Mozilla voice-controlled browser could make web surfing more accessible, productive | Tech News

Mozilla is creating a version of Firefox named Scout that operates entirely by voice, according to an exclusive report from our sister site CNET.

Voice-control remains a dominant feature in tech gadgets. Between Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri, communication is harkening back to its roots: Voice. However, it is also shifting from contact between humans, to contact between humans and devices. Computing technology has evolved to watch, listen to, and understand humans, offering a number of benefits for consumers.

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This level of cognition in devices also proves extremely useful for business professionals, allowing for a hands-free way of working. With Scout, executives can continue writing, making calls, or checking emails without having to toggle over to a search engine to conduct a basic search, explained CNET. By just speaking an entry to your web browser, Scout finds what you’re looking for, and can even read it aloud to you.

Scout could also change the game for individuals with disabilities. Currently, people with vision problems use screen readers or apps to use the internet. A completely voice-controlled browser could drastically improve the internet experience of a visually impaired individual, making work more manageable and efficient.

The Scout project was announced at an all-hands Mozilla meeting in San Francisco on Wednesday, according to the invite. The meeting detailed the key components and platform of Scout, as well as the limitations and obstacles in working with existing platforms, the invitation noted.

The new browser could rejuvenate Mozilla’s competitiveness, according to CNET’s report, as it will be the first search engine that is entirely voice activated. Mozilla also just recently came out with Quantum, a version of the Firefox browser updated for speed. The first version is set to come out November, CNET reported.

The big takeaways for tech leaders:

• Mozilla is developing a voice-controlled internet browser named Scout, reinventing Mozilla’s competitive game.
• The technology will make searching the web more time-effective for business professionals, and easier to use for individuals with visual impairments.

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