voice dialer rant

[albiewan]

OK I see there are a few threads on this so called "voice dialer". However, if you're driving along and activate voice dialer (which is simple enough, no problem there) what's the point of having to say "Call Robert Smith" and then have to look at the screen, see if it's got the correct name and touch it to make the call? Doesn't this defeat the purpose of voice activated dialing? My older Motorola Krave had a real touch free voice dialer that responded to you and asked if it's choice was correct at which point you could say "yes" and it would dial it. Now we have the latest greatest Androids that can't do that. Whoever developed this app had no clue about the dysfunction and potential hazards involved with this "feature". I love my Eris but was completely disappointed with this app. OK I'm done. Excuse my rant.

 

[pjridge]

I agree. It sucks. By far worst I've ever used........

 

[jvolzer]

Hard to believe that something like that that has been standard on even the cheap phones for years now is missing. With no true hands-free dialing via Bluetooth, it's illegal to use this phone in a growing number of areas. Doesn't look like there's a fix in sight though. I've not even found any official reply/response from Google to this in forums that I've been searching elsewhere, such as the Google developer's forums. Sad.

 

[OfTheDamned]

Hard to believe that something like that that has been standard on even the cheap phones for years now is missing. With no true hands-free dialing via Bluetooth, it's illegal to use this phone in a growing number of areas. Doesn't look like there's a fix in sight though. I've not even found any official reply/response from Google to this in forums that I've been searching elsewhere, such as the Google developer's forums. Sad.

You are aware that resurrecting old threads to make the same complaint in each isn't going to actually accomplish anything, right?

 

[Shnuddy]

I've been using Vlingo and it works great for this purpose. Here is the thread with more information.

 

[jvolzer]

You are aware that resurrecting old threads to make the same complaint in each isn't going to actually accomplish anything, right?

I've been caught not checking the thread dates! Ha! I've spent too long trying to paw through threads on various web sites and forgot to keep up with where I was and where I "done been"! When I saw a couple of posts over here I just jumped in and replied without checking dates...sorry all!

 

[EddieVersatile]

I've been using Vlingo and it works great for this purpose. Here is the thread with more information.

+1000000

I <3 Vlingo, I don't use the keyboard it comes with, I just can't seem to part with the stock one, but the voice search/dialer is awesome, way better than HTC's

 

[grvthang]

I don't think lingo can run on 1.5. I'm using Top Voice Control, which verifies. your voice command out loud.

 

[hazeof3dd]

WOW! I just installed vlingo and LOVE IT! Made it my new default for holding the search button! It works brilliantly!

 

[jvolzer]

I don't think lingo can run on 1.5. I'm using Top Voice Control, which verifies. your voice command out loud.

I've installed Top Voice control and it does seem to recognize my dial command, but a dialog box pops up with the entry that I spoke, the text to speech reads the entry, then it disappears. There's no time to press the button, and it doesn't seem to respond to a spoken "OK" to press the ok button, etc. This is on 1.5. What's supposed to happen at that point?

It also does not pop up with a long press of the call button - although it was fun calling people by accident while testing! I hate how long it takes for the phone to respond to the "end call" button...seems that it always makes it through to the caller before I can get it hung up! In my most recent test I immediately pressed the hard button for hang up and it turned the screen off, but still completed the call. Oh well!

 

[grvthang]

I've installed Top Voice control and it does seem to recognize my dial command, but a dialog box pops up with the entry that I spoke, the text to speech reads the entry, then it disappears. There's no time to press the button, and it doesn't seem to respond to a spoken "OK" to press the ok button, etc. This is on 1.5. What's supposed to happen at that point?

It also does not pop up with a long press of the call button - although it was fun calling people by accident while testing! I hate how long it takes for the phone to respond to the "end call" button...seems that it always makes it through to the caller before I can get it hung up! In my most recent test I immediately pressed the hard button for hang up and it turned the screen off, but still completed the call. Oh well!

No, it doesn't give you very long to press your selection, and it doesn't respond to your saying "OK" either.
Which gives me the opportunity to re-state my major gripe about "smartphones" and the smartphone community: we let the manufacturers/carriers get away with giving us these products that call themselves "phones". These companies put out devices that can do all these wonderful things, but can't perform the basic phone functions that a $10 cell phone can perform.