Wednesday 4 August 2010

What can I ask Android?


Here's a follow up to yesterday's tip, in which we learned to hold down the search button to launch Google's voice search. But what, exactly, can you ask it? Here it is, from the horse's mouth:
  • Call (+ ): Dial this contact. If the contact has multiple phone numbers, and you don’t specify which number to dial (i.e. “call Dad work”), you will receive an on-screen prompt to select which number.
  • Dial : Dial your selected number: “Dial 3-1-0-5-5-5-1-2-1-2?.
  • Find : Open a map a Google Maps displaying pins with the location(s).
  • Specific business name: “Find Staples”, “Find McDonalds”,
  • Type of business: “Find gas station”, “Find grocery store”, “Find yogurt”,
  • Specific location name: “Find Disneyland”
  • Type of location: “Find dog parks”
  • Map of : See Find, above.
  • Directions to < location>: Open Google Maps providing driving, mass transit, biking or walking directions to your selected place from your current location. You can use the same types of locations as with Find, above.
  • Navigate to : Start Google Navigate with set as the end point. You can use the same types of locations as with Find, above. General requests like “Navigate to gas station” will produce an on-screen prompt to select which local gas station.
  • Open : Open the desired application: “Open calendar”, “Open Facebook”, “Open Battery Info”.
  • Post buzz : Generate a Google Buzz posting of your phrase. Posting will be geolocated with your current position.
And again, third-party apps can add functionality. There are what you get in stock Android.
Update: OK, so some of these might not work anymore. (Why? We have no idea.) Find one that does? Sing out!

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