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Vlingo in 2012: What’s Next for the Virtual Assistant

TJ — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:47:07 +0000

Like most people in the New Year, we here at Vlingo have been thinking about all the promise that 2012 holds. We wanted to share a video that offers a sneak peek into some of what’s to come, as well as offer our thoughts on trends we think will emerge for voice-activated assistants. One things for sure – it is going to be an another exciting year at Vlingo.

Trends to Watch in 2012

#1 – Mobile Voice Goes (Really) Mainstream

What? You say this happened last year with Siri? Sure, it is certainly true that Siri caused an inflection point in the industry. However, the real mainstream moment will hit when Google releases its Siri-rival (with some reports suggesting that launch is only weeks away), and Microsoft improves its own native voice technology. More and more device makers will also look to differentiate their own products by closely integrating voice. No question Apple fired a shot across the bow in 2011, and 2012 will be the year the major players in mobile let Apple know they are prepared to fire back.

#2 – To the Cloud!

Historically, a lot of the voice-enabled features on smartphones have lived on the phone. That’s to say that a good portion of the “thinking” has been done right on the device. Certain simple functionality will continue to remain on your handset, but more and more of the heavy lifting will be done in the cloud. What does this mean for everyone? It means more breadth and depth in terms of content. It means faster processing. It means improved accuracy. It means better, more natural dialog between the Assistant and you.

But perhaps most importantly it will…

#3 – Enable Cross-Device and Cross-Platform

With more of the work being done in the cloud, it means it will be easier to synch and send information across devices and platforms. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could ask your tablet a question and have the answer show up on your TV? Or if you could send directions you found on your phone directly to an in-vehicle navigation system? The possibilities are nearly endless, and the day when this type of functionality appears on all sorts of connected devices is rapidly approaching.

As you can see, there is plenty to look forward to in 2012. What do you think of Vlingo’s vision? Did we miss any key trends?

With social, 3rd party app controls Vlingo goes beyond simply “Siri for Android”

TJ — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:16:44 +0000

Thus far we’ve looked at how Vlingo and Siri are largely comparable across many core functions. Today we’ll start to take a look at some ways where the two Assistants handle your requests differently.

The Vlingo Virtual Assistant on Android can help you open popular third party services like Spotify, Pandora and YouTube. Siri, unfortunately, cannot. This illustrates one of the key differences between Vlingo and Siri – Vlingo wants to remain open, allowing you to choose what content is important, while Siri prefers a much more tightly controlled experience. You see this again when we look at social networking. Vlingo allows you to update Facebook or Twitter, and check in with foursquare. No such luck on Siri. Check out the video below. We think after watching you’re realize that Vlingo is much more than just Siri for Android. It’s a more open, social Assistant.

What do you think? Any other questions for us about how Vlingo and Siri differ?

Thanks,

Vlingo Delivers Better Handsfree Controls Than Siri For Your Android Phone

TJ — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:19:10 +0000

Hello everyone and welcome back to our video series where we’ll be showing side-by-side comparisons between Vlingo and Siri. In this video we take a closer look at how helpful your Assistant is when you can’t touch or look at your phone. What we found may surprise some folks – Vlingo’s Virtual Assistant for Android phones actually offers superior handsfree controls. While Siri and your iPhone 4S need regular management, when Vlingo is in InCar mode your Assistant springs to life with a simple wake up word and you never need to touch your phone to send texts, get directions or make a call.

Don’t take our word for it, though. Check out the video and let us know what you think.

Be sure to check back again next week for another video where we compare how Vlingo and Siri work with 3rd party apps and social networks. In the meantime please let us know in the comments if there are any other comparisons you like to see.

Thanks,

The Best Alternative to Siri on Android

TJ — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:26:09 +0000

Siri, the new voice activated assistant on the iPhone 4S, has taken the world by storm the last two months. What many people don’t know is that the Vlingo Virtual Assistant has been around for many years, and offers much of the same assistant-like functionality. This is the first video in a series in which we’ll take a look at Vlingo and Siri in a side-by-side comparison. I think what the video will show you is that Vlingo is the original, and still the best alternative to Siri.

Here we compare how the Vlingo Virtual Assistant on Android handles some tasks that Apple has featured prominently in its advertising. Please check back in with our blog or on our YouTube channel for the next installment – coming very soon.

Let us know what you think about this video, and if you have any other ideas for comparisons. We’re all ears!

Vlingo: Android’s Answer to the Siri Assistant

TJ — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:30:21 +0000

There has been a lot of buzz about the iPhone 4S and its Siri Assistant. But what many don’t realize is that the Android platform has had a Siri-like Assistant for a year and a half . In the wake of the 4S launch, there have been many “me-too” apps that have tried to mimic some of what Siri does, but we think the original Virtual Assistant for Android – Vlingo – still separates itself from the pack. And we also believe it compares favorably to much of the functionality recently launched by Apple.

You can download Vlingo on Android Market here.

Much like Siri, Vlingo can do all of the following tasks with a simple, natural voice command:

Send messages (SMS or Email)
Voice dial
Find information on restaurants and other local businesses
Search the web
Get directions
Listen to incoming messages
Look for answers to your questions

But Vlingo doesn’t stop there. It can help you do many things that Siri currently cannot:

Send a message, make a call or get directions without ever having to touch your phone using a “Wake Up word”
Update your Facebook or Twitter status
Check in with foursquare
Book a reservation through OpenTable
Buy movie tickets with Fandango
Search and book travel on KAYAK

Vlingo has a rating of 4.3 Stars on Android Market, and has earned the prestigious designation of Top Developer. If you’re interested in a Siri alternative for your Android device, you should give Vlingo a try. We have more information and a demo video on our Android Market page.

You can learn more about Vlingo on Android Market here.

Vlingo: the Siri Alternative for Older iPhones

TJ — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:48:25 +0000

Are you one of the millions of iPhone owners who has not upgraded to the 4S, but think you deserve the help of a Virtual Assistant?

You can Download Vlingo on the AppStore Here

When Apple launched Siri last month it sparked the desire for many to turn their mobile phone into a personal assistant. Siri is great, but only for those people lucky enough to get their hands on an iPhone 4GS. Many hoped Apple would offer a version of Siri for older iPhone models, but Apple has since announced that it will not make Siri available for iPhone 3G, 3GS or 4 owners.

This leaves millions of people who don’t want to spend the money on an upgrade, or are locked into an existing contract, longing for a Siri alternative.

Fortunately, we have good news. Vlingo has offered iPhone customers a voice-powered Assistant for years, and its full functionality is available for everyone – iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S. Better still, Vlingo is free for all on the Apple AppStore.

The Vlingo Virtual Assistant can help you do many of the things that Siri does, like…

Send messages (SMS or Email)
Search the web
Find local businesses
Get directions
Voice dial

Vlingo can even do tasks that Siri cannot, like update your Facebook status or send out a Tweet, all with a simple voice command.

You can Download Vlingo on the AppStore Here

No need to take our word for it, though. Here are some actual user reviews from the AppStore:

Watch out Siri! *****

by Parks Dekle

“Definitely gives 3GS and 4 owners a reason not to upgrade. Thanks Vlingo!”

Great! *****

by Envaz

“Siri like for free!”

Works great *****

by Wilson Cirilo

“Searched for something like this after watching siri at the keynote…Its pretty much alike…”

Let’s Talk About What’s Next in Mobile Voice

DaveG — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:17:23 +0000

Mobile phones past and present allow users to communicate while on the go. Just five years ago the cachet of a mobile phone was all about the look and feel of the phone, simple features such as calling and texting, and to some extent basic services like downloading a ringtone. Today, services, applications and content (games, music, videos), are what make a mobile phone sell.

Consumers want and need their mobile phone to not only make calls, but to manage their everyday tasks – send texts & emails, search the web, find directions, book flights and hotels, add appointments to their calendars and more. You get the idea. Smartphones changed the game and they continue to do so. The higher screen resolution and increased processing power of each succeeding generation of smartphones make these tasks easier to accomplish while on the go. Obviously, these increased capabilities also enable apps like Vlingo—that is, voice-enabled assistant applications—to not only meet your needs but try to anticipate them.

About a year ago, I wrote a post about a watershed moment in the mobile voice industry when Google introduced Voice Actions. It would seem that we’ve come to a similar point for the “virtual assistant,” as Apple prepares to release the Siri-powered Assistant with iOS 5 later this month. While exactly which of the rumored features will be in the final version remains up in the air, the “Let’s Talk” themed invitation more than hints that voice is a significant part of the announcement. We can feel confident that the folks in Cupertino will have integrated Siri’s technology beautifully into the core iOS experience, and that the Apple Assistant will substantially raise the profile of voice-enabled virtual assistants as a mobile service.

While there is no debating Apple’s ability to package technology in a way that transforms it into a standard for consumers, we think that we have a unique ability to drive innovation within the industry as the last truly independent player. The value of that innovation has manifested itself over the last year through partnerships like the one we have with Samsung, to power the Voice Talk feature on their flagship Galaxy S II phones worldwide. This past August we reached a couple big milestones as our Android application completed over 25M voice commands and read over 30M messages aloud via our SafeReader^TMfeature—both monthly records – just one year after that product became available for free. We couldn’t be more appreciative to those early voice pioneers on Android, who set out on this journey with us. We brought “firsts” like our hands-free InCar mode, and we remain the only voice solution that integrates with leading mobile services like Facebook, foursquare and KAYAK. You, in turn, have rewarded us with your incredible loyalty and we owe you the world for it. See snapshot above of our success on Android.

Our success on Android has only deepened our desire to innovate, push forward and deliver. We’ve really just touched a fraction of the total addressable mobile phone market. Millions of users worldwide are demanding that Vlingo’s Virtual Assistant be made available to them. In this spirit, we’d like to announce today that we have a brand new, next generation voice product that we will release on the iPhone platform this fall. While we’re excited that the awareness of voice-enabled apps is about to get a boost thanks to Apple, we have been hard at work creating a whole new class of applications that will once again advance our industry.

Many might question why we would choose iOS to launch this new product as Apple prepares to make a big splash with new native functionality. Truthfully it was a question we thought about deeply ourselves. The last few years Apple has continued to surge past its competitors by delivering products that technically beat user expectations. So why would we try to compete? The answer is simple. Vlingo delivers choice that you simply cannot get from these “OS integrated” options. Last year when Google launched Voice Actions we knew it was a great product yet millions of people have chosen Vlingo because of the differentiated services and versatility that go well beyond Google’s solution. Consumers have clearly stated that we’re not in a “one size fits all” market. The same thought process applies here. While it is almost a guarantee that the Apple/Siri product will be good, it’s also known that deep OS integration limits the user’s options. With Vlingo you will continue to get functionality that allows you to do things in places that you simply cannot do with the “native” solution.

When Google Voice Actions came out, we felt it was unfair to ask our users to continue to pay for our application. We wanted them to be “free to compare.” We feel the same way about our iPhone product, and have pushed a new version to the App Store that will enable the full Vlingo functionality at no cost. Note this will be available as soon as Apple approves this price change. To those of you who have supported Vlingo over the last three years on the iPhone platform, many of whom paid for the service – we owe you an incredible amount of thanks. We know that this decision will upset some of you, and we can only ask that you apply the same standard to applications that you do to the phones they power. In the same way that the release of a new phone usually coincides with a price decrease of the older model, we feel it is time to take a step forward into “what’s next” in mobile voice. We hope that you continue to find value in our Virtual Assistant, and hope that you are excited to join us as we set out on this next phase of our journey this fall.

Dave Grannan, President & CEO, Vlingo

New Contest: Provide input on our next gen iPhone App

TJ — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:13:52 +0000

We have a major release planned for the months ahead, one that we think will define the next generation of voice-powered apps. More information will come about how you can get it, but we wanted to kick things off by asking for your input and giving you a chance to win some great prizes for sharing your thoughts.

We’re launching contests on Facebook and Twitter and it is easy to win:

Four weeks with new questions and prizes each week. Winners will be selected from entries on both Facbeook and Twitter. It’s as easy as answering one question and you’re entered to win one of the weekly prizes.

Week 1 (9/27 – 10/3): $25 iTunes gift card
Week 2 (10/4 – 10/10): $50 iTunes gift card
Week 3 (10/11 – 10/17): $75 iTunes gift card
Week 4 (10/18 – 10/25): Grand Prize – an Apple TV player

You can enter to win multiple times, so be sure to answer a question each week.

Click Here to enter on Facebook

Click Here to enter on Twitter

Thanks in advance for your input. Good luck!

Use Vlingo to Call Your Contacts!

Erin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:00:45 +0000

It has been reported that the average person makes or receives 8 mobile phone calls per day. That is roughly 2.4 billion phone calls across the 300 million mobile phone user in the U.S. The average mobile phone user in the U.S makes 250 phone calls per month or 3,000 phone calls per year. With 300 million mobile phone users in the U.S., the number of mobile phone calls made per year is a staggering 900 billion!

Feature phones and smartphones fill the pockets and purses of men & women everywhere looking to connect with friends, family members or co-workers while on the go. Would you like an easy way to quickly make a phone call without having to filter through hundreds of names and numbers in your address book? How about a virtual personal assistant?

Using voice recognition to call your contacts has never been easier (or safer!) when using Vlingo’s Virtual Assistant. Whether you are using an Android, BlackBerry, iPhone or Nokia device you can simply say “Call mom”, call Tommy mobile” or “call pizza” to instantly place a call to anyone in your address book or Vlingo’s infinite cloud-based address book.

Take a minute to download Vlingo and have your virtual assistant start calling!

Use Voice to Send Faster Texts on Your iPhone

TJ — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:00:51 +0000

Even the fastest texters in the world sometimes runs into situations when their hands are tied and sending messages becomes problematic. Maybe you’re walking down a crowded street, navigating through traffic, or carrying your books to class. We’ve all been there before.

Vlingo, long a leader in using voice to text technology to make messaging easy when you’re on the go, now makes it easier than ever to send a text now using your voice and only a few taps on your iPhone. Check out our brief demo video below to see how Auto-Listen makes messaging as easy as one, two, three.