A friend recently demonstrated the Apple (AAPL) i-phone's ability to find the song hummed to it; a neat trick but not a "Killer Application". Killer APPS are "game changers". They are the things, that when your neighbor gets one, you have to have one. Today, Google (GOOG) voice search goes live on the i-phone. Ask 'Where is Shell Gasoline?' and the i-phone provides a Google map of your current location with Shell stations marked with teardrops.
Sophisticated voice systems, such as those sold by Nuance (NUAN), are exceptional tools, but they require practice time for the computer to learn the nuances of each voice. Google's recognition ability has a long way to go to reach the accuracy of the Nuance systems, but many questions will be correctly answered in the early days and most will be answered correctly in future days. As this technology is widely adopted, productivity will take another giant leap forward. Trillions of questions will be asked. The answers will ultimately save consumers Trillions of time and dollars.
The skeptical will retort that the world is going to be "cold" when people talk to machines instead of to other people. Successful people will use the computer conversations to raise human conversations to a new level of quality. The system will benefit us is by helping us avoid annoying unnecessary interruptions. I will not need to call my wife to find out things that I "should know". I have found that women just love to have their man call to ask what time the ball game starts.
Over time, the answers will "go deep". Instead of just mapping Shell stations locations, the maps will display prices. Instead of only asking generic questions, one will be able to ask specific questions, such as, What is on my calendar for the afternoon? or What is on my wife's birthday wish list? That is about as deep as I get but others of you will think of deeper questions.
The process will be like that of two young children having a conversation. At first, the computer will have a hard time understanding what its connected children are asking and the connected children will only know to ask for the basics. Later, the computer will know to provide certain information at certain times without being asked; the computer might happen to mention that the traffic has stopped moving on I-40 and the next exit offers the fastest time to work.
Later still, new information will be input by voice. Such as, Computer please add an item to my calendar: meeting with the boss at 3:15 -- over-ride the automatic 15 minute meeting reminder with a 30 minute alarm.
A new "Killer App" is here. The time will come when everyone must have a "talking computer phone". Social networks, such as FaceBook, are reaching the level of killer apps. These systems are part of the same need for easy access to information. Closer connections between members of all sorts of groups, social and work related, make for better relationships and better communication.
There will always be other Killer Apps, but the dream of voice computer communication has been around for a long time, well before the early days of Star Trek. The early adoption phase will see rapid growth from a zero base. We should enter the dramatic growth stage, when the base is already 10% of the population and growing rapidly, within two or three years. Computer chips will notify our computer phones of many worthwhile details. There will be "big brother" concerns when the computer knows who is late from lunch and is currently located at Joe's Bar and Grill etc., but we will work through the proper and improper uses of the technology. We will keep the benefits and throw out most of the down side. A new age has dawned.
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This article has 7 comments:
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fatcat
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482 Comments
Nov 17 04:40 AMI wonder how this brave new world of phone apps can be properly monetized over the short term,in the face of hard economic times.Anyhow,how many questions do you want to ask your phone each day?
Good article..
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Cho Cha
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21 Comments
Nov 17 09:47 AMCho Cha
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Uncle Miltie
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12 Comments
Nov 17 10:55 AM> I use my phone mostly for calls and some texting,and occasionally,direction...
> or checking the market...and most people I know,of all ages,do the
> same.
>
> I wonder how this brave new world of phone apps can be properly monetized
> over the short term,in the face of hard economic times.Anyhow,how
> many questions do you want to ask your phone each day?
>
> Good article..
Having used an iPhone for 1.5 years, I can assure you that while I do use it for making phone calls, the killer app on the iPhone is the web browser. It can't be said enough - once you start using the web on the iPhone, you get hooked. The experience is significantly better than any other phone I've used or tested.
This will be a neat additional app, but the killer app is already on the iPhone.
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mollytjm
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322 Comments
Nov 17 11:33 AMas an educator at a zoo, i use the iPhone constantly to find answers to questions that come up...like "how big will my baby anaconda get?"...short answer...big enough to eat the dog, in about a year:)
the thing with the iPhone is that once you have it, all of a sudden you realize it's potential...it's not a phone, mate...it's a computer in your pocket! and becaue of this, it has the ability to bring people together. We often ignore this function. My 91 year old father, with a frail 89 year old wife, can spend hours communicating with friends and family all over the world through email. Those of us 'out in the world' and mobile can do this instantly with anyone we care about.
As with all inventions and technology, it's only 'cold' or isolating if we are.
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Jazzkeys
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10 Comments
Nov 17 12:05 PM-
brewer
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416 Comments
Nov 17 03:06 PMThat is a good one! Ha ha, iPhone 'catching up' with Winmob device... (Does anyone still use Winmob device? Not according to the stats I've seen.) You should explore a career in comedy!
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Thomas B. Albright / Redrover
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2 Comments
My Website
Nov 19 05:35 PMThis method will approach a World Language eventually. It is ripe to apply to the iphone now. The problem is to get a proper review. How to?