Robots make it easier to part with your money

In a matter of months, Bell Canada will make it easier for Dexit tag users (like me) to funnel cash into their RFID tags. Using voice recognition and authentication, people can just pick up the phone, dial the Dexit 1-800 number, and say, “Hey, it’s me Bob. Stick $20 more in my account.”

There’s been a Dexit stand in the basement of where I work, hawking these tags for the past two days. All the employees even got an email to come on down.

Bell Canada has had great success in using voice recognition in fielding their own service calls. When calling 310-BELL, Bell’s consumer hotline, customers can interact with a chip voice called “Emily” that will point them to the right department. It uses Nuance’s SayAnything software, and they plan to roll it out to all of Bell’s subsidiaries.

Too bad they can’t get robots to pay that $1.50 refill fee too. That would be lovely.

Mamaseconds later…

“The weekend started with a literal bang here in the Baldwin household, as the nation of Taiwan attempted to kill me and my child.” It’s the screwball way that Matthew Baldwin explains his altercation with a exploding Taiwanese-made balance ball is what makes this story a winner. The funny thing is, Silverlotus owns the same ball for yoga. Same colour too. Yes, it’s still a ball. [from This is Broken]