my own TV-stereo repair shop and did it for decades.

Still doing these things here in Cordoba, but mostly for ourselves.
http://vivaveracruz.com/blog John Calypso

Interesting Frank – I had a stereo repair (Everything Electronic) shop and eventually five retail mid-to high end audio gear stores – then started selling and then rep’ing computers – parallel lives of a sort. We HAVE to get together since we really are close – maybe if it warms up a bit we will head over.
Anonymous

Great John, “come on down”
http://garydenness.co.uk Gary Denness

I first bumped into Google Voice search when I got my Galaxy S2 last year. I was blown away. I still can’t believe how far voice recognition has advanced. Unless the speaker Scottish, of course.

I reckon I get more accurate results from voice search than I do from predictive text. I never actually use Google Voice search though. I just feel odd speaking into the phone when out in public. I would look a bit weird…