iPhone 3.0: Voice Control to Get “Jibbler” With It?
Ars Technica has heard from those ever-enigmatic “sources familiar with” that there might just be more going on behind the rumored new Voice Control feature in iPhone 3.0 than we’ve seen so far:
Jibbler appears be an enhancement to the iPhone SpringBoard application, the Finder-esque app that acts as a launcher and will support the newly announced 3.0 Spotlight search. Jibbler may be controlled via the iPhone headset—button squeezes could be used to record short voice segments from the user, which Jibbler will then interpret. Voice synthesis can then be used to give the user a response, similar to the latest generation iPod shuffle, which can “read” playlists and track names—the difference being that the iPhone hardware itself could handle real-time voice synthesis.
Okay, so the code-name is worthy of a Microsoft de-branding exercise, but the technology is intriguing. Apple certainly has taken steps towards voice implementation with the latest iPod shuffle’s VoiceOver and recent headsets have raised the bar (perhaps too much) on control clicks.
Many users have asked for simple voice dialing. Is Apple providing that and, in typical fashion, wondrously more with “Jibbler”, or is it a case of breaking a simple function by stretching it too far?
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April 21st, 2009 at 10:37 am
Playlist, schmaylist… give me voice dialing already.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:04 am
Playlist? How about a voice activated apps launcher? Voice activated Spotlight search too? If the zen of Palm is the fewest number of clicks then wouldn’t Apple need to do Palm one better by having no clicks? That would teach the defectors a lesson.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:05 am
Please, for the love of all that’s good and holy, let this feature be used through a BT headset.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:25 am
@Steve Amen.
Though if they want to go beyond just voice dialing, I would much rather see the Maps and Search functions from vlingo as core services before any playlist controls…
April 21st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Voice dialing would be sweet…
April 21st, 2009 at 12:51 pm
@Fassy:
You have Map and search functions via voice already. Install the free Google application. Why does it have to be via “vlingo” (whateverthehell that is)?
April 21st, 2009 at 1:17 pm
@Icebike
vlingo is another free app, and I like how it works better than the Google app — say “find X” to look for X on a map, “search X” to search google, and “call X” to dial, assuming of course X is in your contacts.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I hope they do implement this and that they allow avrcp to control it via Bluetooth!! If it can’t be controlled over Bluetooth… That would be the usual apple let-down.. Always leaving one thing out which may be integral to many people.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Integral to one is not needed to all, I am excited on the huge 3.0 improvements, with all the new upcoming features how can this not be viewed as a huge positive step foward?
April 21st, 2009 at 2:37 pm
@Earless:
Which feature of the Iphone would that NOT apply to? If that were the criteria for inclusion, the iPhone would be your basic candybar phone.
Adam said “integral to many”, and with more states passing hands-free driving laws the definition of “many” is growing every year when it comes to bluetooth functionality.
Without bluetooth capability, voice control still leaves you fiddling with the phone when you should be driving.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:44 pm
@Earless puppy:
It’s not really a matter of being against positive forward steps for me… but rather a matter of priority. Lesser-needed features (anything entertainment related) preceding more important features (communications related) annoys me. But it’s just my personal opinion that communication is more important than entertainment.
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:26 am
Voiceover like on the iPod shuffle would be awesome