galaxy

Samsung’s Virtual Assistant annoys the boss

October 31, 2011 by publisher · Leave a Comment

The battle for best smartphone rages on between Apple and Samsung with voice command features front-and-centre in both the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy SII. One of the most distinguishing features of the iPhone 4S is Siri – a voice-operated ‘personal assistant’ that lets users speak to their phones to send messages, ask questions, place phone calls and more. Samsung’s Virtual Assistant – powered by Vlingo – works in much the same way. When users double-tap the home screen button they are greeted with an automated voice asking “What would you like to do?” Vlingo said of its Virtual Assistant in a blog post : “Voice talk enables users to do social updates, messaging, email, hands-free communication via InCar, voice dialling and search and more. “They will also be able to initiate commands simple by double-tapping the home screen button, making it easier than ever to get things done while on the go.” Samsung announced its ‘major partnership’ with Vlingo – the brains behind Virtual Assistant – just four weeks before the latest version of its flagship smartphone – the Galaxy SII – launched. Vlingo’s technology, built on the back of software from another partnership with Google , has been pre-installed in every Galaxy SII smartphone and, unlike Siri, gives users no opportunity to turn it off. While since the launch of the iPhone 4S Siri has received a lot of attention and a largely positive reception, according to the Guardian , Galaxy users are growing irritated with their virtual assistant