|
|
Microsoft Voice Command for Pocket PC talks back and keeps you safe (continued)
The voice recognition ability of the program is excellent and it is set to filter out background noise so that it functions well in automobiles and on trains and planes and in other background noise intense places such as factories.
To illustrate how simple the program is to use, Table A contains a list of the easy to learn and use commands.
| Type |
Command |
| Phone Commands |
Call Contact Name
Call Contact Name at home, work, mobile, cell, home two, work two
Call contact name on car phone, pager, assistant phone, radio phone
Dial 555-213-2222 or eight-hundred 555-2222
Show contact name
Redial
Callback |
| Calendar Commands |
What are my meetings (appointments)?
What's my schedule (calendar)?
What are my meetings (appointments) tomorrow?
What's my calendar (schedule) tomorrow?
What's my next meeting (appointment)?
Start Calendar |
| Windows Media Player Commands |
Play media (music)
Play everything (album, album name, artist, artist name, genre, genre name)
Play album by artist name
Pause
Stop
Play
Next, Next track
Previous, previous track
Shuffle on, Shuffle off |
| Application Launcher |
Start application name
Open application name |
And what if you suddenly turn stumplike as Hank used to be and can't remember a command? All you have to do is scream, "Help," or "What can I say." The program will respond with a list of commands.
What can I say? This program works, and it works well. It really has no learning curve for the user nor for the program itself. I tested it with several individuals, and it worked equally well for everyone. As long as the program works so well, why does it not have greater depth for such things as editing?
I hope that future versions will pay attention to other common tasks and operations and incorporate appropriate commands into the program. At first I had a little difficulty understanding what the voice was saying to me, but once I got used to it, we were fine together. You do have a choice of voices, by the way.
Microsoft Voice Command now available in retail outlets
Increased consumer demand has now driven Microsoft Voice Command to the shelves of retail outlets. Previously it was only available for download on Handango.com where it is, of course still available. Actually, this is a significant event, for it is the first time that Microsoft has made a Pocket PC product available in retail stores.
For a boxed version of this best-selling voice-controlled software, you may visit any of these new retail partners: CompUSA, Fry's, Amazon, Microcenter, J&R, MobilePlanet, CRW and distributors Ingram Micro and Tech Data.
In addition to Voice Command, the new Entertainment PocketPak is also now available in the retail stores mentioned above. Entertainment Pocket Pac features ten popular Pocket PC game titles, and is perfect for "in-between" times while on the go. It costs $29.95 or three bucks a game, which I suppose isn't too steep overall.
Table B shows the games Microsoft Entertainment PocketPak includes.
|
|
|
|
