Your pocket-sized personal aid

The prophecy that computers will gobble up job positions has begun to unravel if development of voice recognition apps (VRA) is anything to go by.

Now, courtesy of these VRAs, it is possible to have a virtual personal assistant (PA) who will do nearly everything that a human being would.

The activities range from planning one’s time to sifting through important news for the day, providing advice on weather conditions to advising on better traffic options, from giving directions to locating offices and businesses.

Further, with just a smartphone, one can be able to locate a restaurant close by or find the best place to buy certain products. Different companies are already racing towards developing this technology to serve their clients optimally.

For instance, Google App, developed by ICT giant Google, allows smartphone users to get timely information on weather, sets reminders and keeps users up-to-date on the latest trends and also tailors information based on users’ interests.

“This is an intelligent personal assistant that relies on information fed to your Google Account and all other Google products such as Search, Google Maps and Google Navigation to deliver to users (based on their search habits) the information they may want,” says Charles Murito, Google Kenya Country Manager.

Google App reminds users of scheduled meetings and all one needs to do is to set reminders for any meetings and events on their calendar.

The app is also able to automatically suggest to you the shortest route to your destination.

“The App keeps tabs on the time when you usually leave home for the office and after a while automatically starts reminding you, based on traffic conditions, when the right time to leave for the office is,” Murito added.

One can also ask their phone, audibly, ‘What time is my next meeting?’ and Google App will provide precise information.

VRA, opines Murito, make it safer for one to use a phone even while driving since the driver only has to speak, compared to the cumbersome process of dialling which divides attention and can be critical in terms of safety.

So far, US firm Apple has been riding high on Siri, available exclusively on apple products only. Siri too can provide a smartphone user with sports and entertainment information, phone calls and messages, getting organised, tips and tricks and of course, giving you answers.

Siri can read out emails and messages for you and reply to them as well.

Most recently, Microsoft developed Cortana, which they describe as an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator. Cortana is designed for use on phones running on windows operating system.