No Siri? No Problem! (Updated)
October 18, 2011
Do you feel like you’re missing out because you don’t have the iPhone 4S and the magical Siri? Well, don’t worry -- you, too, can “converse with” your iPhone using these fun and useful voice apps for any model iPhone. Of course these apps will not be totally integrated like Siri is -- they will not set alarms for you or make changes on your calendar. But, you can still interact with your iPhone quite a bit using just the power of your voice.
Dragon Go
Tell this ultimate search engine what you’re looking for, and Dragon Go will sift through Google, Yelp, Fandango, Wikipedia, iTunes, Twitter, Pandora, Accuweather, The Weather Channel, YouTube, IMDb, Maps, and more. Your results will be presented with a carousel of tabs across the top, so you can scroll through the various sites to get different takes on what you’re looking for. Get information on just about any topic, movies and restaurants in your area, the weather, and lots more. Read our review of Dragon Go here.
Vlingo
This one is even more like a personal assistant. Post an update to Facebook or Twitter; send a SMS or email using just your voice. You can also voice dial, search the web, and access maps with just a few spoken words. Read more about Vlingo here.
Dragon Dictation
Use this free, universal app to dictate anything from a quick voice memo to an entire document. Learn to speak some simple cues, such as “period” or “new paragraph”, and you can dictate a complete grammatically correct document. You can also send an SMS or email as well as posting to your Facebook or Twitter. This is an incredibly useful app for social butterflies, students, or business people on the go. Read more about Dragon Dictation here.
Tweet Speaker
This one is more of a niche app, just for Twitter users. If want to be updated on your twitter feed during your morning commute, for example, you can have the entire thing read to you, so you don’t even have to look at the screen! It essentially turns your twitter feed into a podcast. Read our review of Tweet Speaker here.
Updated to add:
Voice Actions
Due to popular request, I decided to check out Voice Actions as well. Not only does it do internet searches, but it also voice dials, sets up reminders, and sends emails and texts. Results were very mixed. I was able to get the British-accented, robotic Jeannie (get it? Like a Genie?) to send a text - I told her who I wanted to send to, and she asked what I wanted to say, and then she set up the text. Instant language translations worked pretty well, too. This is by no means a perfect app -- when I asked her how old Brad Pitt is, she told me he had died on June 6th of this year! Whoops (or does she know something I don’t?)! But if you’re looking for Siri-like banter, Jeannie is probably your best bet. I asked her, “When is your birthday?” and she responded, “I was first activated on the Big Bang”. I asked, “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” and she responded, a “a whole forest”. I told her, “I love you” a couple of times and got responses like, “Thanks, I like you a lot too” and “I love everyone, especially you!” The bottom line: if you’re looking for true utility and accuracy, Voice Actions isn’t your best bet. If you’re looking for a “friend” like Siri (and let’s face it - from what I’ve seen on the internet, that appears to be the case for many), then Jeannie is definitely Siri’s much cheaper sister.
So, what are your favorite voice apps? Let us know in the comments.
Dragon Go, Vlingo, and Dragon Dictation are all free; Tweet Speaker is currently $1.99 and Voice Actions is $4.99 on the iTunes App Store.
