Google ‘Voice Actions’ Android app says that voice control could be the future

Google 'Voice Actions' Android app shows that voice control is the future

Google have taken the wraps off their new and all-enhanced Voice Actions app for the Android mobile operating system, and we reckon we’re seeing a glimpse of what could be the future of mobile phones.

Forget fiddling about with scratchy, itty-bitty mobile keyboards – with Voice Control you can just bark out commands and dictate messages quickly.

Bark ’em out

The Voice Actions free app let you control your phone just by speaking, letting you call contacts and businesses, get directions, blast off texts and email, listen to specified songs, make notes, browse the web and do all sorts of everyday tasks on your handset, just by using your voice.

Sure, the iPhone does some of this, but does it include Voice Actions like these?

send text to [contact] [message]
listen to [artist/song/album]
call [business]
call [contact]
send email to [contact] [message]
go to [website]
note to self [note]
navigate to [location/business name]
directions to [location/business name]
map of [location]
set alarm for [time]

Here’s Mike LeBeau, the excitable lead engineer for Voice Actions, to show you how it all works.

Take it away, Mike! Like, totally!

Note that this is only for Android phones running the latest 2.2 OS, so for most of us UK users, we’re going to have to twiddle our thumbs for a bit longer before we can get stuck in.

Chrome to Phone

Google has also announced Chrome-To-Phone, a Chrome Extension that allows you to take a page you’re viewing on your desktop web browser and blast it over to your Android 2.2 device.

Check it out in the video below: