Tag Archives: voice recognition

Will iPad Users Experience the Same Siri Issues as the iPhone?


SiriSiri understands what you say, at least most of the time. Siri knows exactly what you meant, at least it tries to with varying success. Siri can help you contemplate the meaning of life. Siri may not be perfect, but in the land of voice recognition it is the best that is out there.

Soon, Siri will make the leap from the iPhone to the iPad thanks to iOS 6; a move that has a lot of people wondering if Apple knows what they are doing and if Siri is really ready.

During a recent test, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster put his ever-inquisitive mind to good use when “he (or his staff) asked an iPhone 1,600 questions, 800 on the busy streets of Minneapolis, 800 in a quiet room.”

The results of Munster’s experiment were clear:

Siri comprehends 83% of queries in noisy conditions, 89% in a quiet room. Siri answers accurately 62% of the time on the street and 68% in a quiet room.

By comparison, Google’s search engine was more accurate by over 20% –which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when you had to type your query in at the keyboard (not to mention the exponentially greater length of time that Google has been at the question and answer game compared to Siri).

Other criticisms of Siri include her reliance on other services to find the information you are looking for; according to Munster, the app gets 60% of its answers from Google, 20% from Yelp, 14% from WolframAlpha, 4% from Yahoo and 2% from Wikipedia. So what? Apple created Siri to make your life easier (and more hands-free). If you weren’t asking Siri for the answers to your questions, you would be searching those third-party services manually.

That really isn’t the primary thing people complain about. It appears that the expectation is for Siri to read your mind. In one of his example queries, Siri was asked “Where is Elvis buried?” and the response indicted that Siri felt “buried” was Elvis’s last name. Examples like this could be remedied by retraining ourselves as much as anything. Just as with anything in life, the quality of the answer will depend greatly on the quality of your question.

With all of that said, Siri is actually pretty great (in my experience) at sending and reading text messages, checking the weather and setting reminders. Sure, the voice recognition isn’t perfect, but the technology is still pretty new –heck, the MyFord Touch system in my car isn’t any better when it remains absolutely certain that I am saying “Kids” instead of “The Hits” every single time I try to tune in to that channel on my satellite radio using voice commands.

The new version of iOS has evolved your digital personal assistant with a number of updates including the ability to launch apps for you, make reservations at your favorite restaurant and then later directing you to a nearby theater to watch that movie she just told you so much about. How well these and other updates will function (like the expected boost that should come from Apple’s new native maps app) still remains to be seen, but it does show Apple’s continued commitment to evolving Siri into something bigger and better.

» Related posts: Apple Adding New Features to Siri: No Word on iPad Plans Siri – Will the iPhone 4S Blend? Why the iPad Needs Siri

Apple Adding New Features to Siri: No Word on iPad Plans


SiriAt the recent D10 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook was quick to respond to criticism regarding Siri. Having first said that Apple has a lot of people working on the project and later that they plan on “doubling down” their efforts on expanding the functionality, there were no details regarding when we can expect to see Siri come out of beta and (better yet) when we can expect to see it on other devices.

Cook did promise we would be “really pleased” with some of the things they have planned for Siri and indicated they have a bunch of cool ideas for what it can do.

Cleverly though, Cook provided nothing in the way of details or information on what that all means –but the teaser does suggest there should be something concrete to discuss (and hopefully play with) very soon.

I know we have all seen the fantastic commercials advertising Siri on the iPhone 4S but for a lot of us, the real conversation goes a little more like this:

Us: Siri, can I use you on my iPad?
Siri: No, I’m sorry about your luck.

Rumors have circulated recently that suggest iOS 6 will actually open Siri up to developers via APIs that would allow them to integrate voice recognition and assistance directly into their apps. Time will tell of course, but this seems like a likely evolution –though I would hope that they get the product well out of beta and rolled out to the iPad before they focus on that addition.

With Apple’s WWDC coming up quick (the keynote has been scheduled for 10:00AM on June 11) there may be more news very soon on the future of iOS which should include some peripheral details regarding Siri. I expect to be on the edge of my seat that morning waiting with Christmas morning style anticipation like I seem to do for all Apple announcements.

» Related posts: Why the iPad Needs Siri Apple Says Older Devices Won’t Get Siri Overview of Apple New Personal Assistant Technology – Siri

Siri-like Voice Recognition Products Popular at CES


I think we’ve all wondered a time or two when cars would come equipped with a computer companion like Night Rider’s KITT, and AT&T is bringing us one step closer to that reality with its new plan for a voice-enabled virtual assistant that can be used by automotive manufacturers.

No, it won’t drive the car, and it can’t see, but the new virtual car passenger will provide information like directions and weather updates.

AT&T is partnering with Panasonic Automotive Systems and QNX Software Systems, and the three will use AT&T’s WATSON speech engine (which is similar to Siri) to provide a complete cloud-based voice-enabled natural language mobile assistant for wirelessly connected vehicles (it’s only a matter of time before we see those).

Since this is still in the early prototype phase, it’s unlikely we will be seeing cars with the new feature for quite some time. AT&T’s Watson isn’t the only new voice-enabled technology we’ve seen at CES. Nuance’s Dragon TV has also been developed to allow users to control television systems with voice commands.

Now that our TVs and our cars will be wired with personal assistants, what’s next? More home interconnectivity, with any luck. “Microwave, pop that popcorn!” and “Shower, turn on!” are just some of the phrases we may be uttering in the future as this technology catches on.

Related Posts iOS 5 with Voice Recognition Soon? Overview of Apple New Personal Assistant Technology – Siri Apple Opens Siri to iOS Engineers, Looking to Improve Functions

Why the iPad Needs Siri


SiriFrom the moment it was demo’d at the Apple event in October, we all wanted to give Siri a try. We wanted desperately to know if it could possibly be as awesome as it looked (and sounded). Then we got our hands on it and it was everything that Apple promised and more! And don’t forget this is the first version… it will evolve and become something even more incredible in time.

Unfortunately the bad news for many of you is that iPhone 4S is required in order to use Siri.

And Siri makes sense on a phone. This is where we really need our hands free because we are using it while we are driving and going about our days. We’ve accepted that the reason we can’t have it on our iPhone 4s is because of the processor being less powerful, but why can’t we have it on our iPad 2s?

It’s possible that we can, eventually at least. The truth is we have no idea. The processor in the iPad 2 should be powerful enough but there may be other obstacles. Even so, it seems reasonable to expect to see Siri on the iPad 3 whenever that becomes available.

So should we be excited? Is there even a need for Siri on the iPad?

Aside from the cool factor, it could be very useful to have Siri on a tablet. With the added power of tablets including their move toward being used more like laptop computers, it would certainly aid those users with disabilities in using these devices. Taking notes or any activities requiring considerable typing would become much easier without having to use the on-screen keyboard or carry along an external accessory. For those that travel frequently with their iPads, using navigation and other tourist-friendly services would be much handier without trying to type when you have nowhere to set your tablet down.

Beyond that, we expect to see an API at some point that will allow developers access to Siri at which point the sky will truly be the limit.

Hallooo computarrrr! Siri not yet compatible with Scottish accents

Let's open with a reality check: Siri is still in beta. Apple's new voice recognition service is just getting started, and many of us have found out the hard way that Apple's definition of "beta" is closer to what many other developers would call "alpha." That having been said, The Daily Mail's reports of Scottish accents flummoxing Siri still had us trading Sean Connery jokes back and forth in the TUAW newsroom.

According to The Daily Mail, numerous videos have surfaced of Scottish users trying (and failing) to interact with Siri. One tells Siri, "Gonnae no dae that," which Siri interprets as "Going Akila." Siri interprets a Scot's charming "Can you dance with me?" as "Can you dutch women?"

Siri's confusion doesn't stop at Scottish accents, of course. My father's wife is from the Philippines, and Siri has difficulty understanding her. I'm quite curious to see how Siri responds to me; my accent has become a somewhat corrupted melange of Pacific Northwest English and New Zealand English. Apple's more primitive predecessor to Siri, Voice Control, correctly interprets my commands only about 75 percent of the time.

Somewhat predictably, the paper tries to spin this as a disaster for Apple -- "Disgruntled messages have littered gadget websites and forums" according to the Mail. That response comes across as reactionary and a bit unfair, especially since one of the YouTube videos embedded on the Mail's own page (and embedded below) shows Siri reacting to a Scottish accent with rather impressive accuracy. Of course, another video shows a Scot trying to get Siri to "create a reminder" for close to two minutes without success, so the service definitely has some room for improvement.

Despite decades of work, voice recognition software is still basically in its infancy. I think my dog probably understands some spoken commands better than Siri does despite all the work that's gone into the software. Then again, my dog is a genius, and Siri has been in public beta for less than two weeks. Give it some time to scale, and eventually I'm sure Siri will far exceed my greyhound's ability to interpret verbal interactions.

It may even exceed my abilities someday -- I have a Scottish friend in Christchurch (hallooo Stuarrrrt), and I can understand maybe one out of every five words he says.

Hallooo computarrrr! Siri not yet compatible with Scottish accents originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android’s Andy Rubin is not a fan of Siri

Siri is the talk of the town now that the iPhone 4S is in the hands of over four million customers. There has been a deluge of articles about using Siri, funny phrases it says and even clever hacks that let third-party companies tap into the service. Apple and its fans may be excited by the voice recognition technology, but one of Google's executives is not overly impressed.

Speaking in Hong Kong at the AsiaD conference, Google's Android chief, Andy Rubin, was sour on the utility of Siri. Rubin said,

I don't believe that your phone should be an assistant. Your phone is a tool for communicating. You shouldn't be communicating with the phone; you should be communicating with somebody on the other side of the phone.

Rubin may not look favorably on Siri, but he does give Apple credit for waiting until the technology was mature before rolling it out on the iPhone 4S. He noted,

In projecting the future, I think Apple did a good job of figuring out when the technology was ready to be consumer-grade.

Though Rubin claims not to be fond of voice recognition on a mobile phone, he does oversee Android's development at Google and has allowed advanced voice recognition features to be built into this mobile OS.

Android's Andy Rubin is not a fan of Siri originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Overview of Apple New Personal Assistant Technology – Siri


Siri

Have you met your new personal assistant? Apple introduced Siri today at their “Let’s Talk iPhone” event, hosted at their Cupertino, CA headquarters.

You know that joyous feeling when you meet that “person” who truly gets you? Understands just what you mean? That’s Siri.

Tag-lined by Apple with “Your wish is its command.”, Siri is the upgrade to voice recognition for the iPhone (4S model only) that we have all been waiting for and hearing about. Using the power of your voice, you can send messages, place phone calls, add calendar entries and even check the weather (as we saw in the live demonstration during the keynote this morning).

Siri will even talk back to you. (and not the way your 3 year old does)

Apple recommends that you talk to Siri as if it was a person, speaking in clear English. They give suggestions such as “Tell my wife I’m running late.” and “Remind me to call the vet.”. If this feature works as advertised, you will be communicating back AND forth with your iPhone in a way that is unprecedented. Without being able to give it a try, it’s difficult to say how Siri will behave with accents and different rates of speech, but with the fanfare Apple attached to this feature I am really crossing my fingers that those kinds of things were extensively tested.

It all looks and feels a little like Star Trek… this idea that I can ask my phone for the best place to get sushi based on my current location and it will actually give me an answer that is rooted in research and facts.

You can ask Siri to do things for you and it will happily comply, letting you know when it is finished. With the right question, you can even ask it for advice. This is all in addition to the dictation capabilities that kind of go without saying.

So I think what I’m really trying to say, is that I wonder if it’s illegal for me to marry my iPhone?

Apple’s Siri Personal Assistant

Apple’s Siri personal assistant is eerily similar to their Knowledge Navigator concept from the 80s.

Dragon Go for iPhone gets smarter

Dragon Go!, the all-purpose voice recognition search app from Nuance, is getting a significant upgrade today. In fact, it's almost a preview of some of the functionality we suspect will be in iOS5.

The free app lets you speak conversationally with your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Say things like "What's the best steakhouse in Kansas City", or "Find me some pictures of Lady Gaga", and the app will parse what you said and nearly always return useable results.

The update, which should hit the App Store today, adds many more options, including the ability to launch popular movie and TV streaming services; get direct access to more of the most popular names in mobile content, like Spotify; get answers to the toughest of questions from Wolfram|Alpha and Ask.com; and, find friends on Google+.

I tried some of the new functions, and was impressed. For instance, I said "Watch Mad Men on Netflix," and Dragon Go initiated a Google search. When I clicked on the resulting link, my Netflix app launched and the show started. I also successfully searched TUAW for articles and had it define words using Dictionary.com. For apps that require a login, you'll have to set up Dragon Go! to link with those apps, but that's not a difficult task.

Vlad Sejnoha, chief technology officer at Nuance said "We're deeply invested in continuing to evolve Dragon Go! with new features, more content providers and richer app integration, and ultimately opening new doors for the consumer mobile destination experience. This is another step towards the mobile semantic web, and we've just gotten started."

These new services join Google, Bing, Yahoo, Wikipedia, Twitter, YouTube and many others that were already built into the app. I find Dragon Go! and Siri (now owned by Apple) to be two of the best demos for the iPhone around. If you already have Dragon Go! you should see the update today. If you don't have it, download it and impress yourself and your friends.

Gallery: Dragon Go! updated with significant new features

Dragon Go for iPhone gets smarter originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Dictate 2.5 offers support for Microsoft Word 2011

Nuance has announced Dragon Dictate 2.5, a free upgrade to the company's Mac voice control/input app for version 2.0 customers. The new version dramatically improves mouse and keyboard entry in Microsoft Word 2011, among other features. According to Nuance, Word 2011 is the most commonly used app for Dragon Dictate customers, so it makes sense that the company would put emphasis on adding more dictation functionality for the word processing market leader.

Earlier versions of Dictate would get confused about where the insertion point or document elements were located when users switched between voice and mouse input (except in the company's own Notepad app or in TextEdit, where Dragon supported more complex behaviors). The recommendation against mixing dictation and keyboard/mouse editing has been so ingrained in the product's DNA that Dragon refers to it informally as the Golden Rule. Meanwhile, users of the corresponding Dragon NaturallySpeaking app on the Windows platform had far fewer restrictions.

With 2.5 and Microsoft Word 2011, the Golden Rule is history; users can easily switch between voice and keyboard input at will, or between dictation and command mode within Dictate itself, all without disrupting Dictate's internal model of the document. This lends itself to a far more natural and workflow-friendly way of using Dragon; instead of having to stop and start between dictation and editing phases, just keep on going.

Dragon SVP/general manager Peter Mahoney told TUAW that there's nothing specific to announce about enhanced support for Apple's Pages or other popular Mac productivity apps, but the company is looking at other integrations. "This is the first time that we've done this [on the Mac] for a meaningful application, and there was a lot of new invention in the way we created these integration models," he said. "Some of the approach we used in Word 2011 will benefit the Windows product, too... It's certainly something that we plan to expand to other applications over time."

Version 2.5 adds the ability to dictate without distraction from the mouse and keyboard, and also adds a microphone option in the form of an iOS app -- Dragon Remote Microphone (Free) -- for those situations where you'd rather not be tied to a traditional headset, but where you do share a Wi-Fi network between your computer and your phone.

There are new capabilities for controlling how Dragon Dictate formats text, and new voice commands even allow posting to Facebook and Twitter. Even doing searches on Google, Bing, Yahoo! or with Spotlight on the Mac can be accomplished with a voice command. The microphone can now be set to automatically "sleep" after a preset amount of time so that it won't recognize speech until you specifically wake it.

For new users, a digital download Dragon Dictate 2.5 for Mac is available for $179.99 through the Nuance website; owners of the Windows NaturallySpeaking product can cross-grade for $99. Check out the slideshow below for a demonstration of some of the Word commands that are available in the upgrade.

Dragon Dictate 2.5 offers support for Microsoft Word 2011 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nuance buys SVOX ahead of iOS 5 release

There's a whole trail of rumors hinting at an upcoming deal between speech recognition company Nuance and Apple. For quite a while now (ever since Apple picked up personal assistant software maker Siri), the scuttlebuzz has claimed that the folks in Cupertino would make a deal with Nuance for some kind of speech recognition, most likely an iOS-level integration that would allow you to ask your iOS device for whatever you want, and get it quickly and easily.

But even if that deal is on, that hasn't stopped Nuance from slowing down. The company has acquired another speech recognition firm, SVOX, the creators of high-end speech recognition and text-to-speech services. That's a natural fit for Nuance, of course, and the release says that the new deal "will advance the proliferation of voice in the automotive market, and accelerate the development of new voice capabilities that enable natural, conversational interactions between consumers and their connected cars, mobile phones, and other consumer devices."

Sounds exciting to us. We didn't actually get to see either Siri or an updated voice control service show up during the iOS 5 announcement at WWDC, but that doesn't mean it's completely out of the cards yet. Maybe a deal like this is just what Nuance needs to set up the partnership that Apple's reportedly been seeking for a while.

Nuance buys SVOX ahead of iOS 5 release originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Few iOS 5 Features Missing After WWDC’s Keynote

The WWDC 2011 kickoff was certainly a day full of big announcements for Apple. Mac users will enjoy a new launch for OS X Lion in July. The iCloud announcement made a of lot mobile users quite happy, and the upcoming iOS 5 announcement unveiled features that can’t get into our hands fast enough.

Even with all the bells and whistles announced yesterday, some major rumored features were left out of the keynote. Remember Nuance’s voice recognition integration with iOS 5? How about extended feature support for AirPrint?

Steve Jobs took his time to make sure we all understood clearly that iOS 5 and iCloud are ready to take iOS devices to a new level. However, Steve Jobs and Scott Forster did not mention a word about voice recognition and AirPrint during the keynote. But, there’s still hope because Apple left some signs for a possible voice recognition release during the fall.

TechCrunch has published an article that talks about the possible partnership between Apple and Nuance. According to MG Siegler, most sources appear to believe that Apple and Nuance will probably reach a deal and incorporate Nuance’s voice recognition technology in iOS 5 before its release in the fall. Siegler also mentioned that multiple sources “claim Nuance software is already running at Apple’s new datacenter in North Carolina.”

Last year, we heard a lot about Apple’s AirPrint and the expectations for “driverless printing”. AirPrint was introduced with iOS 4.2, but we know that AirPrint has been limited thus far to certain HP printers. Many consumers have been waiting for a feature that will finally let them print from an iPad or iPhone to any printer wirelessly. I guess we may have to wait a bit more.

As usual, we expect Apple to reveal more new features before iOS 5 becomes available. After all, Apple needs some additional flashy announcements before they release iOS 5 to the masses.

iOS 5 with Voice Recognition Soon?


Apple’s WWDC is just a month away, and the expectations for an iOS 5 preview grow by the day.

We expect Apple to feature iOS 5 during the event one way or another. Perhaps, the latest rumor about Apple partnering with voice recognition company Nuance could be one of the big announcements in front of developers. This latest rumor has gained momentum because it can really become a major piece for the new iOS 5 experience.

TechCrunch has reported about the rumors of Apple trying to acquire Nuance. It seems that Apple has been negotiating a deal with Nuance, but the prospects of an outright acquisition will probably not materialize. Nuance’s high valuation ($6 billion) along with key various licensing deals are probable roadblocks for Apple to acquire Nuance. However, both companies see the value in partnering and are certainly under discussions to see how can both shape the future of iOS 5.

This whole thing started when Apple acquired Siri last year. Siri developed an iPhone app that brought a “virtual personal assistant” onto the App Store. An app that simply listens to your audible questions and responds with an answer. The goal was to create a new way to get things done.

One thing worth noting is that Siri’s app relies on Nuance technology for its services. We can certainly assume this is why Apple sees the value of dealing with Nuance to bring new capabilities to iOS 5. As of now, everything seems to indicate that Apple could possibly partner with Nuance and license the voice recognition technology for a new embedded experience in iOS 5.

TechCrunch’s MG Siegler said it best in his article:

“This matters because as we first reported in March, Siri technology is expected to be a big part of iOS 5. By extension, that means that Nuance technology will be a big part of iOS 5. Well, unless Apple ditches them and goes with another option — but again, Nuance is considered the best. The other big player here getting praise is Google. But well… Yeah.”

“The other option is for Apple to build the technology themselves. And some recent job postings suggest they may be thinking about that. But to get to where Nuance is today it would take a long, long time. Perhaps more importantly, it’s well known in the industry that Nuance holds key patents for their technology and is very aggressive in protecting them. Even Apple would have a hard time dancing around this if they did go it alone.”

It is clear that if voice recognition becomes a major cornerstone of iOS 5, both Apple and Nuance need each other to deliver a great experience.

[via TechCrunch]

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Is a Nuance and Apple deal in the works?

TechCrunch is reporting that Apple is in the process of some sort of deal with Nuance Communications, one of the leading companies in the field of speech recognition. Many readers may be familiar with Nuance's Dragon NaturallySpeaking software, however the Dragon speech engine is also licensed and used in a number of apps for Windows, OS X, iOS, and Android.

What could the deal be? The most obvious choice is an acquisition, but as TC points out, it would cost Apple at least US$6 billion to buy the company. Apple's got the cash, but even for them that would be quite a purchase. TechCrunch thinks it's most likely the two companies are entering into some sort of partnership "that will be vital to both companies and could shape the future of iOS."

Speech recognition has been rumored to be a big part of the future of iOS. Last year, Apple bought another speech recognition company, Siri, which itself is powered by Nuance technology. Perhaps with the release of iOS 5 we'll be talking to our phones more than using them to talk to people.

Is a Nuance and Apple deal in the works? originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 07 May 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple looking to hire voice technology, speech recognition specialists

Apple is looking to hire several voice and speech recognition experts for iOS, according to four new postings on Apple's job board. The new hires would join the iOS Application Framework team and would be working on "speech-related development activities." These multiple listings come hot on the heels of the public release of several patents detailing contextual voice commands for the iPhone. If you add in Apple's acquisition of Siri, you have the possible beginning of a robust voice control system for the iPhone and other iOS devices.

Improved speech recognition would be a welcome addition to the iOS platform. In my experience, the current implementation of voice command on the iPhone is mediocre. While third-party applications like Dragon Dictation are superb, native speech control is wrong as often as it is right. Apple needs to refresh this portion of its mobile OS as it is falling behind Android in voice control technology.

Google recently added support for personalized recognition to its popular Voice Search application for Android. In its current form, the app can be fine tuned to your voice so that you can dictate a text, navigate to a destination or place a call with increasing accuracy.

[via 9to5 & CNET]

Apple looking to hire voice technology, speech recognition specialists originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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