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Seth Weintraub

Apple versus Google

Google speech recognition app for iPhone delayed by Apple?(Updatedx2)

20 comments

TAGS:Apple, Google, iPhone, speech recognition
IT TOPICS:Macintosh & Apple, Mobile & Wireless, Personal Technology

Update: Uh oh, Google pulled their video (below) hopefully just a blip :O http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYLTiecN-EE and also from its iPhone site.

Update 2: Techcrunch says we'll see it Monday. In their version Apple pulled the rug out from under Google

Google today unleashed its improved Google iPhone app to the press and supposedly to Apple. But it hasn't yet hit the Apple store. What gives?

This app follows on an amazing downsizing of Google's 3-D desktop application Google Earth app to the iPhone, which was released to critical acclaim (and some slowness) a few weeks ago.

Today's news spread like wildfire. John Markoff from the New York Times published the back story this morning Google's iPhone app would take user speech, send it as a sound file to Google's servers. Google's servers would run speech recognition on it, send the words back to the phone which would do a Google search on it. According to the Times, the functionality would be invoked by holding the iPhone up to an ear. Apple's accelerometers would tell the application when to start recording. The application was due:

...users of the free application, which Apple is expected to make available as soon as Friday..

Then Google released a video of the application shortly after the New York times article was published - also said to be released on Friday.

However, as I check my watch, it is now Saturday, and I still can't download this app. Is something up with Apple not wanting its users to have this functionality? Will Apple block iPhone users from this for some reason? Perhaps Apple has a competing technology waiting in the wings?

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, it has only been 24 hours. It will probably hit the store any second now. One thing is for certain, time really doesn't fly when you are hitting refresh on the app store waiting for the coolest app yet (just kidding Qik).

Apple 2.0 is having the same doubts as well..

Oh, btw, I invented Google speech recognition with CMU's engine over two years ago as my Master's Thesis project. I am waiting for my check.

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What People Are Saying

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Fix image database first.

Submitted by Anonymous on November 17, 2008 - 5:44 P.M.

I downloaded Google Earth for my iPhone and was stunned at how old the image data was. I see a car in the driveway that was sold in spring 2004.

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Do you honestly expect your

Submitted by Anonymous on November 28, 2008 - 3:55 A.M.

Do you honestly expect your tiny little stamp on the planet to be updated as fast as a browser refresh? Our planet is immense and "unfortunately" we do not have satellites dedicated to all citizens.
I actually consider it kind of cool to be able to look back at a snapshot of my property before the neighborhood was overrun by sub-prime speculators. Patience is a virtue.

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Leader in providing content to mobile phone users WORLDWIDE

Submitted by williams on November 17, 2008 - 3:34 A.M.

This company stock (ROKE) is set to take off. Worldwide client base in the mobile communications space. See the details at
www.icoft.com/roke.html

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I feel stupid… read the

Submitted by Silly on November 16, 2008 - 10:09 A.M.

I feel stupid… read the original article some time late Friday download the app not realizing I got the older version of. Start up the google app and start talking into the iphone “pizza” hmm nothing “books” nothing. Wonder how many people did the same silly thing as me?

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Probably only you. Your

Submitted by taintedbeef on November 19, 2008 - 6:02 A.M.

Probably only you. Your iPhone should be confiscated. Please go to your nearest cellular phone store, and trade for a Windows Mobile device.

Thank you,
Concerned iPhone user

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Voice Search

Submitted by Anonymous on November 15, 2008 - 10:59 P.M.

Not all that innovative Google. In fact, Microsoft and Tellme have been out there for a YEAR with a better voice search product for mobile phones!

Try downloading the free voice search application from Tellme for Blackberry (http://m.tellme.com)or the free voice search application from Microsoft for Windows Mobile (http://m.live.com).

And, if you want the best solution available on the iPhone today, try Vlingo (http://m.vlingo.com)

They rock.

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Best Speech Recognition

Submitted by adamcomputes on November 15, 2008 - 8:08 P.M.

People don’t do research on an iphone. They do it on their desktop or notebook or UMPC. I found some voice recognition software named Tazti speech recognition that actually is a free download and performs voice searches of Google, Yahoo, MSN, Wikipedia, Amazon, eBay and many other websites. It also lets me log into and navigate Facebook and Myspace by talking to my PC. It really works well.

Here’s their youtube demo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1tt_aeIAM8

tazti is a free download from http://www.tazti.com

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I hope Google releases this for the new BlackBerry Bold too

Submitted by Anonymous on November 15, 2008 - 6:03 P.M.

Since I have a BB Bold on my hip, and an iPhone in my pocket, I sure hope that Google releases the voice recognition for the BB too.

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try vlingo

Submitted by Huge on November 17, 2008 - 2:47 P.M.

Wake up and join thousands @ vlingo.comlingo.com with you BB Bold. There is nothing better.

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One possibility?

Submitted by Anonymous on November 15, 2008 - 5:16 P.M.

Did Google perhaps violate the terms of the iPhone developer agreement, by announcing and promoting an app before it was actually available? if so, this would be a surprising violation, given Eric Schmidt is on Apple's board.

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