Google voice search app for iPhone arriving shortly

[AppleInsider]

Google as early as today is expected to introduce a free application for the iPhone that lets you search for information, directions, or virtually anything else by speaking into the handset, eliminating need for the keyboard entirely.

"The service can be used to get restaurant recommendations and driving directions, look up contacts in the iPhone’s address book or just settle arguments in bars," wrote the New York Times' John Markoff, who profiled Google's broad speech-recognition efforts while breaking word of the new offering.

For instance, you can ask "What is the best italian restaurant in Cupertino?," and the application should return a list of relevant restaurants with star ratings, reviews, directions and contact information. You could also ask trivia related questions such as "Who was the MVP of the 2006 World Series?"

The service works similar to the one under development at AT&T (profiled by AppleInsider in July), in that it takes your spoken words and passes them over the Internet to one of Google's servers. They're then interpreted by artificial intelligence, translated into a traditional data query, and the results are bounced back to your phone in a matter of seconds if you're on a fast connection.

While the system reportedly has its flaws, it's said to be accurate enough to prove useful for most users. Google's ability to store and analyze vast amounts of data not only gives the search giant an edge in the field, but promises that the service will improve over time as its database of queries expands through increased use.

Google’s voice search will make its way to other phones, but is being made available first on Apple's iPhone | Photo credit: The New York Times

The new application also takes advantage of the iPhone's built-in accelerometer to determine how you're holding the handset. It only throws itself into "listen mode" when it believes you've raised the phone to your ear, thereby reducing unintentional queries.

The new app is said to be an extension of a much broader artificial intelligence initiative at Google that has seen the tech heavyweight hire many of the top speech recognition experts in the world. Another developmental service, GOOG-411, serves up business phone and address information.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[earthy]

Gakk!

Two sentences in a row:

...if your on a fast connection.

While the system reportedly has it's flaws...

That should be "if you're on a fast connection" and "...its flaws".

[UnseenLlama]

Bye bye ChaCha...

[paxman]

Originally Posted by earthy

Gakk!

Two sentences in a row:

...if your on a fast connection.

While the system reportedly has it's flaws...

That should be "if you're on a fast connection" and "...its flaws".

Quite, (and I choose to believe this is testament to the intense time pressure journalists are under rather than an error caused by lack of grammatical knowledge), but the important issue is whether the aforementioned app would notice the difference and slap your wrist.

I am a little skeptical of 'speak' apps as I have never found one that works well. You end up sounding like a moron standing there doing mouth contortions and speaking s-l-o-w-l-y for the damn thing to get what you are trying to pronounce. My last attempt was using BrainAge on a DS. My brain age turned out to be 81 on my first attempt because I had to repeat most words several times. I have since got it down (I'm not telling you to what age as it is still embarrassing!) but I still sound like a moron yelling BEH-L-ACK! into my DS, repeatedly.

[wheelhot]

Wow, if it truly can recognize what a person is saying accurately without having the need of extensive voice recognition training. That would be great!

[dasein]

What's in this for Google? How do they make money here? Will there be advertising?

[rtdunham]

Originally Posted by earthy

Gakk!

Two sentences in a row:

...if your on a fast connection.

While the system reportedly has it's flaws...

That should be "if you're on a fast connection" and "...its flaws".

isn't it funny that we can develop technology like that described in this article, yet we can't use are pronouns correctly?!

[Rot'nApple]

Originally Posted by dasein

What's in this for Google? How do they make money here? Will there be advertising?

Or a fee???

AI quoted NY Times' John Marskoff, where he wrote, "The service can be used to get restaurant recommendations and driving directions, look up contacts in the iPhone’s address book or just settle arguments in bars".

and we have seen before on the app store where you download a free app and then pay for the service to make the downloaded app useful.


It's nice to know that the iPhone can "just settle arguments in bars". So do all the other phones, right after they dial 911! I am curious though, do you get a free ring tone of some sorts of "Give 'Peace a Chance' by the late John Lennon?

[robb01]

This looks to be one of the more interesting apps to come out recently, im excited.

______________

[BlackSummerNight]

Google should come up with a MMS and a video recording app too.

[dasein]

Originally Posted by Rot'nApple

Or a fee???

AI quoted NY Times' John Marskoff, where he wrote, "The service can be used to get restaurant recommendations and driving directions, look up contacts in the iPhone’s address book or just settle arguments in bars".

and we have seen before on the app store where you download a free app and then pay for the service to make the downloaded app useful.

Either something like that or only businesses that 'subscribe' with Google will be considered in a query...sort of like advertising in the yellow pages?? I wonder where they'll be getting their databases for these searches.

[Zendolphyn]

Originally Posted by dasein

What's in this for Google? How do they make money here? Will there be advertising?

After speaking into the phone, it seems like you still have to look at a list of results - this is where I would expect to see ads of some kind.

[Lafe]

Two things:

1) Why are their so many arguments in bars, and can technology really solve
this problem?

2) Nice way to work "Cupertino" into the article without referring directly to Apple!

[8CoreWhore]

Originally Posted by earthy

Gakk!

Two sentences in a row:

...if your on a fast connection.

While the system reportedly has it's flaws...

That should be "if you're on a fast connection" and "...its flaws".

-
You're missing a comma after, "should be", and, "and".

[8CoreWhore]

Originally Posted by Rot'nApple

Or a fee???

AI quoted NY Times' John Marskoff, where he wrote, "The service can be used to get restaurant recommendations and driving directions, look up contacts in the iPhone’s address book or just settle arguments in bars".

and we have seen before on the app store where you download a free app and then pay for the service to make the downloaded app useful.


It's nice to know that the iPhone can "just settle arguments in bars". So do all the other phones, right after they dial 911! I am curious though, do you get a free ring tone of some sorts of "Give 'Peace a Chance' by the late John Lennon?

They'll make it ad supported eventually - such as having text results come up with a couple of sponsored links above.

[tpressman]

There are two apps out there on the iphone app store that do this already... it'll be interesting to see how google's add's up in comparison.

I've already replaced my iphone phone icon with "say who" since I can always access my phone app by double clicking the home button. and i replaced my google maps icon with "say what".

http://www.dialdirections.com/iphone

[Johnny Mozzarella]

Originally Posted by dasein

Either something like that or only businesses that 'subscribe' with Google will be considered in a query...sort of like advertising in the yellow pages?? I wonder where they'll be getting their databases for these searches.

Your wondering where Google will get the databases for these searches? GOOGLE?

Thats like asking "I wonder what kind of phone Steve Jobs uses."

[Johnny Mozzarella]

Originally Posted by Lafe

Two things:

1) Why are their so many arguments in bars, and can technology really solve
this problem?

2) Nice way to work "Cupertino" into the article without referring directly to Apple!

If I was Kasper I would have started the article with "Mountain View-based search giant, Google..."
Just to rub it in!

Take that grammar bitches!

[MacGui]

(and I choose to believe this is testament to the intense time pressure journalists are under ...

...when in reality it's a testament to the lack of copy editors. Even then some mistakes will inevitably slip by, but my reading pleasure would be significantly enhanced.


"Copy Editor approved- enhanced for your reading pleasure."

[enzos]

Originally Posted by Johnny Mozzarella

If I was Kasper I would have started the article with "Mountain View-based search giant, Google..."
Just to rub it in!

Take that grammar bitches!

Conditional case, old chap: "If I were Kasper.."

Now that's cutting the Cheese.

[Mr. Producer]

Originally Posted by dasein

What's in this for Google? How do they make money here? Will there be advertising?

When Google released the GOOG-411 service, it was and still is free of charge. I use it constantly and it is very accurate. Voice training is not an issue at all with Google's voice recognition projects that I have used so far.

GOOG-411 can understand most accents (including foreign) fairly well and there is usually no need to repeat words or names. I assume this application will have a similar agenda to that of GOOG-411, in that it offers information to the end user while acquiring information at the same time.

GOOG-411 was actually developed to improve the process of speech recognition, self-correcting and improving with every user input. I assume this app will use the same technology, possibly for the same purpose, while offering the public another service.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by earthy

Gakk!

Two sentences in a row:

...if your on a fast connection.

While the system reportedly has it's flaws...

That should be "if you're on a fast connection" and "...its flaws".

You're quite sure that it's not meant by Kasper to be a sardonic take on how the voice recognition software might deal with spoken words?

[ameldrum1]

Originally Posted by rtdunham

isn't it funny that we can develop technology like that described in this article, yet we can't use are pronouns correctly?!

not the same person imo

[Pithy]

Originally Posted by enzos

Conditional case, old chap: "If I were Kasper.."

Now that's cutting the Cheese.

Subjunctive mood actually, old chum.

[bloggerblog]

Originally Posted by paxman

...I am a little skeptical of 'speak' apps as I have never found one that works well. You end up sounding like a moron standing there doing mouth contortions and speaking s-l-o-w-l-y for the damn thing to get what you are trying to pronounce. My last attempt was using BrainAge on a DS. My brain age turned out to be 81 on my first attempt because I had to repeat most words several times. I have since got it down (I'm not telling you to what age as it is still embarrassing!) but I still sound like a moron yelling BEH-L-ACK! into my DS, repeatedly.

Originally Posted by wheelhot

Wow, if it truly can recognize what a person is saying accurately without having the need of extensive voice recognition training. That would be great!

As tpressman said, try "Say Who" from the app store, it's free and works without training.