Voice recognition engine (or service that supports voice commands)
, I believe, is still in development and being refined. They have complex algorithms and learning theories associated with them. However, their growth is huge and most of us have had the opportunity to use them as some web service or an electronic product in recent years.
For example, speech recognition on Windows 7 and Windows 8 is pretty good. What interests me more is the voice command software on Windows Phone 8. It works smoothly and makes certain tasks a breeze. Indeed, you can even say an email instead of typing it. Interesting, isn’t it? Read on if you own such a device, you will likely discover many unknowns.
Note: The Windows Phone 8 device used for this post is a Nokia Lumia 920. The steps are the same for all WP8 phones.
Hot Tip: If you own an iPhone, check out our posts on Siri, the iPhone’s voice assistant.
Begin
Starting the Speech service on Windows Phone 8 is easy. All you need to do is press and hold the . key Begin button for a while. So, if the image shown below is your phone, you’ll need to long-press the red icon.
When you do that for the first time, you will be asked if you want to turn on the speech recognition service. If you accept, some data will be sent to Microsoft to improve the service. You can always turn it on/off by navigating to settings -> speech and check/uncheck Turn on the speech recognition service.
There you can also choose Text-to-speech And Spoken language. If you want to change your language, you’ll need to download your preferred language.
Note: Many services are language dependent (we’ll give you an example later). So the functionality depends on what you choose. Also, something like texting a contact or searching the web won’t work unless the voice recognition service is turned on.
Using commands
When you touch and hold the Start button, the engine turns on and starts listening. It records what you say and tries to put it into action.
If it finds a match, it will execute the quest. If not, it will suggest you examples. If you need help, say simple help.
Here are a few commands that will get you started. You can learn and discover more when you start using the service regularly.
Source: Windows Phone
Voice settings
A few more you can enable by navigating to speech -> settings. For example, you can read incoming messages aloud and can set a specific mode for that message.
Play confirmation sound And Use voice when phone is locked are two better. If you have a Bluetooth headset, you’ll enjoy using the service without taking your phone out of your pocket.
Extra tip: To dictate the message to your phone instead of typing, open a new compose window, tap where you want to type, tap the speak icon (the microphone-like icon) and speak.
Conclusion
The speech recognition service on Windows Phone 8 is very interesting. With time, you can master the art. And, for some reason, I feel it works great and has a lot to offer. Let us know how you feel about the service.
Top image credit: Derek Gavey
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
