Filed under: Internet Tools, iPhone
Google is listening, and iPhone users are talking
According to the New York Times and the Google iPhone page, the big G is about to add voice recognition capabilities to its iPhone search app (iTunes link), with the new version showing up on the App Store any minute now. You'll be able to ask questions (the kind Google can answer, of course; someone else will have to tell you if those pants make you look fat) and get speedy search results returned from the web or your own address book.
[As of Saturday afternoon 3:30pm ET, the new version is still not in the App Store; interestingly, the Google page no longer has the video embed of the voice recognition demo, nor does it show the new feature listing. Perhaps there was a last-minute delay?
Update, Sunday AM: Techcrunch is reporting an anticipated Monday release for the new version. No details given on the reason for the delay. -Ed.]
Update, Monday PM: The app isn't listed as updated in the App Store, but removing the old Google Mobile app from the phone and reinstalling it brings it back with the voice search capability. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
The voice recordings from the application will be sent to Google's servers for processing "in the cloud." Given the size of Google's infrastructure and its ability to transfer gargantuan amounts of data, it may have the advantage over existing voice-driven search apps such as Yahoo's oneSearch. Google execs seem hesitant to quantify the accuracy of the voice recognition software, but here's hoping it at least tops some of the iPhone voice-dialers I've been playing with.
You can see a sample video of Googlers testing the feature in the continuation of this post.
[via Truemors / blogtopten]
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
heytpn said 10:59PM on 11-14-2008
First comment! anyway, that's awesome.
Reply
Brett said 11:12PM on 11-14-2008
So when is it going to be on? It's already getting late.
All the fuzz about it and still not on the app store?
Come on google.
And yeah i really hope they implement browser capabilities in their mobile search app. Really annoying it starts up safari everytime you click on a result.
Reply
Sam said 2:30AM on 11-15-2008
It's up to Apple to publish apps to the App Store, not Google.
julian said 11:32PM on 11-14-2008
THIS SOUNDSSSS AWESOME CANT WAIT YAY GOOGLE
they already know my life and the next, whats wrong with letting them know a bit more?
Reply
brett said 11:35PM on 11-14-2008
You're totally right!!!
They should know what we like to search for, our preferences, interests, user data, how we look like and now even how we sound like!
1983 - George Orwell
Tyrone Rugen said 1:21AM on 11-15-2008
If you thought 1983 was terrifying, you should read the sequel!
Mike said 1:22AM on 11-15-2008
Ummm, don't you mean 1984?
John said 2:05AM on 11-15-2008
Mike: you can't be serious.
Scotty down_under said 7:51AM on 11-15-2008
yeah, evil Google computers already have all my other info, might as well let them have my voice.
Hmmm, reminds me of an old movie.... when Arnie could replicate human voice after hearing it!
- when will Skynet (gNet) become self aware?
:-O Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Reply
elleff said 8:33AM on 11-15-2008
yeah great but I don't think I'll use this... now give us push gmail please!
Reply
homagetogorto said 9:57AM on 11-15-2008
Interesting. I've long thought that Google would be the next Microsoft (in a bad way, the same way that IBM was once viewed the way Microsoft is now). But maybe not. I would have expected them to reserve this feature for Android.
Reply
adam d said 2:53PM on 11-15-2008
GEE! When is this thing going to show up on the App store. They cant show us this potentially amazing app and say its due friday and then not have it up yet. Well, they can...they already did.... That aside I really want this thing.
Reply
Walt Ribeiro said 6:14PM on 11-15-2008
I wonder if this will be a new feature on their G1 phone (version 2)
Reply
trevor lyman said 9:21PM on 11-15-2008
What about ChaCha? Ba-ZING
Reply
jd said 9:22PM on 11-15-2008
I doubt this will make it into the iphone.... I think this is going to be another example of google stepping on apple's feet.
I think Apple is working on putting spoken text phone operation system wide into the iphone (it really is needed for handsfree dialing). The already have Universal access on OSX. So, commanding your iphone to google a search is unnecessary if you can totally command it from the phone. Is that the reason that the app isn't up at the app store, and the notes and previous video has been pulled???
I think you can kiss this good-bye until after Apple implements this feature.
Reply
Bread said 10:31PM on 11-15-2008
Then why would the app "Say Who" or "Say What" be allowed on the appstore?
I think the reason it's not up yet is of another.
Who knows when Google submitted it. I don't think app is confirmed within hours when submitted so if they did on friday late afternoon it's probably not going to be up before monday.
vulgo said 1:20AM on 11-16-2008
Now it is available!
Reply
required said 11:30AM on 11-16-2008
Seems like this could be done via PlainTalk I mean "Speakable Items" and then work with all form fields, not just google's.
Reply
iPhoneman said 5:09PM on 11-16-2008
The iphone is still the best device available hands down.
http://apple-iphone-store.com
Reply
Birdie said 7:34PM on 11-16-2008
So where is this goddamn app?!
It better raise the people from the dead.
Reply