This is the unique and touching story of a doctor suffering from a pathology that Apple recently shared with us. Tristram Ingham is a man who could eventually lose his ability to speak. Thanks to two new features introduced with iOS 17, the doctor believes his iPhone is a true guardian angel! We'll explain everything to you.
A few months ago, Apple introduced iOS 17, the latest version of its mobile operating system. Among all the new onboard functions, always aimed at making the everyday life of its users easier, the Cupertino company presented two tools that make the iPhone even more accessible: Personal Voice (or Personal Voice) and Live Speech. The concept of these two complementary functions is simple: “copy” the user's voice and save it so that the iPhone can then use their voice when the user cannot speak. Recently, it was the testimony of a doctor with a disability who shared his story and his daily struggles that proved the effectiveness of Apple's two new features.
If Tristram Ingham is a doctor, he presents himself primarily as a defender of people with disabilities. Originally from New Zealand, the man himself suffers from a very debilitating pathology: “Facio-Scapulo-Humeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), which causes progressive muscle degeneration that begins in the face, shoulders and arms and can ultimately lead to disability .” “for speaking, eating, or in some cases, blinking.”
In a video entitled “The Lost Voice” (La Voix Perdue in French), the Maori doctor explains his everyday life and his pathology. Ingham, who has been in a wheelchair since 2013, noticed significant changes in his voice over time and explained that it could be “difficult to raise your voice at the end of a long day.” He also recounts an incident that happened recently:
“Last month I was supposed to give a talk at a conference, but when the day came I couldn't do it because of my breathing. “So I had to ask someone to do the presentation for me, even though I was the one who wrote it.”
Personal voice and live speech can change lives
These two features introduced with iOS 17 can really change lives, as the doctor explains. Aware and frustrated by this problem affecting his professional life, Tristram Ingham decides to create his personal voice on his iPhone. As a reminder, the technology currently requires reading aloud at least 150 sentences, which are stored by the iPhone.
Here's an overview of Personal Voice, Apple's new feature for creating your own voice. -Apple
Then live speech comes into play. As Apple explains in its blog post, the only option left is to use this Personal Voice via Live Speech. To read aloud a new children's book (also called “The Lost Voice”) designed to mark the International Day of People with Disabilities, Ingham simply uses his iPhone. At the end of the video, we see the doctor typing sentences on his iPhone, which he immediately conveys orally using his voice and accent. The doctor adds:
“I was relieved that it was so easy. […] “I’m excited to hear the narration of this book through my voice and the way I express myself, rather than through an American, Australian or British voice.”
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A great testament to Apple's desire to make its devices more accessible and inclusive. Note that Live Speech not only gives users the ability to save voices, but also allows communication via phone or FaceTime.
Source : Apple