Lots of guests this week! We talk with both the Yahoo! oneSearch team, as well as Vlingo, the force behind its voice recognition search. We also take some time with Alltel to talk about their upcoming BlackBerry 8330, what plans are available, as well as what it’s like being a CDMA carrier in a GSM world. We also bring in the news, including fresh news on the BlackBerry 9000, a significant raise in BlackBerry’s brand value, the due date for Sprint’s Curve, and plenty more. You can download Episode 27 directly here, get it via feed here, or subscribe via iTunes.
Tag: voicePage 2 of 3
BlackBerry Cool Podcast: Episode 27
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If you find yourself using the Voice Notes app on your BlackBerry regularly, you should check out Pinger. By dialling into one of their many numbers worldwide, you can record voice messages and send them to individuals or groups. Unfortunately, only North American users are able to access Pinger’s web features, which include uploading your contacts by computer rather than through your mobile. Still, this is a pretty cool option for those looking to inject some personality into their messages, or just trying to avoid long-distance charges. If it sounds like something you’re interested in, they’ve got a free BlackBerry app to help you keep track of your Pinger messages and export contacts.
Nuance has announced that their voice-based search and instant messaging service, Voice Control, will be extending language support for French Rogers customers. Rogers has been pretty good about language support in Canada, so it’s good to see they’re keeping up. Look out for the updated software in April, available on the 8310, 8110, 8800 and Windows Mobile devices.
Remember Voice on the Go? It’s a call-in service that lets you compose e-mails, search appoints and contacts all through voice commands, and we’re giving away month-long subscriptions for a penny. Fine, that doesn’t really count as giving away, but it’s close enough. Just enter the coupon code VOTG at checkout to get the goods, but the catch is it’s only good for today. If you’ve decided you dig the service after that, you can keep it up for $5.99/month. For anyone who wants to get a head start on the work day on the drive in, this is a good chance to see what’s available. So what have you got a lose? A penny? C’mon, give it a go over here.
Stefano just let us know about Lekane, who have recently announced support for BlackBerry and Windows Mobile. With the system they have, you set up a contact centre with a Mobility Server and an enterprise expert team using the handheld Client Container app; the contact team forwards calls and information to the expert team no matter where they are, and the field agents can send information (sales results, updates, etc.) right on back to home base. It sounds like a pretty good way to mitigate calls to a scattered workforce.
Metrico has recently unveiled a new version of their testing system called Muse, which allows manufacturers to test handset voice quality in the field. These guys expanded their testing facilities not too long ago, and have partnered with RIM for previous testing. This new package should provide a solid option for future field testing no matter what new BlackBerrys they’re working with.
The Muse testing system supports the full spectrum of wireless technologies, including GSM, CDMA, UMTS, WiMAX and UMA, and can be used to analyze any type of telephony device. The robust, portable Muse system is affordable enough to allow wireless players to equip all of their wireless and/or audio engineers in the field with the tool.
Josep has noticed that a new edition of BlackBerry for Dummies has been released today, to the jubilation of new BB-users worldwide. I’ve got a few Dummies books kicking around, and they’re all written with clarity, humour and expertise. BlackBerry for Dummies covers the whole slew of basic and intermediate functions, such as e-mail, attachments, the Address Book, MemoPad, Calendar and Calculator, as well as PIN-to-PIN messaging, web surfing and call functions. If you’re interested, you can pick up a copy cheap on Amazon.
Pantech has announced that they’ll be releasing the A1407PT in Japan come November, which conducts sound, both incoming and outgoing, through your skull. Crazy, huh? Conducting conversations this way supposedly cuts down on ambient distortion, and also provides clearer listening for folks with hearing disabilities. The bonephone is a niche-y technology, but innovative nonetheless. If a mobile just partially used the technology to clean up call quality, it would certainly see more widespread use.
Pearl Medical is teaming up with Ring2 to offer its members call conferencing control via BlackBerry. Not only does Ring2’s interface let you see who’s logged into a call, but you can record the call as an MP3, and assign billing information. Pearl Medical offers a slew of BlackBerry services to medical professionals, with subscription fees that can be subsidized down to £10 per month by answering some online questionnaires. Any job in medicine is a data-intensive affair, so it’s good to see BlackBerry delivering it in whichever way it can.
You might remember that we reported on Lypp’s free Canadian long-distance deal using BlackBerrys last month. Well, we just got word that they’re going live October 15th. They’ll be offering an introductory $9.99 monthly rate for 250 minutes of calling anywhere in the US and Canada. If you’ve got unlimited incoming calling, this should work out to about $50 in savings, or more if you find you’re a big talker. You need to have IM on your phone, so this is really ideal for BlackBerrys and other smartphones. Lypp also let us in on a feature which will let you issue call commands through instant messaging if you upload your contacts by desktop to Lypp’s website. This would give you handy access to your contacts regardless of what particular device you’re using.
