iPhone Giveaway of the Day - UnderstandMyWorld

UnderstandMyWorld immerses you in written words to jump-start the comprehension of written English. This app serves two populations: It encourages pre-literate or partially-literate children to discover written language and learn to read, and helps literate, non-native English learners to experience spoken and written English in a natural, real-world context.

Both kinds of users can use their device’s camera and microphone to understand spoken words and see written language. Images captured by the camera are labeled and defined in both speech and writing. Participants can also speak into their device to record their speech or ask questions. The app then presents the dictated words or answers to questions in both spoken and written form. The rate of speech and size of the letters can be easily controlled and adjusted across a wide range of options to accommodate all different types of learners.

Using the required internet connection, the interface automatically provides exceedingly accurate image and speech recognition, all while preserving the participants’ anonymity. This application ensures safety for all ages of users, as indecent or offensive words will not be acknowledged in dictation or used in responses.

The application is designed to be intuitive and seamless to use. Intended to be held horizontally, the home screen displays statement, camera, and question icons on the bottom. The top icons show options for toggling selfies, flash, instructions, and settings.

The settings page allows you to adjust the presentation rate and size of written words. It also allows you to select whether or not speech should accompany the presentation of the written words.

When a picture is taken, labels are presented on screen. The participant can easily select the question mark (?) icon to learn about the definition of the presented label, or select the next button (>) to be presented with a total of 5 labels pertinent to the picture they have taken.

The statement icon – depicted by a speaker icon -- allows the user to say words aloud and have them repeated back, accompanied by their written presentation on the screen.

The microphone icon allows users to ask a variety of questions and have them answered by our intelligent system. Many types of questions can be asked, ranging from “Tell me about…”, “Define…” and “What is…”. Not sure where to start? Try asking some starter questions, such as:
Tell me about Sesame Street.
Who is Ben Stiller?
How many miles in 7 kilometers?
What is the meaning of charming?
Define global warming.
What is the Tour de France?
What is the time in Melbourne, Australia?
What is 7 divided by 2?
Question: 9 times 8.

While our system makes use of a wealth of information, sometimes the program will not recognize what is asked, or it will not have the information requested. In these cases, the participant will receive the reply: “Sorry, I didn't get that." We encourage you to ask a new question, or speak a new phrase, so our application can continue to help you understand your world! If you have any questions, suggestions, or questions, email dominic.massaro@gmail.com.