Tag Archives: SVoice

BMW expanding ConnectedDrive with web browsing, Siri, S Voice and Android support

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BMW expanding ConnectedDrive more markets, standard cell data, Android support

BMW has been refining its ConnectedDrive services for months, but that was apparently only a prelude to greater things: the automaker just outlined a roadmap for 2013 and beyond. The company is rolling out iDrive 4.2 firmware for the 2014 model year that supports web browsing while stopped, iAP Bluetooth control through iOS devices and integration with both Siri Eyes Free and S Voice. The new revision also brings voice search for locations through Google, and a ConnectedDrive Store lets drivers buy services without leaving the car.

There's more to come in the long run. BMW will add support for Android apps later this year, for a start. It also wants cellular services to be commonplace. Many of its cars will have built-in SIM cards from July onward, and the company expects that cellular access will eventually be standard or near-standard worldwide -- certainly in i-series cars, where it's needed for remote control. About the only catch to the strategy is the current lack of upgrade plans for those with older vehicles. If you're using a 2013 BMW or earlier, you may have to settle for owning the Penultimate Driving Machine.

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Via: CNET

Source: BMW (1), (2)

Samsung unveils the Galaxy S 4’s software tricks: camera modes, Story Album, S Voice Drive and more

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Samsung unveils the Galaxy S 4's software tricks camera modes, Story Album, S Translate and more

Samsung is revealing what Smart software additions the Galaxy S 4 will bring to the table, and they're well beyond what's been rumored. The camera is one of the biggest focuses, borrowing much from the Galaxy Camera: Cinema Photo captures still images with moving backgrounds, a Drama Shot burst mode that creates animated GIFs, an Eraser mode to remove unwanted background subjects, and a Sound & Shot mode that puts audio in the background of still images. A Story Album automatically creates photo albums based on common details such as location and time. And did we mention that it can shoot photos and video from both the front and back cameras at the same time?

That's just the start. AirView now works with your finger, rather than a pen, and is effective right from the lock screen. Adapt Display and Adapt Sound automatically tune the picture and speakers for varying viewing conditions, and WatchOn uses a built-in IR blaster to tune your TV. S Translate, meanwhile, will take both spoken and written words and translate them through several languages, inside of multiple apps. S Voice has been upgraded to S Voice Drive to let drivers get navigation, find points of interest and otherwise interact with the phone without having to take any hands off the wheel. S Health, which Samsung initially mentioned last year, is around to track calories and steps through accessories such as S band, a body scale and a heart rate monitor.

Like to do things that involve more than one person? There's more still. ChatOn has been upgraded to support video chat, and Group Play both allows for sharing songs in a surround mode or playing local multiplayer games -- when it's supported, that is. All told, there's a small deluge of new features that could amount to a lot, even excluding new hands-free elements like Smart Scroll. Check after the break for a quick preview video and the press release.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S 4 Smart Features

Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.

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LG’s voice recognition app studies English, aims to pass the test next year

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LG's Quick Voice app's monolingual status shouldn't last long. After a quick restyle -- it's now Q Voice -- the app is gearing up to launch internationally with an English language version ready for the first half of next year. LG also adds a bit more detail on its voice recognition offering, which can pick out a single female voice in a noisy room full of men and have the ability to make settings adjustments to Bluetooth, sound and vibration by speech. Perhaps only slightly less important than real functionality, the Q Voice interface will also include some "witty emotional responses" -- ask what the device had for lunch and it will say it chowed down on 220 volts. LG Korea reiterates that the functionality is still limited to its domestic models of the Optimus Vu and incoming Optimus LTE II at the moment, but will feature on additional phones in the future. While voice recognition from bigger mobile rivals hasn't revolutionized how we use our phones just yet, LG's hoping the sheen of the newish tech won't have worn off by 2013.

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LG's voice recognition app studies English, aims to pass the test next year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG launches ‘Quick Voice’ on its phones in Korea, goes head to head with S Voice and Siri

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LG launches 'Quick Voice' on its phones in Korea, goes head to head with S Voice and Siri

After Apple and Samsung have made their Siri and S Voice features keystones of recent smartphone releases, it wasn't long before other manufacturers jumped in and now it's LG's turn with Quick Voice for its Android phones (we'll see how Apple responds to that). Just announced in Korea and rolling out soon for various members of the Optimus family like the Vu (later this month) and LTE II (in July), it brings natural voice recognition to commonly used functions like searching, setting up appointments or pulling up videos on YouTube. For Korean users it's even tuned to check dates on the lunar calendar, although there's no word yet on when or if it will arrive elsewhere.

LG launches 'Quick Voice' on its phones in Korea, goes head to head with S Voice and Siri originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple calls for an early ban on Samsung Galaxy S III, isn’t amused by S Voice

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Samsung Galaxy S III review

Samsung might have been right when it said lawyers didn't design the Galaxy S III, because it's in legal hot water again. Apple has moved to add the new Android 4.0 flagship to the same request for a preliminary US ban that would stop the Galaxy Nexus. Cupertino believes the Galaxy S III violates at least two patents, one the data tapping patent that's also being leveled against HTC and the other a unified search patent that covers Siri; not surprisingly, Apple isn't keen on that strangely recognizable S Voice interface. A hearing was already scheduled for June 7th and is now taking on a new sense of urgency, at least in Apple's mind: it's arguing that the rumored nine million pre-orders (still unconfirmed) are evidence of the potential damage if the US court lets the dispute slide. Samsung has already said that the injunction call won't affect its rapidly approaching US launches. The company had better hope it's right, or it risks disappointing a lot of early pre-order customers.

Apple calls for an early ban on Samsung Galaxy S III, isn't amused by S Voice originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CyanogenMod 9 add-on gives your Galaxy Nexus a glass slipper, it will go to the GS III ball

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CyanogenMod 9 gives your Galaxy Nexus a glass slipper, it will go to the GSIII ball

If the arrival of the GS III has placed a dent in your "latest Galaxy" street-cred, help is at hand. Once again it's the fine folk at XDA-Developers who come up with the goods, in the form of a CM9 add-on pack for the apparently passé Galaxy Nexus. Included in the bundle are all the leaked goodies from Samsung's latest flagship so far (including a working S Voice), as well as a TouchWiz launcher for added authenticity, plus a few other treats for good measure. While designed for CM9, it's believed it may also work with other, similar ROMs. It's available just in time for the real-deal release, so no one (well those with a very untrained eye, at least) need ever know your dirty little secret.

CyanogenMod 9 add-on gives your Galaxy Nexus a glass slipper, it will go to the GS III ball originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung submits patent application for speech-recognizing robot

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Samsung submits patent application for speech-recognizing robot

Samsung will soon launch its Siri-style S Voice software on the Galaxy S III, but in the more distant future it could bring speech recognition technology to standalone robots. A patent application from the company details an automaton that can adjust its voice detection capabilities to account for ambient noise, letting it recognize when people are talking even in loud locations. It remains unclear just what the robot will do for you once it hears your commands -- maybe it will be on call for cooking you dinner and the like. Judging by that pic, at least, the concept looks like a good time for all involved.

Samsung submits patent application for speech-recognizing robot originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 12:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S III S Voice APK leaked online

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Samsung Galaxy S III S-Voice APK leaked online

If you find yourself with nothing better to do this weekend, then you might have a bit of fun playing around with Samsung's soon-to-be-released S Voice application on your rooted Android 4.0 smartphone. The APK has now made its way into the wild, and we couldn't help but take it for a spin on our Nexus S. First off, while we can't vouch for the security of the file, we can confirm that it's indeed functional. Secondly, while some of the S Voice features work just fine -- such as search or contact queries -- other requests such as navigation repeatedly caused the app to crash. In other words, if you're expecting this app to behave as it should on the Galaxy S III, you might be in for a disappointment. If you're merely looking to poke around with the S Voice functionality, however, the download seems quite worthwhile. At this point, we're most curious to know whether non-Samsung owners have similar luck. If you're willing to give 'er a go, let us know your experience in the comments below.

Update: We've also now tested the leaked APK on our Galaxy Nexus, and are happy to report that S Voice works quite flawlessly. As always, your mileage may vary.

Samsung Galaxy S III S Voice APK leaked online originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 21:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung announces SmartStay and S Voice features for the Galaxy S III

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In addition to announcing its newest flagship, the Galaxy S III, along with some nifty photo-sharing features, Samsung has just revealed two more human-friendly features that aim to further differentiate the phone on the software side. These include SmartStay, which cleverly keeps the display from timing out by using the front-facing camera to detect when you're looking at the screen. Meanwhile, S Voice ushers in voice commands, and is the closest thing we've seen to a Siri competitor since Apple introduced that feature on the iPhone 4S. And we have to say, though Android users have long been reveling in voice-activated dialing and Google searches, the list of possible use cases here is quite impressive. In addition to initiating calls, you can wake the phone, request songs, send emails and text messages, use the calendar app, adjust the volume, capture photos, snooze the alarm and inquire about the weather. For now, Samsung says this feature will support eight languages, including, among others, Spanish, German, Korean and American / British English. Still, we wouldn't put it past Samsung to teach the GS III a few more languages once it gets that whole "launching in 145 countries" thing out of the way.

Samsung announces SmartStay and S Voice features for the Galaxy S III originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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