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You may have found that your voice-activated toaster and kettle refuse to
oblige when you tell them what to do. That’s because they are confused by other
voices coming from the radio or TV, says Bosch of Germany (W0 98/55992). Bosch’s
answer is to make speech-recognition circuits that respond only if you ask the
equipment twice in quick succession. The chances of someone on TV repeating
“Switch on the toaster” or “Defrost the fridge” are low enough to prevent your
kitchen equipment running out of control.