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Cor blimey, guvnor! Android now understands British accents.
The Voice Actions for Android feature lets any Tom, Dick and Harry control their blower by rabbiting at it. But, while the Sherman tanks across the pond have been happily using Voice Actions for yonks, it’s been more problematic for Brits with thick regional accents.
The big G has addressed this by making Android recognise British English, both in terms of pronunciation and linguistic differences, as compared to Yank.
Options for voice control include sending a text to a China, having a butcher’s at a website, and genning up on directions in Google Maps. The updated Voice Actions feature should also prove handy the next time you’re Googling pants, suspenders or aluminium.
How well Voice Actions will cope with regional accents, such as Scouse, Geordie or Glaswegian, remains to be seen. We suspect that Cockney rhyming slang will go down like a lead balloon. Would you Adam and Eve it!
Voice Actions is available on phones and tablets running Android 2.2 and higher.
To use Voice Actions, hit the microphone button on the Google search box on your home screen, fire up the Voice Search app, or hold down the physical search button on your phone.
Do you control your dog and bone with your cake hole? How does it work for you, and does Android struggle with your accent? Stick your Jackanory in the comments section below or on our Facebook page. Toodle-oo, pip-pip, and the very best of British!
