Breon NagycloseAuthor Information: Name: Breon Nagy About: Active in the Minneapolis mobile scene, Breon is a regular presenter at the Mobile Twin Cities group and recently presented at Mobile March Twin Cities. Other hobbies include, rally racing, gaming, playing acoustic guitar, and eating good food. You can follow Breon on twitter http://twitter.com/breon, or read his personal blog here http://breon.comSee Authors Posts (105)

More and more states are passing (and enforcing) laws about using your phone while driving.  In some states, you simply can’t make or take a call, without the use of some sort of hands-free device.  Here in Minnesota, “no person may operate a motor vehicle while using a wireless communications device to compose, read, or send an electronic message, when the vehicle is in motion or a part of traffic”.  That means no texting, even at a red light.  Plus, Oprah told us not to do it.  You DO NOT defy Oprah.

Say “Hello” to Vlingo…literally.  Vlingo allows you to send texts, write emails, make calls, search Google Maps, or update your Twitter status utilizing AT&T Labs’ Watson Speech Recognition Technology.  You’re probably saying “Doesn’t Android already do this?”.  While Android has some voice-to-text integration, Vlingo takes it one step further.  In addition, Vlingo comes with SafeReader, which allows you to listen to your incoming texts and emails so you can keep your eyes on the road.  You can access all of this from the Home screen widget.

Vlingo is compatible with Android 2.x and is available in the Market for $9.99 (limited-time offer)

Keep an eye on DroidDog.com for a full app review!

Press Release:

Vlingo for Android^TM Now Available on Android Market

Vlingo Uses AT&T Labs’ Watson Speech Recognition Technology to Provide Better, Faster, More Accurate Results for Users

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (May 25, 2010) – – Vlingo Corporation today announces Vlingo for Android^TM. Vlingo allows users to ask their device to do almost anything from searching the web, to finding locations on Google maps, to updating Twitter status, or even simply sending text and email messages, — just by using their voice. Vlingo for Android^TM also comes equipped with SafeReader, a “hands-free” feature that provides drivers with a safer, easier way to hear incoming text and email messages while on the go.

“The strategic alliance between AT&T and Vlingo and the deep research & development efforts have allowed us to launch breakthrough products and features that were simply not possible in the past,” said Mike Phillips, Co-founder & CTO of Vlingo.  “The joint solution has already shown accuracy improvements by as much as 20% and has allowed us to significantly expand the functionality and usability of Vlingo.”

“Representing decades of innovation, AT&T’s Watson speech recognition technology provides Vlingo the core tools that open the door to new and exciting applications for users worldwide,” said Charles Kalmanek, Vice President of Networking & Services Research at AT&T Labs.  “Our collaboration with Vlingo is helping to lead the industry in simplifying the way that people interact with their mobile devices.  A new generation of applications will give mobile users the ability to access information and services anywhere, anytime by speaking naturally.”

Vlingo gives Android^TM device users the ability to power features and access information by voice. They can simply press the “Vlingo widget” on their home screen to:

• send text and email messages
• search the web using Google or Yahoo!
• dial contacts
• update Twitter status
• open built-in and  3rd party applications
• find locations and businesses using Google Maps
• speak into any application with the Vlingo Everywhere voice keyboard
• SafeReader – hear incoming text & email messages while you drive

Vlingo for Android^TM users can access information and all of the features listed above by simply speaking into their phone.  Vlingo’s SafeReader^TM expands on those features by using the reverse functionality – text to speech, a great feature for those on the go. In an effort to help deter distracted driving, users can simply press a button, speak to the device ‘Start SafeReader’, and all incoming messages will be delivered audibly.

Availability, Compatibility and Price

Vlingo is available for Android 2.x and above. U.S. users can download Vlingo on device from the Android Market. Vlingo for Android^TM is available for direct license to device OEMs and will be shipping later this year preloaded on a number of Android handsets.

For a limited time only, Vlingo for Android^TM is available for a one-time fee of $9.99.
Follow Vlingo on Facebook at http://facebook/vlingopage, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/vlingo and on the Vlingo blog at http://blog.vlingo.com for regular news and updates.

About Vlingo

Tell your phone what to do!  With Vlingo, users can instantly send a text or email message, call a friend, search the web, update their Facebook or Twitter status, use instant messaging, add contacts and calendar entries and more by just speaking into their phone. As the inventor of the mobile phone “voice user interface,” Vlingo is the only technology that allows people to use virtually any application on the phone simply by pressing a button and speaking to the phone. Founded in 2006, Vlingo is backed by Charles River Ventures, Sigma Partners, Yahoo! and AT&T and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, go to www.vlingo.com.

Erin Keleher
Senior Marketing Communications Manager
Vlingo
M: 617-283-2285
Twitter: @Vlingo

Click here to see how Vlingo can change the way you use your mobile phone!

Source: Vlingo