Now you can tell your computer what you want it to do.

Utilizes latest technologies from Microsoft.

Why it’s worth checking out: It can tell you how much you’d weigh on Saturn–in case you were wondering. That’s when you need ChaCha Answers, a question-and-answer service that provides quick answers to your pressing questions. But if you have a narrowly specific question, digging through multiple pages of results looking for a simple answer is counterproductive. The ChaCha app for Android phones provides quick answers to your verbal questions.Search engines are great when you’re looking for a wide swath of information. If you’re looking for a company that knows voice products, look no further. Why it’s worth checking out: Nuance’s Dragon line of software has set the standard for PC-based voice recognition.

The company offers various mobile apps, including Dragon Dictation (free), which lets you control many functions of your iOS device by voice Dragon for Email (free), which enables BlackBerry users to compose and send messages by voice and FlexT9 for Android ($4.99), which lets you choose your preferred method of input–speak, trace, write, or tap–based on your current needs. Google Mobile AppsįlexT9 for Android.Nuance’s popular line of Dragon voice-recognition software has gone mobile. Here’s a roundup of some of today’s best voice-recognition apps for your phone. Luckily, plenty of apps provide such access–and more. Bluetooth headsets allow drivers to talk hands-free, but many people want access to e-mail and text messages while driving, too, he notes. In addition, the increasing prevalence of laws restricting the use of cell phones while driving has fueled demand for these voice-based apps, Nguyen says. He cites the demand for improved user interfaces, especially from users who don’t want to rely solely on a touchscreen to interact with their phone. But that’s not the only factor behind the uptick in mobile voice recognition, says Tuong Nguyen, principal research analyst with Gartner. All of the frustrations of trying to control your PC by voice–fiddling for a microphone, repeating yourself again and again, resisting the urge to relent and turn to your trusty keyboard–are eliminated when you use the same technology on your mobile phone.Īnd it’s becoming more popular all the time, thanks in large measure to the improved speech recognition capabilities of today’s mobile phone platforms, such as Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. But put it on a smartphone, and it comes to life.

Voice-recognition software is nothing new.

2016 best voice recognition software