I
recently downloaded the Google app because I had heard about the Voice
Search capability. I own a last generation iPod Touch and have not been
able to use Siri on it because Apple prevented me from doing so from day
one. I could speculate why all I want but it is obvious that the
technology would have worked on my device because the Voice feature in
the Google app works flawlessly.
I
first tested the app by saying “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
if a woodchuck could chuck wood.” as fast as I could. The Voice Search
feature picked up on every word. I then preceded to use it to look up
local businesses. I said “restaurants nearby” and it happily displayed
every restaurant within 50 miles of my location. What I did not know at
the time was that the app talks back to you. I had the sound muted from
being in an earlier situation where I didn’t want to be disturbed. After
I realized that the app was talking back, I realized that this was the
Google equivalent of Siri and that I was finally free to use this
technology after Apple had prevented me from doing so for so long. Of course, my child like curiosity kicked in and I started asking questions geared more toward having fun with the app. I asked what my name was, and the responded by saying "Oh, no! Did you forget your name?" and displayed amnesia information. I thanked the app and it responded by saying "You're welcome." and displayed greeting card information.
The
app does run into trouble when there are multiple people talking in a
room. However, the app doesn’t seem to pick up on conversations in the
background to be translated as search results. Instead, it just sort of
hangs, listens, and waits for the background conversation to stop before
it displays the search terms you provide to it which is a relief. This
means that it is safe to use the app around potty mouthed individuals
without fear that it will inadvertently search for porn.
The
only other issue that I had was when I was trying to search for a word
that the app kept mistaking for a number. Apparently, it can’t
differentiate between '2' 'to' and 'too' as easily as a human can. Perhaps
more context algorithms can be added to the app in the future.
Despite
these minor issues, I am impressed. I believe that this is more than a
gimmick way to interact with one’s device. We are living in a world of
touch screens and voice activated computers that was imagined by Gene
Roddenberry not too long ago. This technology can only get better over
time.
What do you think? Do you use voice controls? If so, do you like using them? Sound off in the comments.
When I was still in grade school, I remember wanting to try those fancy virtual reality helmets that looked so promising in the way of immersive virtual experiences. I never got to try them because they were virtually impossible to find unless you were lucky and virtually impossible for an 8 year old to afford. From the sound of things, I wasn't missing out. Those who have tried them reported that there was lag between what you did in the real world and what occurred in the virtual world. The headsets were also huge and bulky.
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