"The human voice is the first instrument, " he said in a 2008 interview on National Public Radio.

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"This is the first translator in the world that understands voice and it was primarily designed for travellers, " said Arkady Davydov of Ectaco which developed the product.

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"Our Voice-Activated Navigation System integration allows us to enrich the AppLink experience even further, giving customers an industry-first combination of voice control and touch-screen access to the apps stored on their mobile phones, " said Julius Marchwicki, Ford SYNC product manager.

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At a news conference Sunday, NTSB board member Kitty Higgins said the cockpit voice recorder captured sounds of loud "thumps" seconds after the pilot and first officer commented on a nearby flock of birds.

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On Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Board said the plane's cockpit voice recorder captured sounds of loud thumps seconds after the pilot and first officer commented on a nearby flock of birds.

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