The Siri Alternatives For Google

By Author: Susan Smith
Total Articles: 132
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So you thought that Apple’s iOS platform was leading from the front in the smartphone platform war on account of its acquiring the Siri software? Google is not yet prepared to forego its ever increasing user base by not even attempting to release a software that can serve as an alternative to Siri. Having a personal voice assistant on your device is one of the most amazing features that mobile users have experienced in the recent past. Converting sppech into action just by the tap of a button was what raised the sales of the iPhone; therefore alternatives with similar properties have also been introduced by Google. Some of them are:

* Speaktoit Assistant – This is a free application available with all smartphones running the Android platform. This software makes use of natural language technology to search for information, respond to users’ questions, connect the user to web services of Google, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and several others, and also help in launching of apps from the operating system.

* Google Voice Search – This is one of the most popular applications to have been introduced by Google ...
... in the recent past. By using the app, a user can conduct quick searches on his/her device by connecting to the web or other nearby locations by just speaking about what he needs to search for. Other important functions that can be performed by the use of Google Voice Search application are getting the right direction while on the road, making calls to contacts saved in the device, and controlling the device with the ‘Voice Actions’ feature.

* Vlingo – This is also a highly used voice based application running on Android smartphones. By accessing the features of this virtual assistant, the user can complete tasks like updating of Facebook statuses, voice calling, conducting searches on the web, sending text messages, launching of other apps, and getting the right directions.

* Iris – One look at the name and you will realize that it is the exact reverse of ‘Siri’. This voice assistant app is however still in beta. Google was directly inspired by the Siri features while designing the Iris application; therefore, the software can detect a user’s voice and the meaning of the language.

* Edwin – This voice assistant Android application can be used by a smartphone user for texting, tweeting, translating, getting information on the weather conditions, and converting from one unit or currency to another, all by just speaking in your native tongue to the app. Users of Android smartphones who want to enjoy the features of the Edwin application need to install TTS Extensions and SpeechSynthesis softwares in the app.

* Maluuba – This Android software has been designed to help people locate whatever they want by speaking to their devices. However, the app only understands the English language. The app has a patent pending and proprietary engine which shows superior capabilities as compared with the other traditional voice recognition systems of Google. therefore, users not only get information on where their favorite movie is running, but can also purchase tickets using this app.

The best part of the voice assistant applications of Android is the fact that they can be downloaded for free. Mobile device users may choose to use one or a combination of the above mentioned softwares for enjoying the advantage provided by Siri on the Apple devices.

The author is associated with Copper Mobile, one of the best mobile application developers, enterprise mobility consulting firms and iPhone development companies in Delhi NCR