My Dog Shank was smart. He could open doors (anything without a knob), predict dinnertime to the minute, provide an excellent level of comfort, safety and entertainment. He was a good Dog. Shank is still smarter than my “Smart Phone”. Voice control, the ability to control your tech with regular speech, just might change that.
The first “usable” voice recognition software was released in June of 1997. In my experience, it has never really worked. Early competitors in speech recognition were climbing a steep hill. The processing power needed to digitally translate voice, in real time, was extremely expensive. Translating the spoken word (digitally) has only recently been affordable. TELCO’s and Governments have had the ability for decades, but for the average joe the tech has been out of reach. The advent of multicore mobile processing has vaulted the horsepower rating in handheld devices, greatly broadening the available voice recognition software user base.
Faster hardware equals faster software. Multiple competitors usually ensures a rapid development cycle. A growing user base provides a greater potential licensing based revenue stream. This “perfect storm” of market components exists, in the voice recognition race.
Three real contenders exist in the voice recognition space. Apple (Siri), Google (Google Voice), and Microsoft (Cortana) - have all released “usable” products. Microsoft will debut Cortana on your desktop in WIN10, slated for release later this year (2015). The voice command structure for Cortana is driven by the XBOX team, the current windows phone completes the list of competitors for mobile. Three real players makes for a real race, voice will get better, soon.
The way we use our computers is changing. VR (virtual reality) headsets are becoming market ready, and affordable. High quality VR will require a fluid and working voice command structure. Adapting the keyboard and mouse to VR is stupid and clunky. Using an “air keyboard’ is difficult, there is no tactile response, something our brains are wired for. Having a discussion with your hardware will become crucial.
The list of hardware we deal with is growing. Mobile devices, smart TV’s, fitness and medically related wearable tech - the three point interface (Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse) no longer translates. Voice command meets the requirements as dictated by users, in the new wave of affordable hardware.
Wearable technology requires a working voice command relationship. As computers get smaller the only limiting size factor becomes the keyboard. Our hands are just too big. Eventually we will be able to get an entire mobile computing platform into a watch sized device. The need to slave wearables to a “smartphone” will dissolve.
Size and power requirements for battery power and communications are shrinking, Moore’s Law in action. Low Power Bluetooth will have some influence but the real game changer is increased access to usable WiFi. Location based search, a driving factor in mobile commerce, is meeting users at their point of purchase. It is hard to swipe an encrypted purchase at the register without connectivity. Two factor authentication requires real time feedback from the user - ensuring purchase authorization. Security of transaction, an ASAP commerce need, completes the circle of need. The usability of smaller then keyboard devices hinges on reliable voice capable devices.
Shank (back to the dog) provided comfort and safety. Our mobile devices should do the same. Texting and driving is bad, it kills people. Fluid and predictive voice enabled interfaces interact with us, while driving. Voice to text - responding to SMS and eMail messages while otherwise engaged is a real need.
Successfully interacting, textually, with your voice almost works. I drive a lot of miles and do my best to not pickup my phone while driving. My success rate, using only voice control, is not more than 80%. I still have to work the screen, occasionally.
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