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Google to Launch Siri Rival for Android
Google plans to launch a voice assistant for Android to rival Apple’s Siri, integrating voice recognition with its established search capabilities.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company is rumored to be working on the voice assistant software at its “secret” laboratory, Google[/entity] X, according to the site Android and Me, and may launch the service within the next few weeks.
Codenamed “Majel” after the late actress Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, who provided the computerized voice of the Starship Enterprise in “Star Trek,” the technology will reportedly upgrade Android’s “Voice Actions” app, which lets users make calls, get directions and perform searches on Android smartphones using voice commands.
However, Voice Actions only responds to preset voice commands. Majel is expected to use intuitive voice recognition, much like the iPhone 4S’s much-publicized voice assistant, Siri. This capability would allow Android users to search for restaurants, businesses, get weather forecasts, and make other requests by speaking into their phone using natural language.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt voiced concerns over Siri’s potential to transform search and compete with his company’s core business. Majel’s debut may put these concerns to rest by endowing Android handsets with voice-activated search capabilities to rival the iPhone’s.
The search giant has already made steps towards beefing up a Siri rival. Google recently announced plans to acquire Clever Sense, a start-up that put out the restaurant recommendation app “Alfred,” which provides automatic restaurant and night club recommendations based on location and past visits. Clever Sense’s technology in personalized, intelligent search is likely a natural fit for Majel.
Google’s October relocation of a senior U.K. programmer with experience in speech recognition to its California headquarters is also fueling the Majel rumor, and points to the company’s eagerness to catch up in the emerging field of advanced voice-activated technology.
Google is chasing after Siri, but Apple’s voice assistant is experiencing some problems, such as periodic outages, security glitches and a reported reluctance to discuss abortion and birth control.
Google may learn from its rival as it plans its own entry to the voice-assistant field, combining technological know-how with search expertise to take voice to the next level for Android.
Article from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/mobiledia/2011/12/15/google-to-launch-siri-rival-for-android/
Google plans to launch a voice assistant for Android to rival Apple’s Siri, integrating voice recognition with its established search capabilities.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company is rumored to be working on the voice assistant software at its “secret” laboratory, Google[/entity] X, according to the site Android and Me, and may launch the service within the next few weeks.
Codenamed “Majel” after the late actress Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, who provided the computerized voice of the Starship Enterprise in “Star Trek,” the technology will reportedly upgrade Android’s “Voice Actions” app, which lets users make calls, get directions and perform searches on Android smartphones using voice commands.
However, Voice Actions only responds to preset voice commands. Majel is expected to use intuitive voice recognition, much like the iPhone 4S’s much-publicized voice assistant, Siri. This capability would allow Android users to search for restaurants, businesses, get weather forecasts, and make other requests by speaking into their phone using natural language.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt voiced concerns over Siri’s potential to transform search and compete with his company’s core business. Majel’s debut may put these concerns to rest by endowing Android handsets with voice-activated search capabilities to rival the iPhone’s.
The search giant has already made steps towards beefing up a Siri rival. Google recently announced plans to acquire Clever Sense, a start-up that put out the restaurant recommendation app “Alfred,” which provides automatic restaurant and night club recommendations based on location and past visits. Clever Sense’s technology in personalized, intelligent search is likely a natural fit for Majel.
Google’s October relocation of a senior U.K. programmer with experience in speech recognition to its California headquarters is also fueling the Majel rumor, and points to the company’s eagerness to catch up in the emerging field of advanced voice-activated technology.
Google is chasing after Siri, but Apple’s voice assistant is experiencing some problems, such as periodic outages, security glitches and a reported reluctance to discuss abortion and birth control.
Google may learn from its rival as it plans its own entry to the voice-assistant field, combining technological know-how with search expertise to take voice to the next level for Android.
Article from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/mobiledia/2011/12/15/google-to-launch-siri-rival-for-android/
