In addition to providing more computer capability for your ZX80, the new 16K RAM will let you talk with your machine.
Cognivox, produced by Voicetek of Goleta, CA, is a speech I/O peripheral for personal computers. It uses both speech recognition and vocal response, so you and your ZX80 can talk to each other. Cognivox maintains a vocabulary of up to 32 words or short phrases (requiring less than 3 seconds of speech time) and a recognition rate up to 98%.
You must train the machine to recognize your voice and teach it a reply vocabulary. Thereafter, it will respond faithfully only to its master’s voice. Cognivox learns quickly, though, and you need only pronounce the recognizer vocabulary three times and the response vocabulary once. These vocabularies may differ.
Cognivox is currently available for several personal computers. Because Voicetek aims Cognivox at a wide variety of systems, they cannot provide application programs. However, using the USR, PEEK and POKE functions, software interface to BASIC programs is simple. Supplied software includes the machine language driver programs plus application paks, as well as two voice operated video games and a talking calculator program. Additionally, Cognivox can produce music or sound effects (instructions for music programs included with manual).
The ZX80 version will require the 16K RAM memory expansion board, and Voicetek expects to deliver by March, 1981. Sinclair Research has secured marketing rights for the ZX80 Cognivox, so expect to buy it through the usual Sinclair mail order procedure. Current Z-80 Cognivoxes run $149.