Hack86.Control Skype Using Spoken Commands

Hack 86. Control Skype Using Spoken Commands

You can have hands-free (and sight-free for the visually impaired) operation of Skype using only your voice.

Works with: Windows version of Skype.

Audiomatic ($29.95 from http://www.wiseriddles.com/Products/Audiomatic/index.html) is a shareware tool that enables you to control Windows and applications that run on Windows using voice commands and keyboard shortcuts. If you have the Audiomatic base product, you can install a free Skype add-on (which you can download at http://wiseriddles.swmirror.com/AudiomaticSkypePlugin.msi) that will more closely integrate Audiomatic with Skype.

Installing the Skype add-on for Audiomatic adds a new Audiomatic macro type called Interact with Skype, which allows you to control Skype using your voice in these two ways:

Make a phone call

To make a phone call you must select "Place a call to" when asked by the Audiomatic Macro Wizard, "When this macro is run, I want to."

Send a chat message

To send a chat message you must select "Send an Instant Message to" when asked by the Audiomatic Macro Wizard, "When this macro is run, I want to."

Setting up a voice command to make a phone call requires these steps using the Audiomatic Macro Wizard:

1. Open a new macro in the Macro Wizard and give it a name (select Audiomatic File New Macro…); see Figure 11-2. For this example, Ill be setting up a voice command to "Call Dad"! Click Next.

2. Select Interacts with Skype from the top pull-down menu in the next window, Figure 11-3, and select "Place a call to" from the middle pull-down menu. Pulling down the bottom pull-down menu will display your Skype contacts list in numerical and then alphabetical order. Note that this pull down does not allow you to enter a new phone number or Skype name, so you can create Audiomatic macros for Skype only for existing contacts. Select a Skype contact and then click Next.

3. The next screen, Figure 11-4, allows you to set the availability of your macro. To simply have the macro available at all times, click Next.

   Figure 11-2. Creating a new Audiomatic macro for Skype

   

   Figure 11-3. Assigning a phone number to the "Place a call to" action of the Audiomatic macro (phone numbers and Skype names can be used)

   

4. To assign a voice command and keyboard command to the macro, check both the "Enable Voice Commands for this macro" and "Enable Keyboard Commands for this macro" checkboxes; see Figure 11-5.

   Figure 11-4. Setting availability of the Audiomatic macro

   

   Enter a voice command and a keyboard command key sequence; in this example, "Call Dad" and (Left Shift) + (Left Ctrl) + D. Click Next.

5. Test the macro by clicking the Run Macro button in the next window (Figure 11-6). If the macro works as expected, click Finish.

6. By default, Audiomatic activates voice command mode using a keyboard hotkey (the default is (Left Shift) + (Left Ctrl) + A). However, to make macros totally voice activated, Audiomatic command mode must be activated itself with a voice command. You can do this by going to Audiomatic Tools Options… and in the Audiomatic Options dialog that is displayed, navigate to the Command Mode tab. In that tab, click on the "Speaking the phrase radio button and enter the phrase "Skype" to be used to activate Audiomatic's command mode.

Now, to call Dad, all I need to do is speak the command "Skype Call Dad." Skype will open and will start a call to Dad. Look ma, no hands! Phone calls automatically are hung up when the other party exits a call, so that part is also hands free.

Alternatively, I can use the keyboard command (Left Shift) + (Left Ctrl) + D to make the callwithout even looking at the keyboard!

Figure 11-5. Setting the voice command and keyboard command key sequence that will run the Audiomatic macro

Figure 11-6. Testing your Audiomatic macro using the Run Macro button

11.2.1. Hacking the Hack

In Chapter 12, "Hot-Switch Among Sound Devices" [Hack #91] presents a couple of VBScripts, logitech_API.vbs and c-media_API.vbs, to hot-switch sound deviceseven during a phone call. Using Audiomatic you can drive these scripts with voice commands too!

Creating an Audiomatic macro to do this requires almost the same steps as before, except at step 2 select Launches Programs instead of Interacts with Skype from the top pull-down menu in Figure 11-7. Also set "Program, file, or web site to launch" to the script file you want to run when you speak the voice command of your choice.

Figure 11-7. Setting up an Audiomatic macro to run a VBScript

With this slight variation at step 2, I set up two Audiomatic macros named Logitech and CMedia, which run logitech_API.vbs and c-media_API.vbs, respectively, upon my saying the commands "Skype Logitech" and "Skype CMedia." Now I can switch from my Logitech USB headset to my C-Media USB handset simply by saying "Skype CMedia," and from my C-Media USB handset back to my Logitech USB headset by saying "Skype Logitech." Moreover, I can make the switch before, or during, a call. Of course, to do this during a call requires a convenient pause in the conversation, but now I have the flexibility and convenience of switching sound devices with nothing more than a spoken command.

Using Audiomatic pretty much any of the scripts in this book that run on Windowsor any scripts you think up yourselfcan be run with nothing more than a spoken command.