MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. � Voice activated computer commands are close to becoming a reality, says the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), although after a year in the works, the web specification VoiceXML 2.0 is so embroiled in patent disputes it might be a long time before it sees the light of day.

There is speculation that voice activated control of the Internet could transform the web in radical ways and could potentially give way to a fleet of new technologies and Internet enhancements, like voice activated porn.

According to CNET, VoiceXML enables server data to be retrieved using voice commands and touch-tones. The technology also allows text-to-speech translation, which means that surfers can vocally request information to be delivered via the web. Full Story...