Pogue’s Posts: A Reader’s Question: How Do You Hang Up on Voice Command?

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Bits Blog: Larry Page Says Vocal Cord Paralysis Causes His Voice Problems

Emmanuel Dunand/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Both of Larry Page’s vocal cords were paralyzed after virus infections.

5:28 p.m. | Updated to clarify that one of Mr. Page’s vocal cords has limited movement but is not paralyzed.

Larry Page, Google’s chief executive, said Tuesday that he has a rare and chronic health problem that forces him to speak hoarsely and constricts his breathing.

The announcement is the first time that Mr. Page has explained his voice troubles. It comes nearly a year after Google said that he would avoid public speaking for a time because he had lost his voice. Since then, he has spoken publicly, but with a weak and raspy voice.

One of Mr. Page’s vocal cords was paralyzed after a viral infection 14 years ago, and the second was left with limited movement after a cold last summer. Voice specialists said that it was extremely rare for a patient to experience paralysis or limited movement in both vocal cords, and that as of now, it cannot be reversed.

“Thankfully, after some initial recovery I’m fully able to do all I need to at home and at work, though my voice is softer than before,” Mr. Page wrote in a post on Google Plus.

“And Sergey says I’m probably a better C.E.O. because I choose my words more carefully,” he added, referring to Sergey Brin, who founded Google with Mr. Page.

The condition can become life-threatening, doctors say, when it inhibits breathing. Mr. Page addressed that in his post.

“Vocal cord nerve issues can also affect your breathing, so my ability to exercise at peak aerobic capacity is somewhat reduced,” he wrote. “That said, my friends still think I have way more stamina than them when we go kitesurfing!”

Mr. Page also said that in 2003, he had been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an inflammatory thyroid condition that he said caused him no problems. He said it was unclear whether it was related to his vocal cord paralysis.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder that is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States, particularly among middle-age women, and can cause fatigue, hoarseness, pain and stiffness, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is treated with hormone replacement drugs, though doctors often delay treatment if the thyroid is functioning normally.

Mr. Page’s health had raised concerns among Google shareholders, particularly after the death of Steve Jobs, Apple’s former chief executive, and questions about an executive’s responsibility to reveal health problems. Google had refused to give any details on Mr. Page’s condition, until now.

The condition is not life-threatening and doctors have ruled out cancer, according to a person briefed on Mr. Page’s health who was not authorized to speak publicly. He speaks regularly in meetings and has continued to run daily operations at Google, the person said.

Mr. Page also said Tuesday that he had given a personal grant to the Voice Health Institute, a group founded in 2003, for a research program on improving vocal cord nerve function. The research will be led by Dr. Steven Zeitels, a laryngeal surgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center, one of several doctors who treated Mr. Page.

“The Pages’ generosity will enable us to help steward a new era of pioneering surgical, medical and engineering innovations that will provide new solutions for the millions of individuals suffering from voice loss and breathing problems in the upper airway,” said a statement from John L. Ward, president of the Voice Health Institute. Well-known singers like Julie Andrews, Steven Tyler and Lionel Richie are on the institute’s board.

To begin, the group has asked people with a similar condition to Mr. Page’s to complete a survey about their symptoms.

A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that both of Mr. Page’s vocal cords were paralyzed. One is paralyzed, but the other has limited movement.

Bits Blog: Facebook App Adds Free Voice Calls

Facebook doesn’t just want you to poke, message and stalk your friends. Now it wants you to actually talk to them.

The company this week started rolling out a free calling feature in its Messenger app for iPhone users in the United States. Inside the app, you can choose a friend, tap the “i” button in the top-right corner and select “Free Call.” If your friend also has the Messenger app, the call should go through.

But will anyone use it? In the past, the idea of free voice minutes might have sounded like a blessing. But today, many new phone plans offered by carriers — like Verizon Wireless and Sprint — already include unlimited voice minutes. Calling someone with a cellphone the normal way is more straightforward than doing it through an app. Also, call quality for Internet-powered voice calls is often poor, said Jan Dawson, a mobile analyst at Ovum.

So where might Facebook calling actually have an impact? For teenagers who spend most of their time on Facebook, the Messenger app could be a convenient way to quickly switch from a Facebook chat to a phone call, Mr. Dawson said. And if and when Facebook introduces the feature to international calling, it might be convenient for business travelers or people with families overseas — although many of those types of users are probably already on services like Skype, Mr. Dawson said.