Amazon buys voice recognition startup Yap to counter Apple's Siri
As competition between Amazon and Apple in the mobile devices market continues to grow, the online retailer has purchased a voice-to-text company called Yap.
A new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission discovered by The Atlantic reveals that Amazon's acquisition of Yap was completed in September. The filing does not specifically name Amazon, but lists "Dion Acquisition Sub," headquartered out of an Amazon-owned building in Seattle, Wash.
Yap offered a consumer-level voicemail-to-text service in private beta, but it was the company's proprietary intellectual property that helped it raise $6.5 million in venture capital in 2008. Yap is based out of Charlotte, N.C., and the service was discontinued in October following the apparent acquisition by Amazon.
Apple acquired Siri, which previously made an iPhone application, in April of 2010 for a rumored $200 million. Now found on the iPhone 4S, Siri allows users to speak to it in natural language to gather information or accomplish complex tasks, like composing an e-mail or creating a calendar event.
While the Siri feature is driven by technology acquired by Apple, the iPhone 4S-exclusive voice recognition software is also believed to incorporate intellectual property from Nuance Communications, makers of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Neither Apple nor Nuance have confirmed that Nuance technology is utilized in Siri.
Amazon's interest in voice recognition technology comes as the company is prepared to launch its own color touchscreen tablet, the Kindle Fire, which will go on sale next week at a price of $199, or less than half of Apple's entry-level $499 iPad.
While Apple sells devices like the iPhone and iPad with high margins and supports them with an ecosystem of content through iTunes and the App Store, Amazon's entrance into the portable hardware business with devices like the Kindle Fire employs a very different approach. Instead of making money on hardware sales, Amazon aims to tie customers into its own ecosystem of buying products through its online storefront.
Amazon admitted to investors late last month that the impending launch of the Kindle Fire could pose a threat to its future profits. One estimate issued in September suggested that Amazon is poised to lose $50 for each Kindle Fire it sells.
A new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission discovered by The Atlantic reveals that Amazon's acquisition of Yap was completed in September. The filing does not specifically name Amazon, but lists "Dion Acquisition Sub," headquartered out of an Amazon-owned building in Seattle, Wash.
Yap offered a consumer-level voicemail-to-text service in private beta, but it was the company's proprietary intellectual property that helped it raise $6.5 million in venture capital in 2008. Yap is based out of Charlotte, N.C., and the service was discontinued in October following the apparent acquisition by Amazon.
Apple acquired Siri, which previously made an iPhone application, in April of 2010 for a rumored $200 million. Now found on the iPhone 4S, Siri allows users to speak to it in natural language to gather information or accomplish complex tasks, like composing an e-mail or creating a calendar event.
While the Siri feature is driven by technology acquired by Apple, the iPhone 4S-exclusive voice recognition software is also believed to incorporate intellectual property from Nuance Communications, makers of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Neither Apple nor Nuance have confirmed that Nuance technology is utilized in Siri.
Amazon's interest in voice recognition technology comes as the company is prepared to launch its own color touchscreen tablet, the Kindle Fire, which will go on sale next week at a price of $199, or less than half of Apple's entry-level $499 iPad.
While Apple sells devices like the iPhone and iPad with high margins and supports them with an ecosystem of content through iTunes and the App Store, Amazon's entrance into the portable hardware business with devices like the Kindle Fire employs a very different approach. Instead of making money on hardware sales, Amazon aims to tie customers into its own ecosystem of buying products through its online storefront.
Amazon admitted to investors late last month that the impending launch of the Kindle Fire could pose a threat to its future profits. One estimate issued in September suggested that Amazon is poised to lose $50 for each Kindle Fire it sells.
Comments
Now that Apple has given its competitors new targets to hit, I wonder what Apple has coming next. Could be TV, but could be something else.
I would stake my life that it's one of those two.
I would stake my life that it's one of those two.
Voice recognition is just one piece of the puzzle. Artificial intelligence interpreting and acting upon the recognized speech is what makes Siri so amazing.
Siri is great (just created a reminder for 5pm today without stopping what I was doing) but it's still a long ways from being what I'd call feature complete. I imagine the difference in 4 years will be akin to comparing the original iPhone with the v1.0 OS with the iPhone 4S with iOS 5.0.
Besides the obvious adding of services to work your iOS and Mac OS devices, and upgrades to its ability to understand natural language, I'd also like the ability to interrupt it. For example, when you dictate a message it asks you if are ready to send it. If something is wrong with it you say no and then have wait for Siri to run through a list of four options and then start the mic again to let you respond to the option. If you choose 'change' then you wait a little longer for it go through agreeing to change the message so you can start again. This can become a lengthy process for even a simple message. I'd like to work more like when you call an automated service and you can hit the number before it finishes giving you all the options.
Siri is great (just created a reminder for 5pm today without stopping what I was doing) but it's still a long ways from being what I'd call feature complete. I imagine the difference in 4 years will be akin to comparing the original iPhone with the v1.0 OS with the iPhone 4S with iOS 5.0.
Besides the obvious adding of services to work your iOS and Mac OS devices, and upgrades to its ability to understand natural language, I'd also like the ability to interrupt it. For example, when you dictate a message it asks you if are ready to send it. If something is wrong with it you say no and then have wait for Siri to run through a list of four options and then start the mic again to let you respond to the option. If you choose 'change' then you wait a little longer for it go through agreeing to change the message so you can start again. This can become a lengthy process for even a simple message. I'd like to work more like when you call an automated service and you can hit the number before it finishes giving you all the options.
As on-board processing power increases, these time delaying operations that rely on the network will lessen, as I tend to think more of them would migrate to the device itself. The imaginary iPhone of ten years from now will look more like we're talking to a virtual assistant, one that watches us and understands subtle nuances in speech and movement to derive hidden meaning and offer an intelligent course of action based on our actual intent... just like the most capable assistant you could ever imagine hiring.
I've just been wondering where all the lawsuits about Siri are. Usually, when Apple does anything interesting they get sued by 14 companies claiming it was a stolen idea. I guess the company Apple acquired had their patent ducks in a row?
Yet.
I'm sure there are companies out there scrutinizing every aspect of Siri, just looking for litigation vectors.
I've just been wondering where all the lawsuits about Siri are. Usually, when Apple does anything interesting they get sued by 14 companies claiming it was a stolen idea. I guess the company Apple acquired had their patent ducks in a row?
It's such a long list they still haven't finished writing it out.
"Buying… mauve chintz loveseat slipcover."
"NO… NO!"
"Sorry, you had One-Speak turned on."
I thought there was some industry-wide consensus that Siri was just some cheap Apple gimmick that consumers would use one or twice then never use it again. Why would Amazon need tech like that?
The 'industry' always tries something 'wrong' with all the Apple products. Then they come out with a cheap copy. Bottom line, Apple doesn't do cheap gimmicks.
"Ammi, find me a 25ft boat to purchase"
"Sorry ...Amazon doesn't sell boats in that size. Goodbye"
"aww shucks"
Why does Amazon need this technology? Will they be entering the mobile phone market? I can't imagine why someone would need this technology on a Kindle.
Think they are diving in a little too deep now....I thought they had a right idea buy forking android and keeping the idea simple and cheap. Until I found out that they were losing big chips per unit. This isnt the gaming console industry, they arent making 80% profit on developers.
If they think they can compete technologically....I think they are in for a hurting.
I've just been wondering where all the lawsuits about Siri are. Usually, when Apple does anything interesting they get sued by 14 companies claiming it was a stolen idea. I guess the company Apple acquired had their patent ducks in a row?