Google’s carefully orchestrated launch of their new voice-recognition search application for the iPhone took a dive this weekend. The application didn’t appear as promised, and Google took down the YouTube video demo’ing the product (although it’s still on the Google Channel YouTube page and embedded below).
This is an extraordinary event. Other search app providers have told me they’ve been kept waiting months for approval of their app, with no explanation from Apple. But Google and Apple are close, even sharing Google CEO Eric Schmidt as a board member. Something definitely went sideways, most likely involving Apple throwing a fit of some sort (Apple is just plain weird about press).
Note our report last week that Apple seems to be working on some sort of search product of their own for the iPhone.
Meanwhile, lets all hope that the drama ends soon and that we wake up on Sunday to a fully available application. It’s reason alone to own an iPhone. Hell, I want it on my desktop.
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“Google and Apple are close, even sharing Google CEO Eric Schmidt as a board member” Yup. That kind of affiliation makes it easy for them to get together for business and I see more coming.
This seems like an insane application but will it work that well? I also would like this on my desktop - jeez. I have yet to find a voice recognition software that works that well.
Anyone else?
Hey, Dragon NaturallySpeaking has been out for some time… doesn’t work for you? hmmm… I have been using it enthusiastically for translation/dictation for 5 years, there’s some macro tools, surfing aids etc…. unfortunately IE/MS- oriented but you you can easily do voice- controlled searching…..
combined with Auto Hotkey, it is extremely simple to map all sorts of voice control macros…. just trigger .bat files to run audio and video via playwav vlc, etc….
Now why isnt’t my desktop PC/ laptop a touchscreen ? Mice suck.
Any n00b using this on public transport will look stupid as they keep trying to whisper “porn” into the microphone
I just love how Google tricked us all into buying an Android phone, only to not release any of their cool products for it (Google Earth, Voice Search).
Dude, the phone was just released 8 months after it was announced. This time next year there will be more applications than you know what to do with.
Patience isn’t really an american trait.
I love how all too often international people take the potential traits of a few American people and label it as an “American trait”… Get real.
The application approval process for iPhone apps has many developers confused. If you mention upcoming features, Apple doesn’t like it. If you want to fix bugs, you still need approval. If you compete with any of their on-board apps, there may be a struggle. It sounds like, even at this point, Apple’s bureaucracy is trumping that of Google.
this is the only drama I’ve seen so far. It will come soon enough.
When was the last time you saw voice-recognition software work very well?
This is just boredom+complaint, as not much else is happening in the app department (unless you have a jailbroken iphone), and because it’s Google ‘n Apple. Oh, and it’s probably a slow news day.
P.S. - I’m a PC
Maybe the issue is with hands free use of gps location without prompting for user permission.
I think Michael might be right. This is starting to smell just like NetShare. Immediately after I read the NY Times story on the voice capabilities, I checked the App Store for the update. At that time, immediately after NY Times posted the story, the description for the Google Mobile App in the App Store said it had voice capabilities.
That means this App got right to the edge of posting last night and then something changed. A technical glitch with the App or an angry Apple are the only two possibilities. After the NetShare nightmare, I lean toward the latter.
I’m crossing my fingers though. Please don’t screw me Apple, not again.
The best is yet to come…
My guess is that most likely this application does not work aswell as promised or that Google is somehow using the user data for its own purposes thus compromising data protection legal areas.
The economic downturn is showing Google in its truest form , a money hungry sold out corp
Why is it that everyone thinks it is apple that is delaying the application? I’ll bet you that the application doesn’t work, as speech recognition never works like it is shown in that video (which might as well be sci-fi). when the app appears, it will have lots of errors, will be slow, will return the wrong search results, and will crash.
i used to develop speech applications and the technology can nearly be perfect especially with an app like Google
Did you dictate that comment with your nearly perfected speech recognition? Because your comment makes absolutely no sense.
Wow whats with all the negative comments? im sure this is going to be a really cool app….and I don’t mind waiting another day or two to get it
Then if all fails..switch to the awesome Samsung i900 “Omnia”, the iClone Everything PDA phone with MS Voice Command that can open a REAL GPS nav sw, not just like a “smartass” iPhone.
**Hissy fit alert**
Oh no we have to wait a couple extra days for something we’ll try out twice and then forget about! What a nightmare!
Should merge both stories
i want it and i want it NOW!!
no i am not spoilt little brat…
i have to agree voice recognition sucks and if u buy VR software for a computer you HAVE to have a decent Mic some programs think it is so important that they include a decent Mic
Now how do you think the quality of the Mic on my iPhone stacks up ?
I am sure not at ll as i have voice recognition dial app on it and yes it is slow and terribly inaccurate. Hence why i dont use voice dial
I don’t like google. Too much power, too much arrogance. It’s really bizarre that everyone is guffing all over google and how amazing it is. Five years down the track the same ppl will be wondering how they got into the same position as MS. Every search you do, every video you watch, every email you type, every place you visit - Google knows about it. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Wake the fuck up.
It was a great article in the times and I would suggest that the article may have come out a few days to soon. Why? The article didn’t say it was coming out on Friday …. it said it would be coming out ‘as soon as’ Friday. Will it work as well as it did in Mike’s video? Probably not but voice will be a game changing application for the iPhone and as one poster said, i want it on my desktop. me too!
Google didn’t create their own speech recognition software…come on! They couldn’t even create a video player for android.
Apple has put speech recognition into the sdk and google were just the first guys to play with it.
Monday we are probably going to be getting another iphone software update.
What about Google Phone, which he recently launched with HTC?
Check it out: Google Phone
Follow Google on Line Spout. http://www.linespout.com?q=google
Anybody ever tried TellMe with Live Search mobile? Been in the market for 2 years+ and works like a charm. Funny how Apple/ Google try to make it sound like they are “innovating”.
I do wish people would stop confusing speech recognition with voice recognition. Voice recognition tells you “who” is speaking, whereas speech recognition tells you “what” they are saying. The Google device attempts to do speech recognition not voice recognition.
Eat Martha!
Ian Hamilton wrote: “I think Michael might be right. This is starting to smell just like NetShare. Immediately after I read the NY Times story on the voice capabilities….”
For me it started to smell as soon as I noticed the NYT article was by John Markoff, an MS shill and Apple hater.
“That means this App got right to the edge of posting last night and then something changed. A technical glitch with the App or an angry Apple are the only two possibilities. After the NetShare nightmare, I lean toward the latter.
I’m crossing my fingers though. Please don’t screw me Apple, not again.”
LOL! You basement-dwelling gamer/creep.
yeah!!! I new friend , and i like i-phone
Embarrassment for Google? More like Apple. They need to change how they manage the app store. The way they pick and choose what gets approved and what doesn’t is an embarrassment.
Rejecting apps from Google is pretty insane step to say the least