A powerful voice recognition tool has been demoed on Ubuntu by Linux developer James McClain.
Using your voice alone, the tool lets you:
- Launch and close applications
- Open websites
- Perform basic file management
- Handle dictation
- Send ‘Notes/Reminders’ to an e-mail address
- Answer questions
All of the above features, plus a few other tricks, can be seen in action in a video demonstration shared by McClain, embedded below:
How does this work?
A simple overview of how the tool works would look something like this:
- User presses a defined hot-key
- They speak
- Voice recognition takes place using Google
- Results are matched to an app dictionary
- Commands or modes run if matched in dictionary
Rather neat is that ‘fuzzy searching’ is enabled in the utility. This means that, potentially, you could launch an app, or open a website using different terms. For example ‘start firefox’, ‘open firefox’, ‘run firefox’ & ‘launch firefox’ would all result in the same action.
It’s especially smart because it means you can express yourself in a more natural way. For example, I would never say “run” Firefox (aloud or in my head). If I was asked what I do, I’d say I “open” Firefox.
Not forcing users to remember a fixed set of commands means the tool should feel more intuitive to use.
Plus, McClain says that it will be easy for developers to add their own commands and functions to the app dictionary, widening the usefulness of the tool.
Want to try it? Sadly you can’t. A beta will be released to a small number of developers shortly, McClain says. You’ll need to keep an ear to the ground for word on a wider public rollout.