Microsoft Voice Command 1.6 released

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

A few days ago we told you it was coming... and now it's here! Microsoft have released v1.6 of their 'Voice Command' application, now for Smartphones AND Pocket PCs!.

The application is currently only available in the US version, and the Microsoft Voice Command site itself is yet to be updated, but the application itself can be found on Handango.

Pocket PC: http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDet...roductId=199594

Smartphone: http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDet...roductId=199595

Sadly no demo version is available.

Voice Command Benefits

• Speaker independent: no voice training required
  
• New! Bluetooth hands free control: Bluetooth hands free control enhances your hands free eyes free experience and adds privacy to your spoken notifications. Now you can initiate a Voice Command interaction using a Bluetooth headset and some Hands free car kits*. You can also receive spoken notifications in a whisper mode through the Bluetooth headset keeping you privately up to date
  
• New! Spoken Email notifications: You can now configure Voice Command to speak the subject and sender of incoming email messages and the content of SMS messages as they arrive
  
• Spoken Caller ID: Pocket PC Phone Edition and Smartphone users can take full advantage of incoming caller ID without ever looking down at the screen. Incoming call information is announced as calls are received. Users who think they may have missed a call can simply ask, "What calls did I miss?" and Voice Command will recite the time and phone number of missed calls
  
• Voice-controlled utilities: Users can start any program in the Start menu or programs folder, such as Inbox, Calculator or Solitaire. They can get signal strength, battery level, time and date by voice. Voice Command will even alert users when the battery is getting low to ensure strong battery life on the go
  
• Voice-controlled hands-free phone: Whether in the car, at the airport or walking down the street, people will enjoy true hands-free eyes-free phone conversations without ever having to look at the device to manually dial a number. You can simply say any name from your contact list with the appropriate command. Voice Command will even announce incoming calls
  
• Voice-controlled media player: Voice Command turns your Windows Mobile 5.0 device into a super cool personal DJ that lets you play your favorite music by artist, album or genre using voice instead of having to search through a long list
  
• Voice-controlled calendar lookup: Regardless of your location, you can simply ask your device about the next appointment or for your calendar for the day, and the time, subject and location of each entry will be read aloud or privately through the Bluetooth headset
  
  • Voice-controlled hands-free phone
    
  • Use a Bluetooth headset for a better hands free experience and for enhanced privacy
    
  • Place phone calls to people who are in your address book by using your voice ("Call Jeff Smith")
    
  • Dial your phone by voice using the phone number ("Dial 425 555 0137")
    
  • Callback and Redial the last caller
    
  • Incoming and missed calls are announced by name or number with a single command.
    
  • Voice-controlled contact lookup
    
  • Voice-Controlled Calendar Lookup:
    
  • View your calendar with a single voice command
    
  • Have the subject, time, and location of upcoming appointments read to you
    
  • Appointment reminders will read the details of your appointment aloud so you do not have to look at your screen to find out what is coming up
    
  • Voice-Controlled Media Player: Use your voice to select the music you want from your collection by album, artist, or genre
    
  • Choose to control your music with your voice or use the large button interface just like radio buttons on your car stereo (portrait display size 320x240)
    
  • If you are listening to new or unfamiliar music you can ask "What song is this?" and the name of the song and artist will be read to you
    

  Voice-Controlled Utilities:

  [*]Start any program in the Start menu or programs folder, such as Inbox, Calculator or Solitaire

  [*]Check signal strength, battery level, time, and day by voice

  [*]Low battery level alert by voice

  P

  Via: pdaphonehome

[Guest Joshivivek]

anyone buy this yet, too bad it is not on clickapps.com as handago won't accept paypal from Canada. someone willing to buy it for me and I will make paypal payment to them.

thanks

Edited November 16, 2006 by Joshivivek

[Guest pna]

Just bought it and put it on phone. Used to use it on PPC. Works much the same and is brilliant....I love it.

Only had it on phone 10 mins....have a couple of issues already but sure they will work through:

1. Not sure how to get it to work with my bluetooth headset (Jabra JX10).

2. Can't seem to assign it to a hard button (want to use the connections button on my SP5) but do have an icon for it on my quick launch.

Been waiting ages for this so hope I can now solve 1 & 2 !

[Guest Joshivivek]

what phone did you install it on?

[Guest mcwarre]

what phone did you install it on?

He installed it on a PPC not a phone.............

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Just bought it and put it on phone.

A MiTAC Mio A701 i'd guess.

P

[Guest MadSci]

Been hoping for this, however, typically the Microsoft site is so out of date as to be almost useless. Still showing the text and links for the previous version.

This leaves me with some real concerns before I lash out $40US to put this on my STr TrK (Cingular 3125 actually).

These include: memory utilization and performance

effect upon performance of other Apps & Homescreeen PlugIns

integration with other Apps, such as Facade, which aim to give the visual equivalent of much of this information

effect upon performance of phone functions

performance and resource demands for large contact databases (:) Sheesh!

A few days ago we told you it was coming... and now it's here! Microsoft have released v1.6 of their 'Voice Command' application, now for Smartphones AND Pocket PCs!.

The application is currently only available in the US version, and the Microsoft Voice Command site itself is yet to be updated, but the application itself can be found on Handango.

Pocket PC: http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDet...roductId=199594

Smartphone: http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDet...roductId=199595

Sadly no demo version is available.

P

Via: pdaphonehome

[Guest adchaffey]

I've just purchased the upgrade to 1.6 but i can't remove 1.5. I've tried the add/remove programs feature on the phone and via active sync and all i get is the following error message:

"An unrecoverable error occured in Setup. Reset the device and try again."

Any ideas anyone? I thought maybe it was having difficulty removing the app when it was running, but if that is the case, how do i stop it?!?

[Guest shanedean]

Not compatible with WM2003 :)

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

adchaffey - try using SKtools (http://www.s-k-tools.com) to remove it.

P

[Guest adchaffey]

adchaffey - try using SKtools (http://www.s-k-tools.com) to remove it.

Thanks Paul. Luckily (Unluckily?) it seems to have gone now, after several attempts to remove it and a fair few soft resets! Well it's not in the add/remove list and i've freed up some memory, so it must have gone now!

Just installed 1.6, will try it with my headset shortly and report back.

[Guest pna]

I'm using it with an Imate SP5 or Tornado. have installed to main memory and it's not slowed the phone up noticably.

Can't find a way of assigning a hard key to it....would like to use the connections key (on the top left hand side of the phone).

Also, still have no idea how to get it working with my jabra jx10.

Started to look for help from Microsoft yesterday but most info only relates to 1.5, and then they wanted to charge me £70 for technical advice - for a product that cost less than £30 - having a laugh.

[Guest NightFox]

Be interested to know how this compares to 1.5. I (and others) have suffered a bug with the UK version of 1.5 where the calendar integration doesn't work or crashes - if this was fixed in 1.6 I'd upgrade, if not, probably not. My fear though is that MS will not bother creating a non-US version this time; does anyone know what the difference is? Is it just trained to recognise a Colonial twang rather than The Queen's English?

[Guest pna]

The calendar items seem to work fine either reading out next appointment or the whole day.

It also has no problem with the Queen's English. It has yet to get any instruction wrong.

[Guest NightFox]

The calendar items seem to work fine either reading out next appointment or the whole day.

It also has no problem with the Queen's English. It has yet to get any instruction wrong.

Ah, thanks. I wonder what makes it a "US" version then? When it speaks does it sound American? To me, the UK version of 1.5 never sounded English anyway, more like a French woman speaking English. Quite sexy actually.

[Guest Disco Stu]

Ah, thanks. I wonder what makes it a "US" version then? When it speaks does it sound American? To me, the UK version of 1.5 never sounded English anyway, more like a French woman speaking English. Quite sexy actually.

I was under the impression that the UK version was adapted to recognise such regional phrases as "Eh up", "Why-aye", "Gor Blimey" and their respective dialects :)

[Guest NightFox]

I was under the impression that the UK version was adapted to recognise such regional phrases as "Eh up", "Why-aye", "Gor Blimey" and their respective dialects :)

:-)

Actually, what happens when you use Voice Command to call someome on a mobile number - does the US version say "Call John Smith's Mobile" or "Call John Smith's Cellular"?

[Guest ericbadger]

Be interested to know how this compares to 1.5. I (and others) have suffered a bug with the UK version of 1.5 where the calendar integration doesn't work or crashes - if this was fixed in 1.6 I'd upgrade, if not, probably not. My fear though is that MS will not bother creating a non-US version this time; does anyone know what the difference is? Is it just trained to recognise a Colonial twang rather than The Queen's English?

The calendar bug is fixed. There is a UK, French and German verison of 1.6 as well. I'm not sure why Handango has not released those versions yet.

[Guest MadSci]

So how do you use it then? Do you have to scroll through to the program itself everytime you want to give a command?

Thanks

Martin

I'm using it with an Imate SP5 or Tornado. have installed to main memory and it's not slowed the phone up noticably.

Can't find a way of assigning a hard key to it....would like to use the connections key (on the top left hand side of the phone).

Also, still have no idea how to get it working with my jabra jx10.

Started to look for help from Microsoft yesterday but most info only relates to 1.5, and then they wanted to charge me £70 for technical advice - for a product that cost less than £30 - having a laugh.

[Guest ericbadger]

I'm using it with an Imate SP5 or Tornado. have installed to main memory and it's not slowed the phone up noticably.

Can't find a way of assigning a hard key to it....would like to use the connections key (on the top left hand side of the phone).

Also, still have no idea how to get it working with my jabra jx10.

Started to look for help from Microsoft yesterday but most info only relates to 1.5, and then they wanted to charge me £70 for technical advice - for a product that cost less than £30 - having a laugh.

Try pressing and holding the volume up button for 3 seconds.

Try pressing and holding the volume down button for 3 seconds.

Try pressing and holding the wireless manager button for 3 seconds.

Regarding the Bluetooth headset.

1) You must install to main memory, not storage card

2) After installation, you must soft reset

Not sure about your specific headset, but typically press and hold the "multi function" button on the headset will initiate voice dial.

Eric

[Guest Cloda]

So how do you use it then? Do you have to scroll through to the program itself everytime you want to give a command?

Thanks

Martin

I've got VC 1.5 on my XDA IQ, and I've just set up a speed dial to the Start menu shortcut - I just hold down '4' and speak away. You could also use that prog that reassigns the right soft key to do the job, forgot the name of it now.

Can this version go on the storage card BTW? It take up quite a bit of phone memory.

Asking your phone the time, and getting an answer, never fails to amaze people. Little things.... :)

[Guest jimeverett]

My Question is simple. What about the people (Like Me) that bought the software at the store and just want the upgrade to fix the current problems that v1.5 is having. I did not get mine from Handgo Software and cant get an upgrade from them. :)

[Guest leoiden]

smartphone owners should be given the trial version also remember ther is not upgrade for smartphone!!

[Guest adchaffey]

Just a quick post to say I've now installed it on my Vario I and it's working perfectly. Not a missed instruction yet and works great from my Sony Erikson BT headset. That's the US version too, as I wasn't aware there would be a UK version!

[Guest pna]

Thanks for the advice....not sure I did anything but this morning it started working perfectly with my bt headset. Very happy. Only think I can't do at the mo is set it up to a hard button. Any suggestions?