Abstract: Systems, methods, and software are disclosed herein that improve the instruction of prosody in the context of software applications and services. In various implementations, a service analyzes an audio recording of a user reading text aloud to determine the prosody of the reading. The service provides data to an application indicative the prosody, as well as a reference prosody for the text. The application may then display of a visualization of a comparison of the user prosody for the text to the reference prosody for the text for consumption by users, e.g., a teacher or the reader.

Abstract: A method of identifying reading passages for reading progress can include receiving a set of error-indicated phonemes, wherein the set of error-indicated phonemes correspond to pronunciation errors identified in a recorded audio file from an individual reading an assigned passage aloud; determining corresponding error-indicated phonetic rules for each error-indicated phoneme of the set of error-indicated phonemes using a mapping of phonemes to phonetic rules; identifying at least one content passage from a set of content passages that satisfies a condition with respect to the error-indicated phonetic rules; and providing the at least one content passage for a new assignment for the individual to read aloud.

Abstract: An automatic speech sensitivity adjustment feature is provided. The described sensitivity feature can enable an automatic system adjustment of a sensitivity level based on the number and type of determined speech errors. The sensitivity level determines how sensitive the sensitivity feature will be when indicating speech errors. The sensitivity feature can receive audio input comprising one or more spoken words and determine speech errors for the audio input using at least a sensitivity level. The sensitivity feature can determine whether an amount and type of the speech errors requires an adjustment to the sensitivity level. The sensitivity feature can adjust the sensitivity level to a second sensitivity level based on the amount and type of the speech errors, where the second sensitivity level is a different level than the sensitivity level. The sensitivity feature can re-determine the speech errors for the audio input using at least the second sensitivity level.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method that may be carried out by a reader device or other computing device includes identifying boundaries of words and sentences of displayed content and receiving a language selection of a language for translating a selected unit of text in the displayed content; translating the unit of text to the selected language; retrieving from a picture dictionary, a pictogram associated with a tag applied to the word or at least one word from the sentence of the selected unit of text; generating pronunciation files for both an original language of the unit of text and the selected language; and displaying, in context with the displayed content, the unit of text in the original language and the selected language, the pictogram, and icons for requesting to play the pronunciation files. The selected unit of text can be a word or a sentence.

Abstract: A mobile device accesses an image generated with an image sensor of the mobile device. The mobile device detects text content in the image (using Optical Character Recognition). The mobile device accesses a reading preference of a user of the mobile device and formats the text content according to the reading preference. The mobile device then generates and displays the formatted text content in a display of the mobile device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method that may be carried out by a reader device or other computing device includes identifying boundaries of words and sentences of displayed content and receiving a language selection of a language for translating a selected unit of text in the displayed content; translating the unit of text to the selected language; retrieving from a picture dictionary, a pictogram associated with a tag applied to the word or at least one word from the sentence of the selected unit of text; generating pronunciation files for both an original language of the unit of text and the selected language; and displaying, in context with the displayed content, the unit of text in the original language and the selected language, the pictogram, and icons for requesting to play the pronunciation files. The selected unit of text can be a word or a sentence.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer media for enhancing search results, as well as user interfaces for performing search queries and navigating search results, are provided. A search query is received from a user. A plurality of web pages relevant to the search query are identified. At least one of the relevant web pages is identified as popular. A search result page is generated including a search result listing and a search result page header. The search result page header includes a link to the popular web page to provide the user with a quick and easy way to select a popular web page relevant to the user's search query.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and computer-storage media for organizing presentation of browser toolbars. In one embodiment, a toolbar of a web browser is presented. The toolbar has a search input box. Additionally, one or more application icons are presented on each of at least two sides of the search input box. An indication that a user has engaged an application icon of the toolbar is received. Further, an application window is presented beneath the search input box of the toolbar. The application window comprises content associated with the application icon.

Abstract: Computer-storage media, methods, and systems for mapping a previously submitted query to category(s) and for rendering the category(s) in visual association with the query are provided. Generally, the query is assigned the category(s) by employing one or more categorization processes. One categorization process involves selecting entity(s) that capture a topic inherent to the query, identifying the category(s) that encompass the subject matter of the entity(s), respectively, and generating a mapping between the identified category(s) and the query. Here, the entity(s) operate as a semantic representation of the query. Another categorization process involves inferring a logical description underlying the query, and identifying specific and general category(s) that are semantically related to the inferred logical description. Upon detecting an indication to view past queries, any combination of the specific category, the general category, and the query mapped thereto is presented concurrently to the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, graphical user interfaces, and computer-readable media for visually searching and exploring a set of objects are provided. A computer system executes a method that generates three-dimensional representations or two-dimensional representations for a set of objects in response to a user interaction with an interface that displays the three-dimensional representations or the two-dimensional representations. The interface includes filter controls, sorting controls, and classification controls, which are dynamically altered based on the content of a user query or the attributes of the objects in the three-dimensional representations or two-dimensional representations.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and computer-storage media for organizing presentation of browser toolbars. In one embodiment, a toolbar of a web browser is presented. The toolbar has a search input box. Additionally, one or more application icons are presented on each of at least two sides of the search input box. An indication that a user has engaged an application icon of the toolbar is received. Further, an application window is presented beneath the search input box of the toolbar. The application window comprises content associated with the application icon.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer media for enhancing search results, as well as user interfaces for performing search queries and navigating search results, are provided. A search query is received from a user. A plurality of web pages relevant to the search query are identified. At least one of the relevant web pages is identified as popular. A search result page is generated including a search result listing and a search result page header. The search result page header includes a link to the popular web page to provide the user with a quick and easy way to select a popular web page relevant to the user's search query.

Abstract: Methods, systems, graphical user interfaces, and computer-readable media for visually searching and exploring a set of objects are provided. A computer system executes a method that generates three-dimensional representations or two-dimensional representations for a set of objects in response to a user interaction with an interface that displays the three-dimensional representations or the two-dimensional representations. The interface includes filter controls, sorting controls, and classification controls, which are dynamically altered based on the content of a user query or the attributes of the objects in the three-dimensional representations or two-dimensional representations.