A voice controlled, personal assistant on your iPad!

 

iOS 6 is here! What does this mean for voice recognition and dicatation capabilites?

The good news: SIri is now available on the iPad. The not so good news: it is only available on the new iPad (3rd generation), but it's a start. I was hoping, Siri AND dictation within apps would come to the iPad2, but it has not - Apple would like you to upgrade your iPad;) You still need to use the Dragon Dication app on the iPad2, even if you have iOS6. Both Dragon and Siri also require an internet connection.

After you update to iOS 6, simply hold down the home button until you hear a beep to talk to Siri.

Let Siri help you with the following:

1) No keyboard? Don't like on screen keyboards? Send an email or text completely hands free! (after pressing the home button)

• Send an email to Whitney
• Send a message to 'Justin' or even quicker... Tell Justin I am on my way

2) Forgot your glasses? Let Siri read your text messages after you dictate Review or Read It She can also read NEW incoming text messages Read my text messages; unfortunately, she cannot read emails unless you highlight and choose speak (if this feature is turned on in the accessibility settings) 

3) Get personal with Siri. Let her know your relationships in your contact list: My Sister is 'Name' then you can say Send An Email To My Sister

4) Too many apps? Can't find the one you're looking for? Open apps via the voice command - Launch 'app name'

5) Can't remember.. anything!? Let Siri Remind you! Remind me to stop at the store at 5pm tomorrow

6) Curious about something? Search the web for Log Cabin Republicans or Define Oxymoron

7) Can't remember a command? simply ask Siri.. What can I say? and she will give you a list of commands!

8) And of course you can play...ask silly (or factual) questions or use any of the following: Post to facebook, tweet, What's the weather in Bennington, VT this weekend

Do's and Don't's:

• Don't pause while speaking.. she can be a little impulsive
• Don't call her by name - "Siri.... Send an email" While it will work, it is not necessary and she is easily confused;)
• Do check her translation before sending an important note... or don't, just for fun
• Do joke with her.. she is silly.. in a geeky sort of way! After finding a much needed coffee shop, I told her "I love you Siri" and she replied... "all you need is love....................and your iPhone;)"

Have fun with your new friend!

 

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Voice Recognition Month

After a busy summer of work and play, we are ready to blog away! Over the next few weeks, we will explore some of the exciting new changes in voice recognition.

This week the focus is on using your voice to type text on the iPad - which is what I am doing right now!

 

The new iPad has voice recognition built-in, so it is available in most apps that use the standard Apple on-screen keyboard! While you still need wireless access to dictate, the new iPad processor is faster and therefore more accurate. The iPad 1 and 2 requires dictating into the free, Dragon Dictation app and then cutting-and-pasting text into desired apps. Dictating directly into an app is not just a matter of convenience, it allows for a broader range of accessibility options. For example, you can now dictate in any font size which not only improves visual access, but also makes editing easier when using the touch screen. Use of larger font sizes is highly beneficial since there are no voice commands to select or correct text on iDevices. While this can create a physical challenge for some folks, removing commands can simplify the process for others.

I have dictated this entire blog using the built-in microphone on the iPad, with greater than 95% accuracy. If you have an unusual vocal style, are working in a noisier environment or simply like to move while dictating, you can use an external microphone to get similar results. Click/Touch here for great advice when using an external microphone

In the next few weeks we will discuss recent advances in voice recognition for Windows and Mac users.

 

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