News/Rumors

Google Brings Voice Search to iOS with Siri-like App

Google announced Wednesday that it will bring to its search app for iOS and enhanced version of Voice Search that will include voice-based questions and answers, map information, weather results and many others.

The Verge was present at the press announcement and informed that “You can “ask for the weather in a natural way” and it will provide results.”

The updated Voice Search functions similar to Siri and, moreover, in some cases proves to be more responsive than the Apple competitor. To make it clear, Voice Search came out as a one of Android Jelly Bean’s key features and is separated from the service Google Now, thus, only Voice Search is coming to the iOS search app.

The app is not ready yet, but according to Google’s announcement, it will be available in App Store in just few days. Yet, there is the possibility of Apple to refuse the app due to its policy constraints of blocking third party apps that imitates Apple’s original apps and services, namely Siri in this case.

Amit Singh from Google didn’t say whether the app is approved or not, but that Google is “working with Apple to get the app to users in the next few days.”

Source: The Verge

iOS, News/Rumors

Siri (Voice Dictation) coming to OS X Mountain Lion at WWDC 2012?

Siri, the personal virtual assistant and its alternative, Voice Dictation are the most wanted gestures on gadgets. Siri was the special element that made the iPhone 4S so popular and although Voice Dictation does not offer the same advantages as Siri, many iPad users we’re glad to have it and took full advantage of it. Many argue that Apple used the dictation feature in the new iPad to test Siri’s possible existence on it.

Now, rumors wonder around that the new operating system that would be released this June at WWDC , OS X Mountain Lion, will provide Voice Dictation.  Dictation practically types with a virtual keyboard whatever the user has said. On iPhone 4S and the latest generation of iPad, users activate dictation by tapping the microphone key on the virtual keyboard but since Macs do not support virtual keyboards with a microphone-labeled key, users would have to click both command keys to start voice input (Cmd-Cmd).