Voice recognition

Technical definition: the computing task of validating a user's claimed identity using characteristics extracted from their voices.

Layman's Definition: the ability to be able to tell a computer or a piece of software to do something and then it will just do it

Purpose: makes things hand free

Example Uses: cell phone commands, smart houses, etc.

Articles Used: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_recognition

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/2-28-2006-89981.asp