…Continued from, “A Morning Solution”…

The integration of an IVR system, however, means that you can change your alarm, pick a sleep sound or perform any of the other functions without touching a single button or even looking at the device.

The speech integration is so great that even the World Blind Union and the Stevie Wonder Foundation have recognized it.

To activate a command, all you have to do is say, “Hello Moshi,” from anywhere in the room and the clock will instantly flash blue and ask you what you need.

The commands are easy to remember. And just in case you forget, you can just say “help” and the clock will tell you your options.

Recognition is fast, and the voice response plus the clean and easy-to-read light-up display means you get double confirmation that your alarm is set for 6 AM, not PM.

The clock doesn’t require any programming or installation for your specific voice, much like the software we run at Plum, and only costs $50.

The best part, though, is that Moshi’s speech-rec won’t aggravate you first thing in the morning or frustrate you during set-up.

At Plum, we know the potential of speech-recognition software. We focus a lot of our energy on creating software that’s fast and can understand commands from Jersey to Little Rock, so when we come across a product that takes IVR as seriously as we do, it’s something.

To develop their clock, the company spent three years traveling to every region of the U.S., taking over 1,000 voice samples for its programming.

What that means for the consumer is that Moshi understands you right out of the box. There’s no programming or training necessary. It just listens and does.

If you do switch to the voice-activated alarm clock and decide you can’t go back to buttons but need a clock on the go, Moshi Lifestyle has also rolled out a less expensive travel alarm clock as well as promising a smartphone application to come soon.

This means no more annoying small buttons, no more missed alarms and maybe even a better morning.