iPhone helps in stuttering therapy

My birthday is approaching (01st March) and I have been thinking of gifting myself an iPhone. But I wasn't able to comprehend how I will justify spending 25K on something essentially non-essential in these recessionary times to my wife.

Well it looks like there is one justifiable reason :-)

Scientists at Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI - www.stuttering.org), a leading center for stuttering research and treatment innovation, have just completed successful trials using Apple's iPhone as a stuttering therapy tool to enhance the transfer of new fluency skills from the clinical setting into real-life situations.

The iPhone device was programmed at HCRI with a sophisticated voice monitoring system that evaluates and scores speech behaviors taught during stuttering therapy. When clients use the device during training in outside situations, such as in a shopping mall, restaurant or business setting, fluency measurements for each utterance are displayed on the iPhone screen. Having this data immediately available to stuttering therapy program participants makes speech practice more effective and helps improve the speed with which fluency results are achieved.

Complete Article - Apple's iPhone Finds New Use in Treating Stuttering