Hasta La Gadget!

This week over at Honda R&D Americas, senior iOS architect Duane Cash is showing off a new brainwave control device and custom Siri API working with the iPhone in the real world. The initial test shows the man using a wave of his hand and the EEG signals his brain generates to start up the app and activate several functions on the device. This isn’t the sort of thing you’re going to be able to run out and buy right this minute, but given the relative simplicity of the build – so to speak – we might be seeing something like this from 3rd party developers (namely Honda R&D Americas) bringing such solutions soon.

What you’re seeing here is the iPhone displaying a map, opening a menu, and closing a menu. This is done with the read EEG signals coming from Cash’s brain interpreted by a custom developer code made for Siri on the iPhone. With this setup, we can potentially run anything Siri can run by simply thinking of it.

Of course it’s not all that simple, and just getting this far in the project was no cake walk. With mind control used in this manner we’re still quite a few years away from creating anything that wouldn’t be simpler with simple taps or voice commands. In the future though, we might be thinking of novels and creating masterpieces in media without lifting a finger. We shall see!

ALSO NOTE: Though Cash works for Honda R&D now, he may be doing additional work on this project as his own independent masters project. Take a look at his LinkedIn profile and see what you make of it.

Then have a peek at a set of recent posts surrounding Siri and user attempts to make this ultra-popular app interface part of the greater control-all universe. With Apple’s implementation of Siri on their iPhone and iPad line, the company has over the past couple of years changed the way we see smart device control – now we’re at a point where it’s no longer easy enough to speak commands. We just want to think them.

[via Andrew Lim]

Siri obeys real-life mind control is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

As we ramp up to the 30th of January and the official launch of RIM’s own BlackBerry 10, we’re seeing multiple leaks and test videos like the one we’ve been shown today, complete with a demonstration of the software’s Voice Control system. This system is built in to BlackBerry 10 and looks rather familiar if you’re used to Siri from iOS or S-Voice from Samsung’s Galaxy series. In this case you’ll be pressing the Start button (aka power button) on your device a 2-count and the Voice Control system will activate.

At the moment we’re able to see several functionalities included in this build, starting with the ability to send an SMS message courtesy of the folks at Telekom Presse. Though the voice recognition here is nothing like we’re seeing with advanced diction-decoding voice systems like Siri, pre-set commands appear to work perfectly well. You’ll also see the system make a phone call and start up a bit of music as it exists on the device itself – perhaps streaming apps in the future, too!

This video also shows off a couple other items that we’ve seen in the past, including the next-level keyboard with its fully functional predictive text engine. The maps application you may have seen in the past is also being shown here in brief. While we’re not sure this is the final version of the software that will be revealed at the end of this month, what we’re seeing thus far does seem to be relatively solid – as a demo, anyway.

The machine you’re seeing these demos on is the BlackBerry Z10. This is a touch-centric device working with the newest iteration of BlackBerry 10 and will be acting as one of RIM’s 2 or more hero devices at the launch of this new operating system. Have a peek in our BlackBerry 10 tag portal for more and hit the timeline below for the most recent action in the RIM universe!

[via CrackBerry]

BlackBerry 10 voice controls hit leaked video demo is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’ve gotten our first opportunity this week to take a peek at the first Martian Voice Command Watch model known as the Passport, able to attach to both Android and iOS via Bluetooth for simple connectivity on the go. This machine was originally part of a Kickstarter project and is just ready for prime-time now, giving users in the field the ability to make and receive calls, read short text messages and reply, and read short messages of several kinds. Voice Commands are able to be made using both iOS and Android’s voice command systems.

In the video here you’re able to see one message being sent over wireless Bluetooth connection to the watch itself. We’re also looking at the final form of the watch here, mind you, complete with its basic high-quality band and metal construction. You’ll be working with a 96 x 16 pixel OLED display on the bottom section of the watch for read-back of messages of all kinds from your device while the top bit is reserved for some classy analog watch hands action.

This machine also has the ability to vibrate with each new message, this allowing you to get alerts without being rude – just take a glimpse at your Martian watch and you’re back in the game. This watch is also vibrates according to which kind of notification it’s delivering, with multiple vibrations for a phone call and a single vibration for a text or social media update.

This watch 1.53 x 1.46 x 0.52 inches in size, weighing in at 2.1 oz (59.5 grams) with its leather band or 2.5 oz (70.9 grams) with its silicone band – both are available to you. You’ll be powering this watch up with a microUSB cord via its side under a simple cover, and the box contains the watch, a microUSB cord, and a quick starter guide. You’ll be able to start ordering this device right this minute for $299 right now and the estimated delivery date is currently in-between February and March of 2013.

Martian Passport Watch hands-on: Voice Command and Bluetooth get classy is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Intel is reportedly pushing for voice control as a standard feature of Shark Bay based ultrabooks in 2013, with a combination of hardware and software for speech recognition tipped to join the minimum spec list. The hands-free technology would join touchscreens as part of Intel’s premium feature-set for next-gen ultrabooks, Fudzilla reports, though exactly how such a system would be implemented is unclear at this stage.

Windows 8 already supports speech recognition, with spoken commands being used for dictation, for navigating around the UI, and for triggering features like cut/copy/paste and opening apps. The nature of Intel’s hardware/software mix – and which elements it would provide to OEMs, and which would be sourced from third-parties – is unstated, given Microsoft has the software side under control.

One possibility, however, is that Intel could specify a certain type of digital microphone array, with active noise cancellation for better performance. The chip company already has certain criteria which manufacturers must meet if they’re to use the ultrabook branding, such as around thickness and storage.

In that respect, the new focus on voice control could be more about marketing than new technology. Given Apple is expected to add Siri to OS 10.9 next year, bringing natural speech recognition across from iOS devices to the company’s mainstream Mac line-up, reminding ultrabook owners that their svelte laptops can do something similar (and making sure they have a reasonable experience using it) would be a useful tick on the product sheet.

Shark Bay – aka Haswell – will also include extended battery life, and Intel is supposedly pushing for Full HD display support, at least on ultrabooks priced at $800 or above. Always-connected WWAN and facial-recognition are also tipped to be key selling points for new models.

Intel reportedly prioritizing voice control for 2013 Haswell Ultrabooks is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Siri is hitching a ride in the 2013 Chevrolet Spark and Sonic LZ and RS, with support for the voice control system in the MyLink infotainment systems; meanwhile, an all-new version will debut in the 2014 Impala. The Siri functionality, announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show 2013, allows a Bluetooth-connected iPhone to play songs, switch sources from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode, trigger calls to contacts, handle messaging, and the calendar, all by verbal instruction. It’s not the sole preserve of big-bucks Chevys, either, with the car company opting to debut the tech in its more affordable models.

There’s also a new Eyes Free mode, which keeps the iPhone’s screen turned off and relies solely on voice feedback from Siri, so that the driver can stay focused on the road ahead. That also means that the sort of complex queries which would usually trigger a web search won’t prompt to look online.

In order for it to work, the iPhone or iPad must be running iOS 6.0 or above; then it’s a case of pairing it via Bluetooth with the MyLink system. The steering wheel “Voice” button triggers Siri from that point on.

Chevrolet Spark iPhone Siri integration demo:

However, there’s a more complex Chevrolet MyLink system incoming the following year, and which will debut in the new Impala. The next-gen system has a choice of four menu themes – contemporary, edge, velocity, and main street – for its standard 4.2-inch display or optional 8-inch touchscreen, and can hook up to ten external devices, use its own natural voice recognition system for calls, navigation, media, and more.

There’s a 60 station favorites system which spans AM/FM/XM radio, contacts, destinations, music, and other media, and support for both Bluetooth and USB smartphones. Connected versions will add city-level weather reports, and OnStar will spread from the traditional blue button to an on-screen dialog too; six months of premium Directions and Connections will be included. A microphone is suspended above the driver to avoid confusion from road or engine noise.

Chevrolet 2014 Impala with next-gen MyLink demo:

The Chevrolet 2013 Spark with Siri will go on sale early in the new year, priced from $12,995, while the 2014 Impala is due in the spring, priced from $27,535. The next-gen MyLink system will also be available in other 2014 model year Chevys, including full-sized trucks, SUVs, and the Corvette.

Chevrolet adds Siri to 2013 Spark; Previews next-gen MyLink is written by Vincent Nguyen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.