Iris

With the internet back online - it is not time for a new app of the day! Today, that app is Iris

It has been a while since the iPhone 4S was released, and with it Siri - the voice controlled personal assistant that was meant to revolutionise the way we use our mobile phones. While I am certain that this "revolution" did not transpire, it did at least get a lot of developers thinking out of the box in the way we interact with our mobiles. 

To cash in on the trend of talking into a handset, a number of Android developers tried to replicate Siri. I have already recommended notable competitors such as Speaktoit Assistant and Vlingo. After about 6 months, I thought it might be time to revisit this area with another voice controlled app (and one of the first to pop up after Siri) - called Iris - "siri' spelled backwards. 

All in all, iris is a great app that includes many of the same features of Siri, but injects a bit of personality in the process. The app is still in alpha and is far from perfect, but with constant updates from the developers it is still one of the best voice recognition apps out there. Give it a try and see what you think!

 

In the words of the developers:

iris. makes your phone talk on topics ranging from Mozart to stock prices.

Something that started out as a tongue-in-cheek reply to iPhone's Siri, iris. has grown much bigger than being just a Siri clone.

Just ask iris. what you want to know. Right from asking how to cope up with your breakup to movie recommendations and questions on science, culture, history etc.

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Thanks a ton for getting us 1 million downloads in just two months. We love you.
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Note: You need to have "Voice Search" and "TTS library" installed in your phone for iris. to work. Most of the phones have these pre-installed, if not please install them from Android market before you try iris.

Features
- calender (Remind me of the meeting coming friday)
- Alarm (Set alarm at 540 am)
- Call someone (can you please call Bob)
- text someone (send a text to Bob)
- search nearby (find me a nearby coffee shop)
- play music (play the song rolling in the deep)
- ask movie reviews (should I watch the movie Mission Impossible)
- watch videos (show me a video of cat singing)
- find news (what is the news about SOPA)
and lots and lots more. Discover for yourself.

NOTE: New Permissions for voice dialing, texting, searching and contacts look up

Iris

Price: Free