Microsoft is updating the "Read Aloud" feature embedded in the default browser of Windows 10, Microsoft Edge. As the name suggests, the Read Aloud feature can command the browser to read the site being opened in a loud voice.
The sound issued by the browser is an electronic voice, like a flat-pitched robot voice, a kind of template sound that is on Google Translate.
Well, now Microsoft is launching several updates to make a digital sound that is flat-tone become more natural, or more similar to the human voice.
The updated Read Aloud feature is being tested on the Chromium browser version or the beta version. You who have become a beta tester can try out this new feature. Not yet known when this natural language style choice will slide into the general version of Microsoft Edge.
There are two types of natural sounds offered by Microsoft. The first vote is Neural Voices. This voice utilizes machine learning technology that utilizes deep neural networks available on the Microsoft Cognitive Services cloud service.
Then the second vote is Standard Voices. In contrast to neural sound, this voice does not utilize machine learning technology, but rather utilizes a standard digital voice assistant database that is in the Microsoft Cognitive Services database. Illustration of Read Aloud feature on Microsoft Edge with various types of natural sounds (Windows Blog) To choose the type of sound, users can click the drop-down menu, as shown in the picture above, then click on the sound they want to hear.
This human-like voice can be chosen and has a template with the name "Microsoft ... (name of a digital assistant) Online - Language". Neural Voices type sounds with "Neural" frills while standard sound types come without that description.
Users can also choose the sound option with a bitrate of "24 kbps" to improve the quality of issued audio.
How to use the "Read Aloud" feature
Apart from these features, users can now use the Read Aloud feature on Microsoft Edge. To use these features just the easy way. Real users only need to right-click inside the Microsoft Edge browser window, on the site where the text is to be read.
However, it should be noted, if you want to read a specific set of texts or paragraphs, the user must block the writing you want to read earlier. If it's not blocked, the site reader will dictate readings starting from the text in the top-left corner of the site.
The browser will also read text non-stop. That is, users must click the "Pause" button to stop the "chatter" browser made by Microsoft.
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