Google is promoting the speech-recognition capabilities of its Android OS for smartphones. Apple will reportedly be dramatically enhancing speech capabilities in its mobile products in the fall. Nokia and Microsoft are plugging their voice capabilities too.
I don't get it. I use my mobile device when I'm mobile -- that is, surrounded by lots of complete strangers in public places away from my home or office. The second-to-last thing I want to do is share with all of those people what I'm doing on my phone: what I'm reading, who I'm talking to, and what I'm saying to them. And the last thing I want to do is to share all of their conversations. Do you really want to spend your train ride to work every morning listening to all your fellow passengers sext their boyfriends out loud?
Sometimes silence is golden.
Actually there are people who will benefit greatly from these features, the blind. Most of these are accessibility features. Google has a blind UX designer to help them get the features right.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Nels. I hadn't thought of that. But would all of these companies be making such a big deal about these features if the expected user base was so narrow? Or maybe it's just about cool demoes.
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