Vlingo has now launched its FREE voice-controlled BlackBerry application today, and trust me, it is awesome! Vlingo's new BlackBerry application lets users send emails and text messages, search the Web, open applications (BlackBerry Calendar, BlackBerry Maps, etc.), dial their phones, look up contacts and even send notes to themselves – all with the power of voice. My words won't do it justice, so watch the demo video above, read the Press Release after the jump, and give it a try for yourself! To download, click here or visit m.vlingo.com on your BlackBerry. Let us know what you think in the comments!
PRESS RELEASE
Vlingo Offers Total Voice Control of BlackBerry Smartphones
New Voice Powered User Interface Enhances Discoverability and Usability with Voice Control for Email, Text Messaging, Web Search, Dialing, Address Book, Launching Applications, and a New “Note2Self”
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (June 25, 2008) – Vlingo Corporation today debuted a new application for BlackBerry smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM), offering the industry’s first complete voice-powered interface based entirely on vlingo’s breakthrough speech recognition technology. Available free-of-charge*, vlingo’s BlackBerry application lets users send emails and text messages, search the Web, open applications (BlackBerry® Calendar, BlackBerry® Maps, etc.), dial their phones, look up contacts and even send notes to themselves – all with the power of voice.
“Just a few months ago, vlingo was selected to voice-enable Yahoo! oneSearchTM, which showed the world just how quick and easy mobile Web search can be with the power of voice,” said Dave Grannan, CEO of vlingo. “Vlingo takes this technology beyond Web search into everyday applications that are now instantly more usable and easier to find because you only need to think about one button and a few spoken words. Vlingo believes that we can immediately improve the way every person interacts with their wireless device and the BlackBerry platform is the perfect place to start our aggressive expansion strategy here in the U.S. and abroad.”
Vlingo is easy to use. BlackBerry smartphone users can simply press the side “convenience” key on their handset, which lets them speak commands into the phone. Available beginning today, vlingo gives BlackBerry smartphone users voice control over the most commonly used applications, including:
- Voice Dial. Initiate calls to anyone in your address book.
- Text Message. Send text messages without typing.
- Email. Simply speak “Email John Smith” to start an email on-the-go, and you can speak the body of the message as well.
- Applications. Open calendar, maps, etc.
- Address Book. Search for contacts without typing.
- Web Search. Look up anything online in one step. Just say, “Web search: concert tickets in Boston,” and the results are displayed.
- Note2Self. Send yourself a reminder in the form of an email, task or text message.
Vlingo gives BlackBerry smartphone users control over mobile information and tasks with the power of their voice. Users do not need to change how they speak or memorize a list of commands. They can say what they want, how they want, and vlingo captures the results – word for word. Vlingo’s voice-enabling technology provides users with a simple way to access almost anything on their handset. With the most accurate system on the market that gets even better as more users join the community, vlingo gives users the ability to freely mix typing and talking with no limits on what they can say.
Vlingo is currently supported on the BlackBerry® Pearl™, BlackBerry® Curve™ and BlackBerry® 8800 series smartphones. Vlingo will be adding additional devices and operating systems in the third and fourth quarters of 2008. A demo video of the new vlingo BlackBerry application is available at http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1620628573. Vlingo is available for download, free-of-charge at http://www.vlingo.com/vlingo/download.jsp.
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93 comments
I downloaded this app this morning, it looks so cool & wanted to start using it immediately,
however after having problems setting it up, I have now discovered it only works in USA / Canada Only.
It doesn't actually say that on their site but I've had confirmation its US/Canada only, shame :(
I keep getting "request timed out" every time I try to test the command in the initial setup.
My APN settings are correct. I'll try it again later.
I am getting the same results. I have been through all of the help items that apply and all setting are correct. I am not having network connection issues, so I am not sure why it is happening, but I can't test it fully until I can get it to work.
Not bad takes a little getting use to. Much easier to use when driving then having to type out messages.
this is a great app. It is going to very useful driving, and always being on the move.
This is the one of the great application. Seems to take up a lot of memory but still cool as hell
Anytime an application is free, I ask myself what's in it for the developer. Of concerns, an excerpt of the Terms & Conditions below:
"When you use our voice services within any application incorporating our voice technology, whether the application was developed by vlingo or by someone else, we may collect:
* Your phone number, your device’s make, model and unique identification number, and/or the name of your mobile service provider.
* Any voice utterance you speak to a vlingo text box, along with the transcribed text that we returned to your mobile phone in response and any changes or corrections you make to that text.
* Any text, commands, corrections, or other keystrokes that you enter while working in or with a vlingo text box."
http://www.vlingo.com/terms.html
Have any concerns with the ToS?
Wow, thanks for pointing that out. That is completely crazy. One of the chief selling points for Blackberry is security, and this application makes you basically sign it all away in the licensing agreement. It's a shame. I would pay for this application if it did not have those rights to vlingo, but there is no way I will install it on my device when it does have those rights, free or not.
How are they supposed to improve the product if they don't know what mistakes and corrections you made? Also, they can see which providers have more issues that others. Although the information potentially could be used to "invade" your privacy it has legitimate development/refinement purposes. However, I think users should have the option to opt out of the product improvement by not providing information.
how cool is this...i'm always in memo pad making notes to remember stuff and this is sooooo much easier. even texting is a breeze. can't wait to use it all
I downloaded the Vlingo for my BB 8130. I like it, but have found that I can't really use it inside. MOst of the time the connecxtion times out. And if by chance it does go through it doesn't get all of what I say. But I stepped outside of the office and wham it worked like a charm. I was text talking and emaileing just cause. It's great.
I just recently deleted all my voice dialing files from the OS to free up some internal memory. Do I need those files to run this app?
I get the request timed out error message too. The website says to use Desktop Manager to download the app from your computer. Unfortunately, I have a Mac, and PocketMac doesnt allow you to download software. Anyone else having this problem?
just downloaded for my curve and install was flawless. works great and as they said on thier site, it learns overtime and will learn your patterns. this will make driving so much easier....
Yeah, I deleted it. It kept saying "request timed out". If and when someone posts the solution to this problem I might download it again. In the meantime, I will get rid of it to save the space on my BB.
Does this app charge anything besides sending a text when you ask it to?
This works great on my curve, I couldn't be more excited to use it more!
Has anyone tried this with a Bluetooth headset yet? I left mine at home today, so I can't test it. It does work with a regular wired headset. Sweet!!! Amazing application that'll be great for when I'm on the road...
Josh
Where is the link or how can i download this program to my desktop? Ive only seen OTA download links and when I downloaded it that way, I keep getting the "timeout error". So I want to try and load it through the desktop manager.
I just download this and its great.
Anyone find the desktop manager installation?
Or figure out the "request timeout" issue?
I'm havin the same request time out issue. I called vlingo and she told me that blackberry users have to email any problems to the website. I will post the response on here when I get one
Anyone else having a problem with the setup on a curve 8300?
Yep, I can't get it set up on my Curve 8310. It keeps asking to set my connection settings, which are all already set to Allow. It won't go any further than that first screen.
Neat program but it is having a hard time with my voice. I know I am country but some of the translations are hilarious. LOL
I know this is about Vilingo, but I have a question. I had no problem downloading Vilingo, but I have been unable to d/l Viigo. I have tried OTA and Direct with no luck. I am running OS 4.5. Could this be the problem? Help, anyone?
I just got done downloading the program and I LOVE IT! So far, I haven't had any problems, but if I do, I will be sure to let you know.
AWESOME!
The terms and conditions mentiones earlier are just catastrophic, i would use it for just for the terms. Anyway i can´t use it because i'm all the way down in Panama (Central America) and the software is only for US and Canada. For these two reasons: WHAT A SHAME!
After NOT getting the SMS, I went to m.vlingo.com through my Curve 8320 Browser. Downloaded, rebooted, and now getting this error:
Sorry, the following required permissions are still not set:
Connections: Phone
Connections: Carrier Internet
Connections: Carrier Network.
All Connections are set to ALLOW.
After digging on the vlingo.com site, you can click:
For You, Check out Vlingo
I then realized this would be just for the Find BETA feature.
Now I found the support page for Vlingo and it's saying the same thing the phone is saying, permissions need to be set to ALLOW for all.
I did that. 6 times. STILL not working after 3 Reboots.
Sending in a Support Question.
AAAUUUGGGHHHH!
...I already have voice dialing, and I'd rather type my emails...tried it, deleted it...
this is amazin. a little hit and miss but the potential is awesome. i wish i could train it to recognise my english accent...wait, it does adapt to my voice...my new fav app hands down or shud i say free! (i kno bad joke)
Will Vlingo work with my Jawbone 2?
Downloaded just fine. using 8310 4.5.0.44 will try it out at lunch time.
Not able ot get it working on a T-Mobile branded 8320, and probably a good thing after reading the TOS, what a shame
doesnt work for me, keep getting "Request Timeout", uninstalled it..
I downloaded the application, but when I tryed to use it , it gave an error, that I needed to check my API.
what does it mean? anyone??
I also got the request timeout trying to get a connection. But I assume my problem is because I have Centennial Wireless. They do not allow BB plan users access to their APN/TCP network. A real roadblock for the coolest of applications such as this one.
If they end up creating a BIS version, I would sure enjoy giving it a try, even with the Big Brother TOS.
I downloaded it earlier and everything has worked great. How can they figure this out and yet we still don't have flying cars
I have a flying car.
It gets 400 MPG on a fifth of Whiskey
when installed in the driver - HA!
WoW! This App is Epic, I love it!!!!!!
I installed vlingo on my BB8310,took a few minutes to set up,so far it is working excellent!The more I use vlingo the easier it gets,this ap.is staying on my BB!
I installed vlingo on my BB8310,took a few minutes to set up,so far it is working excellent!The more I use vlingo the easier it gets,this ap.is staying on my BB!
wicked app
I tried this and it was cool, but limited. It would do all things it said it could except open my email. When I would use the "Open, Launch, or Start Email" command it thought I was trying to send an email. So I couldn't get that one part to work right.
Another shortcoming I saw was the lack of Bluetooth support. If I have to pick the phone up and press a button to get it to "listen" then it doesn't really help me in the car. With voice dialer now you can just hit a button on your headset...but this program makes you have handle the device.
Nice app, especially for free, but needs more development and functionality. You should still try it and see for yourselves.
it has an api error
any thoughts?
See title
just downloaded it and have been messing around with it, and it's SUPER easy to use and works great
holy S$@#$# this is the best thing ever. it might actually change the way i use phones.