The tech that powers this is astounding. But am I the only one that really doubts this voice-powered future everyone seems to be aiming for? From Siri to the Xbox One and Google Glass, there seems to be an overall assumption that voice is the interface everyone will be using- but didn't we assume the same when dictation software first came out years ago? That we'd all be dictating our documents rather than typing them?
The only place voice control feels natural to me is when I'm in a room by myself. So that rules out the office, public transportation, and my home, except at rare moments. I'm actually quite happy about that- the last thing I want is to be at work surrounded by people talking to their computers.
Voice search is a natural extension (and time will tell if its an ideal one), but I think the thing that is most interesting with all of this is the steps these companies are making in natural language processing.
I think that the next step after the subvocalization detection will be brain-computer interfaces. Actually they might skip directly to that because it might be easier in some way if they are actually in your brain. Or maybe subvocalization detection using a BCI.
As I understand it, "subvocalization" usually refers to the voice in your head that you experience when you read, so the parent post may have been actually making this claim, albeit inadvertently.
In lot of ways I agree with you. When I got my first android phone I was so excited to use voice search and I was planning on never typing on my phone again. And a few years later I rarely ever use voice search. Even in the privacy of my own home, I never use it. Voice search works well and its fast but I feel much more comfortable typing it, I guess.
I used to feel the exact same way about using any sort of voice coms. If anyone else was in the room with me it felt incredibly awkward. The pinnacle was when I decided to play a video game with my then girlfriend in the room and use Ventrilo. She tried to respond to everything I said, and I went as silent as possible.
Fast forward sometime and using voice com software on my computer feels as natural and second nature as using a phone to me. Skype, Vent/Mumble, Web Demos, etc all feel normal.
I imagine that those that stick with using it will find it pushes their comfort zone less. I would also make the prediction that as voice becomes more readily available that the rising generation will just get used to using it and won't really give it a second thought.
Mind reading would be even better. Until then, writing words with a keyword is in many cases still the best way to provide input, without feeling awkward or without bothering others.
And speech isn't weird in the same way that touch-screens felt weird for some of us at first. Because touching the screen of your gadget does not annoy other people.
Also, did anybody notice how awful speech recognition is for non-Americans? And they just got in the habit of internationalizing things properly, now we're going back to square one, except for the fact that learning to pronounce things with an American accent is much harder than writing words in English, so devices will annoy the heck out of us non-Americans, even if we know English.
I think this implementation is just a necessary first step. Imagine combining this with technology that can detect subvocalizations -- that is the future.
The only place voice control feels natural to me is when I'm in a room by myself. So that rules out the office, public transportation, and my home, except at rare moments. I'm actually quite happy about that- the last thing I want is to be at work surrounded by people talking to their computers.