Siri And Cluzee Will Now Take Your Questions

Smart phones that talk. Apple’s Siri and Android's Cluzee, in the studio to take your questions.

Machine voice recognition is nothing new. Make an airline reservation, call the pharmacy – you’ll likely be talking with a machine. But the new wave of voice recognition and response hitting smart phones right now is something else again.

"Siri," on the new iPhone. "Iris" and "Cluzee" on Android. They talk. They listen. They joke. They seem to think. They tap the universe of online info to find what you need and voice it. And it’s all in your pocket, your hand. Like a new old friend.

This hour, On Point: the brave new world of smart phones that talk and listen and learn.
-Tom Ashbrook

Hiawatha Bray, tech reporter for the Boston Globe.

James Katz, chair, Department of Communication, Rutgers University.

Sherry Turkle, Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer "A long time ago, I made a compact with Apple. "You can control my entire technological life, from my computer to my phone to my stereo. I'll pay premium prices. I'll dive into your product ecosystem, and buy books and music and movies and apps from you. Even though they won't work on devices made by anybody else.""

Apple.com "Siri is the intelligent personal assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. It allows you to use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. But Siri isn’t like traditional voice recognition software that requires you to remember keywords and speak specific commands. Siri understands your natural speech, and it asks you questions if it needs more information to complete a task."

CNET "Android users looking to replicate the Siri experience have another option now, with the introduction of an app called Cluzee."