You're watching...
WSJ Personal Technology Columnist Walt Mossberg says people should try Android’s Dictation if they are not fast on virtual keyboards.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
All that -- more in the next thirty minutes.
Instead of typing your next tax message are you now why not.
Give it -- a break or your index fingers depending on how you type and dictate.
Your text or email to your Smart that they -- that many Smart -- users probably don't even know that they have.
And even those that haven't I was afraid is that they don't.
Right but from DC all things digital Walt Mossberg the personal technology columnist the Wall Street Journal joins us and of course.
He's been trying it and you found what all.
Well Connell one -- in nine fact I just dictated an email today again.
-- a few minutes ago this breaking news we'll get back up are -- But he here's the deal so this -- been on android for a couple of years here's -- here's a android phone I used to test.
And it just got to the -- iPhone.
Last fall -- to the new iPad.
Last month.
And what it is is.
You know we're not tell you -- scenery.
And all of -- you know elaborate things you can do with that the whether the stocks -- that.
It's just a little microphone.
He.
On your keyboard.
When you have Syria enabled on an iPhone or or when you have via sitting set on and android phone.
They have this little microphone.
He hit that instead of typing and you start talking.
It sends your voice up to a server transcribe sit with all the smarts that the server has and then sent it down very quickly to the phone.
And I and my experience.
It got it right.
Not many times and in many other cases where there were a couple of errors they were actually.
There were actually fewer errors then trying to type fast.
The shall we have taken Siebel use and I put it up she forwarded to me and I'm put it up on my I've had this is high tech stuff and here it is on the street night it led also unlock it -- it.
It's part effect perfect and dictating this email from the Washington studio know hands and we cut it off just so we would cut my name -- you know much yet to read is if you would dictate because it has the punctuation and that price Walt.
Is yet what you can say you can say come up period question mark stuff like that and again it's not a 100% perfect but about 90% of the time.
It understands those words to be punctuation marks not -- -- -- you wanna eat if you wanna use the word period like.
I have English class third period or something.
It's sometimes -- up but it's but it tries with context and everything to figure out -- he he meant the word not the punctuation mark.
Kind of reminds me a little bit of Montreal we got started to get iphones or just you know phones -- and have actual keyboards and at first we didn't trust them and then you said.
I just let it go -- auto correct you.
But in this case what happens when you when you mess up a little bit you have to edited and is that a difficult -- -- -- -- yet -- -- you have to do that by tight buy -- -- you can't -- by voice.
And but both of them out there there -- a little bit different systems but both of them.
Allow you to you know but -- -- flagged what words look like they're wrong.
And you view on alternative so it's fairly you the correction process is fairly quick.
Looked at that thing is people should try it especially if they're not all that fast or comfortable.
With these virtual keyboards.
And if they find -- correcting.
A lot more or just as much -- it's not worth it.
But it if there experiences like mine and they find that they're actually correct in the last.
And of course the whole process is faster because talking has faster than type thing then it could be a really viable alternative.
Wall about because the way these systems work -- actually have to connect to use our cars they're not.
Just based on the phone and of themselves -- -- the privacy issue if there is one.
-- there is a privacy issue.
And he apple and Google have different.
Policies but but I would summarize them as saying they both.
We obtain and study what you've put up there for the purpose of trying to improve their algorithms.
-- transcription.
They both also claim to respect your privacy and and not I guess do bad things with the information.
You would have to read the policies carefully and I'd just decide how much you trust Google or how much -- apple if any of this make sure uncomfortable then you shouldn't do this because as you.
Have correctly pointed out this is all done on -- servers not on your phone.
Well while I replied by typing to you work email -- -- all what I said was you are the best -- itself.
Oh thank you -- earnest thanks Walt -- well.
