Android apps
Dolphin Sonar lets you search the Internet with your voice, to become Android’s Siri
February 29, 2012 | by Adrian Diaconescu
Android apps, Android News, Tools
Ever since the iPhone 4S’ launch, all of Apple’s fanatics have driven us Android geeks crazy with their oh-so-cool, original and innovative Siri voice assistant. And even though I for one can’t understand what this fuss is all about, there was talk for a while now about a similar piece of software made for Android devices.
If you have held your breath waiting for such an Android voice assistant, I have two pieces of news for you today. The good news is that a somewhat similar feature has been released earlier today as part of an update for the Dolphin browser.
The bad news, however, is that the Dolphin Sonar (I know, a much cooler name than ‘’Siri’’) won’t be able (for the time being at least) to do all the things that Apple users are currently able to do with the help of their ‘’intelligent personal assistant’’.
Dolphin Sonar should be pretty easy to use, as you only need to shake your phone or tap on the microphone in the lower right corner during your Dolphin browsing. After that, you can search popular websites such as Facebook, Google or eBay for everything that comes to mind, as well as open a new browsing tab and go to the bottom or top of a web page.
That’s pretty much all Sonar will be able to do for now, but its developers have promised to come with several updates in the near future adding useful functions and capabilities. For example, it shouldn’t be long until being able to share a link or a status update on Facebook by simply ‘’commanding’’ your Android device to do so.
Sure, Sonar is and will probably always be just a third-party app incapable of fully reaching Siri’s level of functionality, but I’m confident that this is just a first step and we will soon see other more complex such Android programs.
As much as I would like to end the article in a more professional and serious note, I can’t help but send a message to all you Apple fanatics out there. Give it up, guys, and step towards the light of the future brought by Android! (I’m only half joking, just so you know).
Via VatorNews
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I’m a big fan of the Dolphin browser, and was pretty excited by the description of the Sonar feature. After trying it out a bit, I found it a little underwhelming. First of all, it’s quite slow. It takes a long time for it to process your voice requests, even over WiFi. Also, I don’t really see how this is much better than Android’s own built-in voice command system, which responds to commands much faster.
Anyway, I’m sure Sonar will evolve with more development, as Dolphin Browser seems like a very active project. I’m hoping it improves to the point where it is a convenient and competitive alternative to Android’s own voice command system.
This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like ‘Mixview’ that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you’re listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of “neighbors” will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune “Social” is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose.
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