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Google’s got a patent application out there for a Siri-like UI for Google TV. What does that mean for Google TV owners? Not much just yet, but it’s a sign you’re not totally abandoned.
The patent outlines a method of transmitting voice data to a TV through an Android phone or tablet, which would handle the voice-to-text processing for the TV. You’d be able to set up which shows you want to watch before you get home, and control basically all of your other gadgets as well, like satellite boxes or Blu-ray players.
The patent doesn’t mean that we’ll see apps or functionality like this from Google, just that it’s something being discussed, either as a potential product or defensively, to keep Apple from opening up too wide a lead. And of course, voice commands on a TV can be problematic. Still, it’s good to see Google not ceding the entire smart TV market to Apple and AppleTV. [Patently Apple]
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Surely Microsoft have a patent similar enough to spark a controversy over with with Kinect?
So this is definitely not what is already being used on Android phones and has been for a long time, well before Siri? Seems everything is measured by Apple at the moment.
i completely agree, google do a vast amount of things, apple copy one particular thing and improve on it and call it a new idea
They get away with it because one thing Apple do better than reinventing is marketing, no good reinventing voice commands on phones if you don’t give the concept an easy name and market the shit out of it – you got ‘the voice thing you can do on Android phones’ and you got ‘Siri’.
Look at Android phones, great but they would be twice as successful if they called them all ‘DroidPhones’, and Google throw away £5-10billion on a cool marketing awareness campaign – because for years while Apple was selling loads of phones most people were unaware what Android was, and if they were aware found it hard to get their heads around the concept, or see the benefits – that is slowly changing but no need to have that in the first place.
No, it’s using Google voice actions to control Google TV. Also “to keep Apple from opening up too wide a lead” in what, voice recondition? Dream on. Google is way ahead of Apple here.
Sorry Darrell you’re wrong. Apple are always in the lead. Until Siri no device had voice recognition, now everyone can talk to their phone and it will perform simple tasks without you having to touch it – it is magic and everyone else is trying to steal that magic. Please learn about technology before you come here and make foolish comments!!
Always best to end comments like this with a smiley face or someone might think you are being serious, or worse still, Taf in disguise.
I did but alas my interwebness clearly didn’t like it enough to put in into the comment and alas, no edit button. Maybe if I’d been using a Mac instead of windows it would’ve worked.
Maybe you’ve got some kind of virius, wouldn’t happen on a mac
No. But possibly a version of Google Voice (now several years old).
Please step outside of the reality distortion field, but it’s really starting to fuck me off. I left Giz US because of the iObsession.
Oh look, Engadget managed to run a story on this without mentioning Apple or Siri once. How did they do that?