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If you've wanted hands-free Google voice search (à la Android's Now Launcher) on the desktop, you've so far had to install a Chrome extension. No more -- the company has released a Chrome beta that builds the feature into the browser. Any time you visit the Google homepage or open a new tab, you can say "OK Google" to ask a question or perform a command, such as scheduling a reminder. Testers running Chrome in US English should see the feature go live sometime within the next few days, and a matching Chrome OS update is coming soon. Don't worry if you'd rather not be an early adopter. Google typically releases finished versions of the software several weeks after the beta, so touchless voice search should be available to every Chrome user before long.
0 Comments ShareVia: TechCrunch
Source: Google Chrome Blog
Tags: beta, browser, chrome, chromeos, google, linux, mac, search, software, VoiceControl, voicesearch, web, windows Next: Instapaper update for iOS lets you send media to your Kindle and TVApple has issued a new developer preview of OS X version 10.9.2, and it introduces some interesting new features according to 9to5Mac. The most interesting is probably FaceTime Audio, however. Apple introduced VoIP calling (no video required) to FaceTime in iOS 7 on mobile devices, but this marks its first appearance on the desktop.
9to5Mac reports that the new audio calling feature is “integrated deeply” into both the Messages and the FaceTime OS X apps, which presumably means that you can initiate and possibly receive voice calls from each. This is a major development because it essentially completes the picture on Apple providing a full set of over-the-top text, voice and video communication tools across both its computing platforms, bypassing typical network and even device type limitations entirely.
Already since upgrading to iOS 7, and having most of my friends and family do the same, I’ve noticed a lot of inbound calls coming through via FaceTime Audio, and my outbound ones have mostly been the same. Having the option to use it on the Mac means I’ll now be able to field those calls at the desk, seamlessly, if I happen to be there, instead of having to fumble for the phone.
I’d call this a considerable threat to Skype, if Skype didn’t already work on an even greater range of devices. And the crowd that uses Skype isn’t necessarily the same group that would be using FaceTime Audio – ordinary users who’ve never set up a Skype account could easily call friends using FaceTime instead of their carrier’s voice service, given how deeply embedded it is into iOS in general. In that sense, FaceTime Audio could cut off some of Skype’s growth potential, as iOS and Mac users at least who live mostly within the ecosystem won’t be bothered to look around for alternatives.
As with any beta release, 10.9.2 is subject to change before its eventual launch, so don’t count on this absolutely, 100 percent definitely coming through in the final release. Still, it’s a logical move, and one that I’m personally hoping makes the cut.
