iPhone Software 3.0 may offer voice control, dialing - report
Adding to discoveries of "Voice Control" preferences within the International preferences of the upcoming release, contacts speaking to Ars have located a number of function calls to voice control features apparently nicknamed "Jibbler."
While details are few and far between, the features appear to tie into the new version of the Springboard application that serves as the iPhone's home screen and application launcher. In particular, references to VSSpeechSynthesizer, VSRecognitionSession, SBVoiceControlDisableHandlerActions, SBSensitiveJibblerEnabled, and SBVoiceControlSoundCompletion were uncovered.
While those methods appears to be private at this time, meaning they're accessible to Apple but not third-party developers, it's speculated that they could initially provide support for Voice Dialing on current and future iPhone handsets. In addition, they could also provide an alternative means of controlling the iPhone's Springboard services.
"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," the report notes. "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."
Apple has said it plans to release iPhone Software 3.0 sometime this summer as a free upgrade for all current iPhone owners. A distribution for iPod touch users will cost $10.
89 Comments
Voice dialing is something I've missed since switching to iPhone. Now if they could only make a decent ring tone that is loud enough to hear when the phone is in my pocket. I've pretty much given up on ever answering calls since I don't hear them ring most of the time anyway. Maybe I'm just getting hard of hearing...
I'm so impressed- iPhone is finally getting all these phone features that everyone's had for years.
Maybe I'm just getting hard of hearing...
Pardon?
I am amazed Apple doesn't post OS V3.0 in the app store and charge $5 for it. A very easy $50,000,000 indeed. It would still be a steal and only people here and other Apple forums would complain!
The iPhone could handle reading the iPod playlists and track names on the fly, but I think the simpler, more elegant solution is to do it ahead of time on your Mac/PC, like the Shuffle. But I would also like an API so developers can leverage the text-to-speech within a 3rd-party app, too.
The squeezing of the iPhone headphone is a bit of concern because the microphone is situated right where you squeeze the center. It' possible to not cover it, but you have to press it in the right position. Unless they change the headphone design it would seem to be to not be ideal.
PS: I also think that voice recognition and/or on-the-fly text-to-speech may only be available for the next iPhone due to an already constrained system.