Microsoft Voice Command Released Today

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.handango.com/brainstore/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=90635' target='_blank'>http://www.handango.com/brainstore/...productId=90635</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.handango.com/pictures/619721/voice-command_package-front.jpg" /><br /><br />"Voice Command transforms your Pocket PC into your own virtual personal assistant, letting you use your voice to look up contacts and place phone calls, get calendar information, play and control your music, and launch applications. Voice Command makes it easier, safer, and more convenient than ever to take your digital lifestyle with you wherever you go. <br /><br />The state-of-the-art speech technology means you will never have to pre-record important phone numbers or use difficult commands to access the information you need. Simply select one of the many commands that is most natural to you and let Voice Command do the rest. You can even ask "What can I say?" at any time to help find an appropriate command. Learn for yourself why everybody is talking about Microsoft Voice Command for Windows Mobile 2003-based Pocket PC and Pocket PC Phone Edition.<br /><br />• Speaker independent <br />• No voice training required <br />• Conversational style that asks you questions if more information is needed <br />• Use a single command to quickly get what you want or be guided if you prefer <br />• Say "What can I say" or "Help" at any time <br /><br />Whether you are phoning a friend from the car, checking appointments while running errands, or listening to music on the treadmill, Voice Command offers you the convenience, safety, and efficiency of hands-free, voice-controlled interaction for whatever your busy life hands you."<br /><br />You can purchase it from Handango for $39.95, and there is no trial. [Affiliate]

[quidproquo]

That is a lot of money to spend with no trial period!

I know when you purchase software in a store, you have to buy before you try w/no returns....but PPC software should be and usually is a bit different in that we get to try it first....

I don't forsee a lot of sales on this unless someone buys it and then writes a fabulous review.

I have tried other voice recognition software and most don't live up to their billing (as I hoped) - maybe this one will be different, but I am too much of a tightwad to risk $40 to find out :roll:

You would think since it is Micro$oft, that is should be pretty good....but look at Microsofts Transcriber....about 60% effective....most of the time.

[Jeff Rutledge]

Quidproquo, you beat me to it.

I'm very surprised there's no trial. Unless I hear a lot of good buzz here about the app, I won't be taking the plunge.

I will admit that I am hypersensitive from the IBM ViaVoice that came with my first 3650, but still... :)

Voice recognition is still unproven. I need to give it a whirl before I plunk down the cash.

[Perry Reed]

My Jornada 568 shipped with Mobile Conversay, which was... OK.

For $40, this one had better be a lot better! Does anyone know for sure that if it will work with PPC 2002 or is it 2003 only?

[Master O'Mayhem]

looks like 2003 only

[Khufu1]

...
You would think since it is Micro$oft, that is should be pretty good....but look at Microsofts Transcriber....about 60% effective....most of the time.
:?:
Didn't Phatware write Transcriber for MS?

[Mexico]

Well, the thing has been downloaded 70 times from Handango...
I'd think somebody around here bought it. Would somebody be so kind as to letting us know if this thing works at all, or is it like talking to a waiter (you know, having to say the same thing 3 times in order to get the wrong thing...)?

Cheers,

M

[guinness]

I wonder if they added anything since the beta release, it's neat, but I don't where see that it's worth $40, maybe $20-25 (good thing for the free download coupon :D ).

Although with Handango, can you get a refund if you don't like it since there is no trial?

[Mexico]

What free download coupon? 8O Where? 8O

[guinness]

What free download coupon? 8O Where? 8O

Perk of being a beta tester and filling out the 2 surveys, they sent me an e-mail today that for filling out the surveys that I'll get a coupon for a free download in a few days.

[quidproquo]

Wow... 8O It also takes up 7 meg of RAM! (not to mention what it probably takes up on the storage side)

On my T-Mobile PPCPE with on 32 meg, that is a hefty chunk o' RAM!

[mv]

Quidproquo, you beat me to it.

I'm very surprised there's no trial. Unless I hear a lot of good buzz here about the app, I won't be taking the plunge.

I will admit that I am hypersensitive from the IBM ViaVoice that came with my first 3650, but still... :)

Voice recognition is still unproven. I need to give it a whirl before I plunk down the cash.

My 3850 had the same software... not good at all. Anyway, it was free, and it should be free - $40 for a thing that we´ll use just sometimes it´s not a good idea.

[Anthony Caruana]

It also takes up 7 meg of RAM! (not to mention what it probably takes up on the storage side)

$40USD and 7 MB - the price is too high. I think I'll wait till it's part of the ROM in some future OS release.

Maybe when we've all got 512 MB in our PPCs...

[MaximumPDA]

This would be a great product for a wireless carrier to bundle as a hands free add-on. I wonder if any have looked at it yet?

[palmsolo]

I've been using the latest beta for about 10 days and have to say it is the best voice software I have tried. The version I had took 3.7MB of memory and they recommended not to put it on a storage card.

I tried some Fonix software in the past and removed it after it regularly only recognized about 10% of what I said. Voice Command has recognized about 90% of what I said and also talks back to confirm many commands. I find the launcher and Windows Media Player functions to be the most useful, especially if you have tons of apps and songs on your device. I don't have a Phone Edition, but saw a demo of it on one and it performed great.

[freitasm]

Wow... 8O It also takes up 7 meg of RAM! (not to mention what it probably takes up on the storage side)

On my T-Mobile PPCPE with on 32 meg, that is a hefty chunk o' RAM!

Not exactly... It's up to 7MB for a number of contacts and media content. It's a cache, where contacts are loaded. I think (if it works like some telephony products using VoiceXML) that the voice recognises tags and these are cached from the contacts hence a considerable memory footprint - which will be even higher if you have more contacts, programs and music.

These are the only one that the software needs to recognise - when you say "Show John Doe" it separates the tags SHOW JOHN DOE and it knows the action show requires either a contact or a program (from the start menu folder).

For appointments it only recognises things like "What is|are my {next} appointment {today|tomorrow}"

Simple VoiceXML tagging...

[Jerome Carney]

I look forward to seeing a comparison between the MS product and Fonix Voice Dial. Living in Los Angeles, which means spending lots of time in my car, I consider Fonix one of my top two PPC apps, and I'm consistently impressed with Fonix's accuracy, especially during noisy drive-time conditions.

Like the new MS voice product, Fonix requires no voice training, so I'm assuming they're built around similar technologies... does anyone know more?

[szamot]

Well, the thing has been downloaded 70 times from Handango...
I'd think somebody around here bought it. Would somebody be so kind as to letting us know if this thing works at all, or is it like talking to a waiter (you know, having to say the same thing 3 times in order to get the wrong thing...)?

Cheers,

M

It works really well, I have been beta testing it, however having said that, it also lacked basic functionality - in my view. All beta testers are supposed to get a free copy, I wonder if it will be different than what we originally got.

[szamot]

I've been using the latest beta for about 10 days and have to say it is the best voice software I have tried. The version I had took 3.7MB of memory and they recommended not to put it on a storage card.

I tried some Fonix software in the past and removed it after it regularly only recognized about 10% of what I said. Voice Command has recognized about 90% of what I said and also talks back to confirm many commands. I find the launcher and Windows Media Player functions to be the most useful, especially if you have tons of apps and songs on your device. I don't have a Phone Edition, but saw a demo of it on one and it performed great.

Should have added that as well, the voice recognition is about 95% accurate and I am not a native english speaker. This is perhaps the most impressive thing about Voice Command and certainly nothing like anthing else I have ever tried.

[dean_shan]

The picture of the front page post would make a good theme if it didn't have words or device pictures on it.

[pgh1969pa]

What of waste of resources! Instead of fixing the WM2003 alarms problem, releasing a EUU to put MS Reader 2.2.2 in ROM, or improving Pocket Office applications, they give us a $40, 7MB boat anchor. Thanks Microsoft! I'd find any of the above more worthwhile than an expensive, large application such as this! MS, FIX THE PROBLEMS FIRST!

[hakeashar]

I was wondering if one of the beta testers could say if you need to press a button before you speak or not? The power point slide gives me that impression.

I think this a good step for pocket pcs. A bluetooth mic and pocketword integration would be nice.

[Cortex]

I think this a good step for pocket pcs. A bluetooth mic and pocketword integration would be nice.

it does simple screen taps by based on voice commands, not dictation.

someone above stated fonix recognition is poor.... back when i tried using my pocket pc phone as a phone, i bought fonix voicedial and it work incredibly well, typically without any training and it had that option if it didnt get a contact right. i often wondered why fonix didnt go the extra step and attach screen tap macros so it could be a voice commander....

[freitasm]

I was wondering if one of the beta testers could say if you need to press a button before you speak or not? The power point slide gives me that impression.

Yes. You select a button that you'll have to press before saying a command. There's no "Magic Word" like in some mobile phones and handsfree car kits.

[Paragon]

I've just tried installing it to a CF card and it's working.

Dave

[tsaxton]

I just tried ordering it from Handango, and got an error message saying that Microsoft have restricted shipments to (my) country (Australia).

That's a fine thank-you for sending our SAS to help out in Afghanistan and Iraq... :devilboy:

[freitasm]

I just tried ordering it from Handango, and got an error message saying that Microsoft have restricted shipments to (my) country (Australia).

That's a fine thank-you for sending our SAS to help out in Afghanistan and Iraq... :devilboy:

They probably think there are no Pocket PCs outside North America :twisted:

[DHeckler]

I’ve been playing with this throughout the day. I have to say it’s pretty impressive. For what it does, it does well. I made a point to bring it with me in the car this afternoon. I tested it in normal driving conditions and it was 10 for 10 in bringing up specified contacts. I could see this actually being practical, especially in situations where I’m driving while talking on the phone with someone wanting to schedule a meeting. With this, I can at least keep one hand on the wheel. :lol:
The downside is that this version is limited in its implementation. It is very good at telling me what my next appoint is, but cannot tell me what my appointments are on, say, December 4th. I also can’t say “Go to next week” or anything along those lines. The application launch feature works well, but for most programs I can’t do much with the application once it opens.
By looking at the control panel for this application it’s obvious that they built it for expandability and that more functionality is on its way.
I’m sure MS has a laundry list of new feature ideas already, but here’s a few.
Voice control: scroll up, scroll down, next day, previous day, specify a calendar date, view week, view day, view month, ability to control basic PIE functions, etc…
Where’s the developer info on this? So far, nothing. The best use of this technology I can think of is first, general business while driving, and second, integration with custom enterprise mobile workforce applications. If anyone know where exists some SDK info, please point me to it.

[dhpss]

Being an early adopter. I found this is the best voice recognition software for PocketPC (No voice training required and it works pretty much everytime for me - English is my second language!...-).

It is definitely worth $40.

I extract here the user guide, so you can have some ideas what this program can do..(Sorry, this would be very useful if you have Phone edition, since I don't have one, I am only interested in normal PPC functions)

......
Contact Lookup
This feature displays a contact card using the “Show &lt;contact name>” voice command. To use this command, press the Voice Command button, listen for the short melody, and say “Show &lt;contact name>”. Voice Command then displays this contact card on the device screen.
Examples of Contact Lookup
• “Show John Smith”
• “Show Home”
• “Show Microsoft”

Examples of Calendar Commands
• “What’s my next appointment?”
• “What are my appointments today?”
• “What’s my schedule for tomorrow?”

Playing Media
To play media with assistance, follow these steps:
1. Press the Voice Command button.
2. Say “Play music”.
3. Voice Command will ask what you want to play and give you a list of choices.
4. Once the complete list of options is read (or interrupt by pressing the Voice Command button), answer with “Album”, “Artist”, or “Genre”.
5. Voice Command will ask which you want to play and give you a list of choices.
6. Once the complete list of options is read (or interrupt by pressing the Voice Command button), answer with the Album, Artist, or Genre name.
Note: When a list of Artists, Albums or Genres are being read, you can use the voice commands “Next”, “Previous”, “That One” or “Repeat”.

To play an album, artist, or genre with assistance, follow these steps:
1. Press the Voice Command button.
2. Say “Play album”, “Play album by &lt;artist>”, “Play artist”, or “Play genre”.
3. Voice Command will ask which you want to play and give you a list of choices.
4. Once the complete list of options is read (or interrupt by pressing the Voice Command button), answer with the Album, Artist, or Genre name.
Note: When a list of Artists, Albums or Genres are being read, you can use the voice commands “Next”, “Previous”, “That One” or “Repeat”.

To play media using a single command, follow these steps:
1. Press the Voice Command button.
2. Say “Play &lt;artist name>”, “Play &lt;album name>”, “Play &lt;genre name>”, or “Play everything”.
3. Voice Command will play your selection.
Examples:
• “Play Greatest Hits”
• “Play Jazz”
Media Player Commands
The following commands can be used while you are listening to your media:
• “Play”
• “Pause”
• “Stop”
• “Next (track)”
• “Previous (track)”
• “(Turn) shuffle on”
• “(Turn) shuffle off”

NOTE: If you say “(Turn) shuffle on” while the shuffle feature is enabled, Voice Command will automatically skip to the next song.
“What Song is this?”
This command will read the track name and artist name. If the information is missing, then Voice Command will announce the song as “Unknown Track by Unknown Artist.” Voice Command uses the Album Artist property for the artist and Windows Media uses the Artist property sometimes these are different, but since the artist name announced with “What song is this?” is the one from Voice Command, you can say “Play &lt;artist name>” to hear more music by this artist.
Big Button Media Skins
Voice Command provides an additional skin for Windows Media Player that makes it easier to interact with the Windows Media without using a stylus. This skin is set as the current skin when Voice Command is installed.

Program Launcher/Start Menu
This feature allows you to start a program on the Pocket PC using the “Start &lt;program name>” (where &lt;program name> represents the name of the Pocket PC program in the start menu or programs folder). To do this, press the Voice Command button and say “Start &lt;program name>”
For example:
• “Start Inbox”
• “Start Calculator”
• “Start Calendar”
• “Start File Explorer”
Note: You can also use “Open &lt;program name>” and “Show &lt;program name>” in addition to using “Start &lt;program name>”....

[Paragon]

I just tried ordering it from Handango, and got an error message saying that Microsoft have restricted shipments to (my) country (Australia).

That's a fine thank-you for sending our SAS to help out in Afghanistan and Iraq... :devilboy:

It is a handsfree app afterall....perhaps they don't have the righthand drive version done yet. :).....You could always setup a new profile with an American location.

UPDATE on the storage card installation.....it doesn't work after you close the app the first time....new there had to be something to it. :)
Dave

[tsaxton]

You could always setup a new profile with an American location.

I thought I'd be clever and try that, but there is a billing address check on the credit card, and now Handango/AMEX is refusing all transactions for that credit card outright. So I don't think I can buy it without a credit card from an allowed country... Unless I can buy it as a gift for a North-American alter-ego, or something.

I see two possibilities:

1. Microsoft have stupidly restricted the countries due to lack of geographical knowledge, or

2. Microsoft don't trust their implementation enough to sell it to countries where the inhabitants might have slightly different accents

[freitasm]

I see two possibilities:

1. Microsoft have stupidly restricted the countries due to lack of geographical knowledge, or

2. Microsoft don't trust their implementation enough to sell it to countries where the inhabitants might have slightly different accents

I have to say that 2 is probably not the case. I live in New Zealand and my accent is not that of a native Kiwi. My Brazilian accent causes some confusion here, sometimes people think I'm either French or Canadian (from Montreal) because of the "Latin" accent.

Anyway, the software worked 100% for me...

[werb]

Well I can't wait until I see it working on the XDA2 with a bluetooth headset. For me that's the killer app (for the next 10 seconds anyway)! Also I see this being alot more useful on a smartphone than a PPC!

[MikeUnwired]

I just tried ordering it from Handango, and got an error message saying that Microsoft have restricted shipments to (my) country (Australia).

That's a fine thank-you for sending our SAS to help out in Afghanistan and Iraq... :devilboy:

It's your accent -- Microsoft doesn't support the accent! :D

[guinness]

What's the version number of the final release? On the beta it's 1.0.3267.3 (Go to the VC option under the settings menu).

[stevew]

Maybe it's just me but I just can't see myself walking around the office or sitting at my desk talking into my PPC. I just can't see the concept myself. I can now get to everything I need during the day with just the push of one button or a tap or two and I'm a heavy user. Besides I didn't pay 35 bucks for a nice pen/stylus just to turn around and spend another 40 so I can talk to my PPC and hope it heard me correctly. :lol:

[dmf07]

This product looks a lot like PDsay (http://scansoft.com/PDsay) from Scansoft. In fact the commands are exactly the same. The PDsay Product worked well in quite environments with an Ipaq. (Other PPC's mics were not up to par) I have tested on Various models of Ipaqs, 36xx through 39xx series and the Toshiba models. Very poor on Toshibas. Sucks up a lot of ram. Not a transcriber product like Dragon so don't expect it to type for you. Go L&H!!!

[mgd]

I just tried ordering it from Handango, and got an error message saying that Microsoft have restricted shipments to (my) country (Australia).

I tried to purchase it earlier, but got repeated errors. I assume it is because of my location also. So, by chance I tried purchasing it using ThunderHawk and it worked. So they may not be checking your credit card billing address, but your IP address to check your location. ThunderHawk does not return your true IP address.

[CTSLICK]

$39.95 and no trial....ummmm....no thanks. I don't care if it wins every accolade available, I still say no way.

I am still trying to understand the application for voice command. Sure, I get the advantages for the PPC phones like the XDA. But why do I need this? I work in close proximity to lots of folks, last thing I need to do is to be talking to my PDA. Honestly, I would much rather tap the screen...it gets me exactly what I want. Nevermind I am just not the target market.

But once again, to ANY software developer who want to charge me $39.95 for software without a trial....no thanks...I'll keep my $40 bucks.

[mmc]

looks great but too expensive :cry:

[qmrq]

You would think since it is Micro$oft, that is should be pretty good....but look at Microsofts Transcriber....about 60% effective....most of the time.
Transcriber works ok, as long as you only enter words that are in it's internal word list. If you try to enter something else like names, technical terms, etc it gets all mangled. Especially if you write in script instead of printing.

[Arkhangel]

What's the version number of the final release? On the beta it's 1.0.3267.3

It's version number 1.0.3297.2

So far I have been impressed with the usability, however (like mentioned before) there are several more things I would like to see come out of it. I would also like to hear a voice that is more pleasing than this computer-generated woman's voice.

[Calculon]

I just tried ordering it from Handango, and got an error message saying that Microsoft have restricted shipments to (my) country (Australia).

That's a fine thank-you for sending our SAS to help out in Afghanistan and Iraq... :devilboy:

Must be because of all the JI trouble you guys are having down there.

just kidding...

In any case let others work out the initial quirks.

Cheers mate!

[Thinkingmandavid]

I dont see myself needing the voicecommand. I think they should concentrate on fixing the alarms more importantly. go figure, they can give voice commands but they cant fix the alarms :roll:

[Godsongz]

I think they should concentrate on fixing the alarms more importantly. go figure, they can give voice commands but they cant fix the alarms :roll:

Its very likely that its two completely seperate groups of programmers. Yes they have a lot of work to do to fix some problems, but the people who put together the voice stuff have probably never touched the alarm code. I don't expect every department in my company to jump into the mix when one department is having a problem, it would be total chaos.

[Perk]

http://www.handango.com/pictures/619721/voice-command_package-front.jpg

"Voice Command transforms your Pocket PC into your own virtual personal assistant, letting you use your voice to look up contacts and place phone calls, get calendar information, play and control your music, and launch applications. Voice Command makes it easier, safer, and more convenient than ever to take your digital lifestyle with you wherever you go.

The state-of-the-art speech technology means you will never have to pre-record important phone numbers or use difficult commands to access the information you need. Simply select one of the many commands that is most natural to you and let Voice Command do the rest. You can even ask "What can I say?" at any time to help find an appropriate command. Learn for yourself why everybody is talking about Microsoft Voice Command for Windows Mobile 2003-based Pocket PC and Pocket PC Phone Edition.

• Speaker independent
• No voice training required
• Conversational style that asks you questions if more information is needed
• Use a single command to quickly get what you want or be guided if you prefer
• Say "What can I say" or "Help" at any time

Whether you are phoning a friend from the car, checking appointments while running errands, or listening to music on the treadmill, Voice Command offers you the convenience, safety, and efficiency of hands-free, voice-controlled interaction for whatever your busy life hands you."

You can purchase it from Handango for $39.95, and there is no trial. [Affiliate]

This sounds exactly like a newer version of IBM ViaVoice which came with my 3835. The first version was unusable, but the patched version was significantly improved. I kept it installed in iPAQ file store. When I upgraded to the new 2k3 operating system, I was disappointed to find that it wouldn't install. :cry: .

It wasn't good enough to pay money for but I saw potential. I'm especially interested in dictation. Not included though.

I don't think I would spend good money to get this mediocre program back.

btw: Jawbreaker is a remake of Bubblets. A program that worked on my old Casio E-115, a windows pocket organizer before I bought a "PocketPC".

Seems like MS is manipulating this software market to their advantage.

[szamot]

I was wondering if one of the beta testers could say if you need to press a button before you speak or not? The power point slide gives me that impression.

I think this a good step for pocket pcs. A bluetooth mic and pocketword integration would be nice.

you can custom pre-set the button, then you hear a sound and then you say what you have to say. Very simple and slick. Not $40 slick but slick.

[Iznot Gold]

When I tried using Viavoice I just couldn't stand the incredibly high 'Geek' factor of talking to my PPC. I talk to my PC all the time but I don't think this software would handle the 'vocabulory' that I use!
It's probably not available in Australia because they haven't yet mastered 'Auzzie rules'.
David

[palmsolo]

Voice Command was developed by the Automotive Business unit which is a division totally separate from the operating system people. They have been working on this product for some time and have nothing to do with the alarms issues.

I think the price is fair if you compare it to other voice products. Also I can attest that this one actually works as stated.

[dannyoneill]

if MS are restricting where they will let you download it from I suppose ppl are likely to get it from less savory channels.

[dannyoneill]

Well ive 'obtained' a copy here in the UK and it actually must be the accent. No one speaks better english than us guys and I can get it to do a few things but lots are not working.

[Ed Hansberry]

I think they should concentrate on fixing the alarms more importantly. go figure, they can give voice commands but they cant fix the alarms :roll:

Its very likely that its two completely seperate groups of programmers. Yes they have a lot of work to do to fix some problems, but the people who put together the voice stuff have probably never touched the alarm code. I don't expect every department in my company to jump into the mix when one department is having a problem, it would be total chaos.
Now you've gone and thrown logic and common sense into the argument. :roll: :wink: :lol:

[dannyoneill]

well i tried chucking in a George Bush texan twist and that still dosnt work, seems to like bringing up the Tasks lots.

I really think a trial is needed for people to make sure it will work with their accent. (even you yanks).

[seidler]

even if it would understand my accent, I don't think it will ever understand when I say "Show Yu-Chin Chen", "Show Anne Gräßer" or "Show Francois Cabot". That could be the main reason why you can't buy it in other countries outside US, and that will always be my main reason to not even try to buy it...

[dhpss]

I agree the price should be a bit lower and there should be a trial period.

I bought the software immediately when it became available. It works at my satisfaction. Being a sales professional, I am in my car most of the time and the ability to get quick a contact phone number without using the stylus is valuable to me.

I buy software for my needs and also when it is innovative. I consider this software is one of them. The software interface is simple to use and does not require voice training, it learns your voice as you use it and perfects itself over time.

My $ spending is a way, at least for me to encourage people who are behind the product, developping this kind of stuff to perfect them further in the next releases and perhaps create more cool things.....

Go Microsoft.

[dannyoneill]

i dont have no probs with paying for the stuff, but id be mighty pissed if I bought it and found out it didnt like my voice.

[dhpss]

i dont have no probs with paying for the stuff, but id be mighty pissed if I bought it and found out it didnt like my voice.

Don't worry... English is my second (actually third) language. With my heavy accent, I have 99% success.

Best voice recognition: SprintPCS voice command
Second: Microsoft Voice command

Beware: If you use any task switching program (e.g. PocketPlus &lt; 1.3.6), activating this new voice recognition repetitively might cause some unexpected pauses....

[Godsongz]

Now you've gone and thrown logic and common sense into the argument. :roll: :wink: :lol:

hehehe what was I thinking. But back on topic, I would love to see a full review of this product. $40 is steep, but if it works well than it might be worth it just for controlling media player in the car without getting into an accident.

The extraordinarily high geek factor of talking to a PPC and having it respond is pretty cool too.

[PR.]

Well, this thing can read out your Windows Media player tracks and it can read out your reminders... so why can't it read out my MS Reader books?!

[superrrguy]

This is the second thing I've ever paid for on the Pocket PC.

I must say, it's cool, but it not $40 cool.

Besides RAM going from 23MB free to 8.1MB (maybe a need a reset right now). OK. I'm back to 23 and steadily going lower 22, 21, 20, 19MB, done. Not bad for 1000+ contacts.

Things that would be extra cool, and worth $40.

1. Using voice as a password. I don't mean a 'passphrase'. I mean saying 'Hello' / 'Good Morning' / What's up my brother?' and the thing knowing it was you. Of course you could always still type in your password just in case.

2. Dictation. Because typing is just too hard.

3. Reading. Because. Where's Text-to-Speech? I don't want to read E-books anymore. It's on the desktop version for free. Remember the early days of text to speech when you'd get your desktop to say all sorts of dirty things? ... No? Me neither. (I'm so lonely)

4. Clicking OK / Close. Maybe there is a way and I missed this, but I hate leaving the actual contact / appointment open so I hope it's there. I was playing with it for two minutes and lost interest. I just realized I can say 'Start Today' to go back to the Today screen. Looks like even 'Show Today' works. Nice.

5. For us guys without phone features. What's the damn phone number??? Tell me so I can dial it on my cell. Still looking at my screen in traffic.

6. Where's "What time is it?"? For no reason what so ever.

7. Where's and Tasks support. Please tell me I have 34 Task Overdue. The bright red is just not effective anymore.

8. More than one voice to choose from. Microsft Sam is a really nice guy, but did I mention I was lonely? Where's Micrsoft Sally? or is this Sally? or a way to change pitch and speed?

9. Does not do dishes.

I will say this. I think this is very cool anyway. My biggest biggest complaint is that the voice is so so so low. Music blasts out of my Toshiba speaker. I'm also happy that it's not a sperate media player for voice commands and I can change my Media Player skin back to the original PPC 2000 skin I've grown to love.

---
Lastly,
What button is everyone using for voice command? I started with the record button which barely works on the Toshiba anyway, but ended up just using one of the app buttons because the speakers is so low (even with the volume all the way up) I have to take the thing out of the case and put it by my ear anyway, and half the time you still have to look at the screen as well.
Unfortunatly I map buttons in media player and things stop working after media player is open. Obviously I will fix this now that I can scream at my PocketPC on planes just to go to the next track. Very worth it.

[dannyoneill]

ok, now im impressed.

the guide recommends setting the mic gain on my device to 16. I have a 3950 but the device it recommends is the 3970. close enough.

had a bit of shakey response. so i recorded a voice note and i couldnt hear myself.

so i changed the gain to 25 (recommended for the 2210) and BINGO. Recognises my limey accent no probs.

[bucho]

Can you dial contacts via bluetooth on PPC devices (not PPCPE)?

[sanjay.srikonda]

I beta'd this software, and since it's finally, and very surprisingly, since the testing period was still going on, and only, in my opinion, released ahead of schedule because news leaked about it, it's not ready for prime time.

It's a nice piece of software, but they won't give you a beta because the feature set is not very good.

You can't:

change the voice
add commands
train your voice to be understood (no training software included)
add new programs for it to control

It does exactly what the programmers meant it to do and nothing more, but it's definitely NOT worth $40. They, as beta testers, asked us what we'd pay in one of the surveys and I sure didn't put $40. I said, maybe $19.99. It's not worth more than that. You can't even set its sensitivity to ignore background sounds for example.

The shortfals of this program are:

if you ask "what is my next appointment" and you have weather forecasts in your outlook from Infuzer like I do, it starts reading the weather forecast to you, and then stopping it is not easy. It's just not ready for prime time in my opinion.

[superrrguy]

Hey, Infuzer is pretty cool. I just tried it out. I'm actually using Journal Bar which has pretty clouds.

Instead of saying 'What are my appointments today?"

Try "What's my next appoitment?"

If you ask for tomorrows appointments, it kind of nice to know the weather anyway.

[superrrguy]

One questions about voice for media player.

How does it know the genre? Is it from the desktop tags?

Choosing 'properties' only lists only lists Title, Album, Artist.

[Godsongz]

Well, from everything everyone has been saying... I think I'll just wait for version 2.0

[madbart]

I got it today and think that it is an awesome application.
I found it to be most useful in the car when i had to look up a contact.
Instead of fumbling around in PI i just hit the button and said " Show &lt;contact>" and up it pops.

As for the speach recognition i have not had a failure yet. :lol:

[Piedone]

I've just installed it on an Ipaq 3955 running WM 2003 - I'm not able to get the Mic Icon to show up even though I've assigned one button for voice command (I can hear the "beep" when I press it) and I've checked the Buttons assignment in Media Player. I'm also running latest version of BattPack (could this be the culprit?).

Piedone

edit: sorry bout that, I should have paid more attention to the trobleshooting guide esp where it stated 'some devices require a restart to work'... I got it to work now, it's kind of impressive.

[onepieceman]

How does this compare to Fonix VoiceCentral 2? Anyone tried both?
Seems like Fonix can do everything that this does (apart from the media player integration), but is more flexible (it does tasks, allows you to rename contacts etc).
Plus, VoiceCentral gives you a trial!
On the other hand, does anyone know whether VoiceCentral works on 2003, and if not whether Fonix propose to release an upgrade?

[tsaxton]

I was having trouble ordering Microsoft Voice Command from Handango before, from an Australian location. As it turns out, Handango do all sorts of checks (including trying to figure out if the client IP is in a country that Microsoft will not do business with) and they were failing for some technical reasons on both my home ADSL PC, and my work PC and another cable modem PC -- their technical support wasn't able to help me fix the problem, but I was able to order it directly from [email protected]. So, now I have it, and I'll be able to try it out later tonight. :D

[juni]

The picture of the front page post would make a good theme if it didn't have words or device pictures on it.

Heh, I thought that too:

http://discussion.brighthand.com/attachment.php?s=f2a039cd2634ac226a0ff0fbd688cb4f&postid=611842

[Mexico]

Well, since Fonix VoiceCentral has a trial version, I went ahead and installed it on my 2215. Damn, that thing works good! 8O
I'm originally from Mexico, and even though I've been in the States for over 5 years, I still have an accent. I've only used the program for 5 minutes, but it didn't fail once.

If I could compare this program with Microsoft's Voice Command, then Voice Command would have a chance of winning the contest, but without trial, my hard-earned money goes to Fonix.

(Hint hint, M$: TRIAL VERSION!!!)

[jffcurt]

I've been using it for two days and no problems with what it is suppose to do. Understands my voice commands with no prob. It should just get better with updates.

[pepemosca]

Does anyone knows any way to record a voice message?

I mean, I whould like to be able to start a program and record a message... But i can't find the way

[jkendrick]

if MS are restricting where they will let you download it from I suppose ppl are likely to get it from less savory channels.

I've been involved with speech recognition for many years and a speaker independent recognition model as this uses cannot handle many various accents and I am certain that's why it's not available outside the US. It would likely have a great deal of difficulty recognizing non US accents.

[Abras]

I'm Brazilian, so english is not my natural language.

I'm very impressed with Microsoft Voice Recognicion for PPC, I just playing around with it for 2 hours, and it's works well for me that mispronunce some words in english.

The only problem I have, is that names here in Brazil are completly different from the US, so the programa gets confused.

But the rest, is just perfecty!

For me, the best part is the integration with WMP, "What song is this" is very funny! :D

Talking serius, the program is great, and you get impressed because anyone can talk without any pre-recording.

For people that are always driving, this is a must have!

[maikii]

Well, since Fonix VoiceCentral has a trial version, I went ahead and installed it on my 2215. Damn, that thing works good! 8O
I'm originally from Mexico, and even though I've been in the States for over 5 years, I still have an accent. I've only used the program for 5 minutes, but it didn't fail once.

If I could compare this program with Microsoft's Voice Command, then Voice Command would have a chance of winning the contest, but without trial, my hard-earned money goes to Fonix.

(Hint hint, M$: TRIAL VERSION!!!)

After reading these posts, I also tried Fonix. Nice program. Haven't tried it much yet.

One thing I see here that people say they do with the Microsoft program that I cannot see how to do with Fonix, but perhaps I missed it--the integration with Windows Media Player, ability to choose a particular song by voice command, etc.

I could see that as a convenient function if one is listening to music through the PPC while driving, no passengers who could help change tghe song, and you'd like to change to a song other than the next one in the playlist. While driving it would be very unsafe to tap through menus while looking at the PPC screen to find a particular song, but if you could just press the voice command button and say the name of the song, and it brings it up, that could be a nice feature.

As far as I can see (only having looked at it slightly), the only thing Fonix can do with WMP is to launch it. One can use the command "Launch program Windows Media Player", and it will launch the program. I don't see a way to choose a song with it, but I might be mistaken. If anyone knows a way to do that with Fonix, please tell us.

Otherwise, it seems to be able to do most of the same things as the Microsoft program, also with no vocal training needed. For instance, finding a contact immediately by voice command. Pretty nifty.

Anyone tried both, and could tell us of any more differences between the two programs?

If I recall correctly, the purchase price of the Fonix product is $29.95, $10 less than the Microsoft program, and it does have a trial version (with all features, just timed, two weeks I think). I think there might also be a "light" version for $19.95, I don't recall what features are missing in it.

[Abras]

I could see that as a convenient function if one is listening to music through the PPC while driving, no passengers who could help change tghe song, and you'd like to change to a song other than the next one in the playlist. While driving it would be very unsafe to tap through menus while looking at the PPC screen to find a particular song, but if you could just press the voice command button and say the name of the song, and it brings it up, that could be a nice feature.

Yes, you can do that.

And you can say the the name of the artist, genre, album.

You can say "Play Rap", and It only play Rap music.

You can ask too. You can say "Play Music", then the girl response "Choose Artist, Genre or Album"

If you say Artist, She starts to speak the name of all the artits in you pocket, very impressive!

If you hear the name of the artist that you want, you can press the button and say, "that one", or the name of it.

[maikii]

Your answer is not very clear to me, Abras.

You write "yes, you can do that", but do not say with which software. It has already been written in this thread that you can do that with the Microsoft product. That was not in question, although you went into more detail about it, thank you.

I mentioned that I have been trying the demo of the Fonix VoiceCentral product today, and while it has many nice features, I do not see a way to work in WMP9 with it, other than to launch that program.

If your "yes" means that you can do that with the Fonix product, please tell us how.

I could see that as a convenient function if one is listening to music through the PPC while driving, no passengers who could help change tghe song, and you'd like to change to a song other than the next one in the playlist. While driving it would be very unsafe to tap through menus while looking at the PPC screen to find a particular song, but if you could just press the voice command button and say the name of the song, and it brings it up, that could be a nice feature.

Yes, you can do that.

And you can say the the name of the artist, genre, album.

You can say "Play Rap", and It only play Rap music.

You can ask too. You can say "Play Music", then the girl response "Choose Artist, Genre or Album"

If you say Artist, She starts to speak the name of all the artits in you pocket, very impressive!

If you hear the name of the artist that you want, you can press the button and say, "that one", or the name of it.

[maikii]

A couple more nifty things about the Fonix product, involving text-to-speech and vice-versa, as well as recognizing voice commands. Can the Microsoft product do the following also? (I suspect these are things the "lite" version of the Fonix product cannot do.)

For instance, if in the main menu you say "Inbox", it brings you to the Inbox, and then reads you the subject heading of the first unread message in your Inbox. (In "Settings, you can choose between a few voices.) Then it asks you whether you want it to read the message to you, skip, delete it, etc. If you choose "Read", it will read you the e-mail message. After reading it, it will ask you if you wish to reply. You speak a reply, it converts it to written text (I think) (haven't tried that yet), and puts it in your outbox. (unless it just sends a blank e-mail message with a .wav file attached of your voice message).

Now, if that works in a noisy car, could be a good way to get some e-mail done while commuting--certainly listening to it, and if it works well, composing and replying to e-mail as well. Anyone tried that with Fonix?

Does the Microsoft product do that as well?

[Ed Hansberry]

I've been using Voice Commander now for half a day and am very impressed. It does what it says it does quite well. I hope MS continues to develop it further. I'd like it to preaddress an email if I tell it "email john doe."

[tsb_hcy]

I've been using Toshiba Voice Command on my e805 for a few days, and it seems to work well. Anyone use both? Which is better?

[joelevi]

I don't know how long it's been out, but Version 1.01 is available (which solved some problems that I was having).