EDITOR’S NOTE:  In a previous post, Michael Carpenter discussed the voice interface features of Voice Typing and Voice Commands and their impact on smartphone use. In this post, he covers two more interfaces: Voice Actions and S Voice.

In a recent interview with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the D10 Conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that Apple intends to “double down” on Siri, which analysts predict may result in expanded voice control for the iPad, as well as for the OS X desktop experience. With this in mind, new voice control features are worth exploring. Here is a quick survey of two voice interfaces, their features, and their limitations.

Voice Actions

Voice Actions are Android OS-level commands that are integrated into the Google Voice Search app. Voice search is one of the oldest voice control features in the Android ecosystem, having launched with the original Android OS. Despite its age, however, additional controls, or Voice Actions, have been implemented as the software has matured. Voice Actions use the Google apps by default, so if you say, “Email,” it will launch the Gmail app. If you say,  “Navigate to,” it will launch Google Maps. Unlike Voice Commands, Voice Actions can be used to create and edit alarms, calendar invites, and emails, but lacks the ability to launch or use non-Google apps.

Additional features of voice search allow the service to be configured to block (more accurately, asterisk-out) offensive words and to perform image searches using Google’s SafeSearch, which filters explicit images from the search results. Another relatively old hat, having launched in December 2010, Personalized Recognition is a feature of voice search that improves the speech recognition accuracy by storing your voice recordings on the cloud where they are analyzed by Google. Personalized Recognition offers a glimpse into how important both high-speed, always-on Internet access and the cloud have become. Across all of the speech functions described here, the software on the device is merely a conduit to the Internet, where most of the processing heavy-lifting is performed on the cloud.

 S Voice

S Voice is a speech-controlled, virtual assistant that is similar to Apple’s Siri. S Voice can be invoked in two ways: by launching the app or by double clicking the Home button and announcing one of the standard wake up messages. Wake up messages can also be configured to include workflow actions, including checking for missed calls and messages, opening the camera app, checking the schedule, playing music, and making a voice recording.

S Voice goes beyond voice commands and Voice Actions by offering deep and unique integration into the OS with the ability to change some simple settings, such as toggling Wi-Fi and Driving Mode on or off. When performed with S Voice creating memos, calendar invites, and navigation commands launch the appropriate apps. A key differentiator between S Voice and Voice Actions is that S Voice can launch any installed app on the device by saying “launch app name”—which voice controls are enabled inside the app varies from developer to developer. If you wanted to take a picture with Instagram, for example, instead of the default Camera app, S Voice is the only way to launch the app using speech control alone. Although you can launch any app from S Voice, the apps that are associated with phrases within S Voice cannot be edited.

One strange limitation is the inability to send emails from S Voice. Any request to send an email is met with a negative response, indicating that S Voice is not allowed send email. We know that the Vlingo software underpinning S Voice is capable of sending email, if only with the premium version app, which leads us to conclude the limitation isn’t technological, making the exclusion of this common function from S Voice all the more baffling. Here is a video from noted tech blog The Verge that offers a side-by-side comparison between Siri and S Voice:

Voice Control’s Future: Full Speed Ahead

Voice control, like many aspects of the Android OS ecosystem, suffers from fragmentation that is a result of the open nature of the operating system. Variance in the implementation of voice control manifests itself in different behavior across apps that are part of the manufacturer’s preloaded software (e.g., Email, Messaging, Navigation) versus the Google apps that come as part of the Android OS itself (e.g., Gmail, Google + Messenger, Maps) or third-party apps downloaded from the Google Play store (formerly the Android Marketplace). The ability to send emails using Voice Actions but not S Voice serves as one functional example of the downstream impact fragmentation has on the user experience.

Despite the individual quirks and limitations of the various voice interface options, smartphones incorporating this technology offer cutting-edge of speech recognition technology. Like so much else in the rapidly evolving world of emerging technologies, we can anticipate that the pace of enhancements will only increase as more and more users begin to adopt the technology.

 To learn more about using these features visit our Interactive Tutorials; for detailed step-by-step instructions, visit the My AT&T Learning Center.

We may not have jetpacks, but there’s no doubt about it: We live in the future. The smartphones we carry in our pockets today have faster processors and more memory than the most powerful desktop PCs from a decade ago, and the ubiquitous high-speed Internet access provided by AT&T’s 4G and Wi-Fi networks amounts to always-on connectivity to the full sum of humankind’s knowledge. Since the launch of Siri with the iPhone 4S last year, it has become apparent that smartphone manufacturers consider voice control to be the next phase in human/computer interfaces. This post covers developments in two voice control interfaces, Voice Typing and Voice Command:

Voice Typing

Google voice typing is implemented at a fundamental level on some devices. With the exception of password fields, where you see a text box on a voice-typing-enabled smartphone, you can use speech as the input method instead of the on-screen keyboard; in fact, speech input can be set as the default so that whenever a text input box is selected the device will display a “listening” prompt instead of the keyboard. This video from Google highlights the voice typing features on the Nexus One device, but the explanation and examples are still accurate for the Galaxy S III:

Voice Command

Voice command is an operating system-level interface that allows for speech control of common functions, like answering or rejecting calls (but not dialing; more on that shortly), stopping and snoozing alarms (but not creating or editing; more on that also to come), taking photos, and playing music. Voice Command works from inside the already-opened app (i.e., it cannot launch apps) and supports a limited number of actions within the supported apps.

In a follow-on post, I’ll discuss two more important developments in speech recognition technology: Voice Actions and Voice S, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, are you using speech recognition technology yet? And if so, what features do you find most useful?

During his 10 years at AT&T, Michael’s responsibilities have ranged from managing a team of technical writers, to overseeing the deployment of multiple hardware releases, to building and fostering strategic partner relationships. An innovative problem solver and product of the dot-com boom, Michael was hired at 18 by Microsoft to work in technical support where he was part of a team that delivered data over the AT&T network. His time at Microsoft sharpened Michael’s interest and expertise in data and networks, and resulted in his being tapped as a go-to subject matter expert on those topics.

Naturally curious in all things scientific, Michael is passionate about analog synthesizers. His fascination with synthesizers started when he was a child listening to bands with machine-made sounds that struck his curiosity. When he got older, he began collecting, modifying, and experimenting with synthesizers and the sounds they make. His love of machines and technology led him to Microsoft, where he was given the freedom to explore both information technology and machines in-depth.

A voracious reader, Michael reads at least one book in any given day. Especially fascinated with Russian literature, his favorite meta read is Vladimir Nabokov’s book Pale Fire, which dissects a 999-line poem.

Michael has many proficiencies and certifications, including the following:

• Project Management Certifications:  Six Sigma Green Belt, DMADV, AT&T QMS Lean
• Software Certifications: ColdFusion MX 6 Application Development, Dreamweaver MX 2004, Apple Mac OS X 10.4 Support Technician
• Expert familiarity: HTML, CSS, Microsoft Office suite, Visio, SharePoint, MS Project

• Software Development: Dreamweaver, Coda, SQL Server, Enterprise Manager, Query Analyzer

He is currently studying toward a degree in Electrical Engineering.