Friday, February 18, 2011

Mobile Future: It May Be All About Voice

Google has done a fantastic job in giving Android a voice, that is, the ability for the user to state keywords for search or send text via voice. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

In a couple of generations, it’s highly like that voice commands as well as the ability of the mobile devices to speak to the user is going to be a very important feature. And if this is implemented correctly, it is entirely possible this will radically change how we interact with our mobile devices as well as traditional computers.

However, it will take some doing to get to that point. I’m specifically referring to transferring much of the button pressing, touching, or swiping to voice. And it will require the mobile device to distinguish our individual uniqueness as well as our temperaments.

Suppose you want to compose an email. It may need to examine your writing style to effectively know how you write and combine that with your speech pattern – for instance, if a pause in mid-sentence is the end or just you contemplating what to say next.

This will require a very clever AI or, at the very least, sophisticated algorithms that can define specific parameters and learn them for the individual users and have the ability to transfer that from device to device.

Is this possible in a couple of years or with the next two or three OS updates from Apple or Google? I don’t’ see why not especially with Google's experience in providing voice commands for Android and its search is second to none. Plus, Eric Schmidt has said that Google can predict the future if it wanted to.

Perhaps, Google does not need to go quite that far to provide an interactive Android that can have verbal exchanges with its users. The device will sit in a permanent state of anticipation, waiting to recognize the user’s command voice, and execute whatever need is required of it.

For instance, while I think Google Map’s navigation is pretty need, I might want to ask the device how much further in the middle of the drive. It would be cool if it could continue to guide me and still answer my query.

No comments:

Buy.com