Microsoft's Tellme Announces 'One Button' Voice Access

[Pete Paxton]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.tellme.com/about/media_center/release/20090429-one-button' target='_blank'>http://www.tellme.com/about/media_c...0429-one-button</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Today Tellme&reg;, a subsidiary of Microsoft&reg; Corp. and pioneer of voice services, announced the first mobile voice service to combine content and communications, simplifying how people interact with their phones every day. Unlike other voice-based services, Tellme is the first to allow people to press one button, say what they want and get it, whether that is to send a text, make a call or search for information. Tellme has designed a unique version of this experience specifically for Windows phones due out this fall."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1241056603.usr11642.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>Boy, Tellme sure has come a long way over the years. I've used their service over the years but they have really added a bunch of features for Windows Mobile 6.5. Many commands to give at a push of a button. To call someone, text someone, find a restaurant, check weather, movies and so on. Hopefully when it's truly implemented it will work smoothly and conveniently and people will want to use it. What do you guys think, do you plan to use it a ton or do you think it'll be an app that falls short?</p>

[Perry Reed]

My understanding is that it will use the TellMe network to process the voice commands, so that ought to enable it to understand a lot more than the current Microsoft Voice Command (although, of course, that means that you'll have to have a signal to use it). That seems like a good step in the right direction to me. Smartphones have limited processing power, but are almost always connected, so why not use that connection to let them "borrow" processing power from servers? Good move.

I wonder, though, at how the information will be presented back to the user. If it is only in the form of voice coming back, I think the usefulness will be extremely limited. Hopefully, information being returned will be in rich text, or HTML, or some format visible on the screen that can then be saved or worked with. If it's just voice and suppose I get directions or a phone number to a nearby restaurant. Well, then I'm still going to have to write them down, aren't I? In perfect world, directions would be loaded right into Live Maps for me and the phone number would be displayed and able to be dialed with the push of a button (or a click on an icon, but you get my meaning).

In general, I wish phones were better at organizing and presenting my information in ways that are meaningful and useful to me, but I'm veering onto another topic, I think.

To sum up, I think that having a solid new way to interface with my phone is a good thing. Talking to it certainly seems like a natural way to request information or tell my phone to do things for me.

[kerrins]

I have visions of Captain Kirk saying, "computer on" and it's response, "TellMe what you want."

[Frankie1]

My understanding is that it will use the TellMe network to process the voice commands, so that ought to enable it to understand a lot more than the current Microsoft Voice Command (although, of course, that means that you'll have to have a signal to use it). That seems like a good step in the right direction to me. Smartphones have limited processing power, but are almost always connected, so why not use that connection to let them "borrow" processing power from servers? Good move.

.

I'm going to have to disagree with the above lines about your presumption of how this application works. If it works like you describe, I think it’ll be completely useless as a MSVC replacement. That would mean it works like “Shazam” which is a great application for its purpose but not to process commands. I currently use MSVC for many things, simply because it’s faster, and more intuitive. But I doubt that this application will do little, if any, online processing for phone based functions. Searches such as weather, or locations that obviously being dynamic would probably be facilitated through online processing. I mean just think about it – Command: “Send Marsha a test message” ***upload voice stream online/process on server/download results/query local directory/output results**** Response “No Marsha found”

Continuing to disagree with your post with processing power, it’s becoming standard for WM devices to have 400Mhz and up processing, and not uncommon to have over 112Mb of ram. So processing these task on modern day handsets is far more efficient the client server model you describe. And with handset having increasing onboard storage, and the versatility of WM devices to store applications on removable media, further renders online processing for phone based commands to be a silly notion. Especial y when it involves things, which for the most part, remains static, and does not require a lot of storage.

As for the application itself, I’M COMPLETELY STOKED. The next wave of mobile computing innovation is undoubtedly going to voice commands. I know it’s been around for a while, with poor support, no advertising, and lack of progression, the voice command tech in handsets have remained stagnant. I remember how I happy I was when, back in 2003, I was able to tell my phone what music to play. I’m happy that Microsoft has not lost hope in the implementation of voice commands within smart phone operating systems.

1st wave of mobile computing revolution was touch, it’s more intuitive than buttons, without a doubt. 2nd wave would have to be voice based, as we all know, spoken word is far more common, efficient, and effective when communicating. I really hope they push this technology to its full potential.

Sorry for the lengthy post.

[bystander]

While I have no information beyond what I have read in this message stream, I am hopeful that some enterprising person will port this to run on our MB 6.1 Fuse or other such devices upon delivery.

I do not want to violate guidelines but I want to purchase the product for my current 6.1 version Fuse and use it now.

Hoping for such developments......

[V-iPAQ]

a dozen such apps I've seen released over the last 4-5 years. How is this any different? What can this do the other's can't? And will this work outside soundproofed rooms?

[juttonn]

I like the idea. I used to have a Samsung a900 Blade (non-smartphone feature phone) that had pretty good built in voice to text input for text messages. Unless I was in a noisy environment, it was the fastest and easiest way to compose a text message.