When
Google Navigation hit the scene, it
sounded the death knell for paid GPS on Android, so you can imagine the doom and gloom at Vlingo HQ last week when Google released the similar
Voice Actions for free. As it turns out, however, Vlingo's not going to give up that easily; Vlingo for Android, once a $10 download, is now free as well. In a surprisingly gracious blog post that genuinely congratulates Google on the accomplishment, CEO Dave Grannan explains that he wants Android users to be able to freely compare the services as Vlingo adds features further down the road, and makes one valid point in his firm's favor -- you can try Vlingo now if you've got Android 2.0 or above, but Google's service only runs on
Froyo. Interestingly enough, Vlingo on Android was the only version that actually charged; on Nokia, Blackberry and Windows Mobile, however, you could purchase a "Plus" license. Perhaps the company's not
quite as generous as we thought, but there's still no arguing with a free voice command service that also reads your email aloud -- go ahead and give it a try.
posted August 15th 2010 3:08PM
@kent99 wow. Such close minded thinking, I presume from your comment that you don't use Android and think that people who do use it "think the world owes them something for nothing."
Yeah makes sense because there are no hard working people who take care and raise a family using Android, what must I be thinking.
Troll,
@kent99
Even though I love the Android platform, I have to kind of agree with you here.
@AlienSix You know, you can call people whatever you want. You can use ad hominem's and be the fanboy but at the end of the day, men/women who work in software development need to feed their families. If a large corporation undercuts them, runs around patents by use of Davlik, and destroys the ability to earn a living for those who create, they will destroy the platform.
If you think that 12 people or so that work for Google and develop for Android with the resources of a multi-billion dollar corporation deserve more protection than those working in the trenches to develop for Android, then more power to you. You are a true fanboy. Enjoy your freeware.
@kent99
are you a developer?
@kent99 Ive said nothing that says whether I love Android or any other platform but you would rather makes assumptions at the risk of sounding stupid.
Your other assumption is that Android wont be profitable to anyone and it will continue to just bleed money.
"If you think that 12 people or so that work for Google and develop for Android with the resources of a multi-billion dollar corporation"
Really? With that statement how can anything else you say be taken seriously?
@eddib Apparently not
@kent99
It seems to me that something like this falls under a 'core component' of a mobile OS, more than an application. I'm of the opinion that voice commands should be a core component of a good mobile OS.
Of course, MS made that same argument with Internet Explorer/Windows in the 90's, when Netscape (among others) cried foul, so who knows?
@kent99 Would instead rather have a system where a company makes the same software as you and instead of letting you compete with it, it simply doesn't allow it's users the chance to try your software at all??
Your thinking is completely asinine. The products Google puts out are fairly limited and compete with a tiny fraction of the developers out there. Even then you can use advertising to monetize or you can make a better product and sell it.
There are plenty of ways to make money in this ecosystem, the fact that there are free versions of competing software doesn't change that.
@kent99 And then you have some developers, like me, who develop simply to improve the functionality of people's phones (and because it's fun and productive). Costly and closed-source software is better for corporations, but our economy is set up to make things better for the consumers, not the corporations. If you can't keep up, then get out of the way.
@gophergun What are some Android Apps you have developed. I'd love to check them out.
@kent99 I see where you're coming from. But you can't just let the platform ne featureless. That's a little ridiculous. Simple way for developers, like Vlingo to make cash is cut the price a bit and add to the features to one up Google own software. For example, Google navigation is great and free. But if Garmin were to make a application similar to their Garmin phone many would buy it for better accuracy and reliability. Put more work into your apps and people will buy it at the right price.
@EggoEspada "Put more work into your apps and people will buy it at the right price." and hopefully not pirate it.
@Awall1987 Good question.
@kent99
Bunch of whiners here. I'm pretty sure the Nexus One had awesome voice controls before before Vlingo showed up in the Android Market. Vlingo should have put it in the Market first, huh? Then they'd be a takeover target instead of an also ran. Although the features they have work fine, the built-in Android ones are more extensive. Vlingo's gonna get steamrolled. I mean, what next? You gonna release a maps app or a translate app? Good luck with that.
@kent99
If a developer wants to use their FREE TIME to make a program and be gracious enough NOT to charge for it, how is that bad?
Freeware doesn't 'kill' anything. Ever heard of Firefox? What about OpenOffice.org? Spybot: Search and Destroy? I could rattle off countless freeware programs. Windows alone proves that freeware is simply made by developers that don't want to charge for their program. They each have their own reasons, but I'm guessing the main one is because they don't want to charge their customers to death. Most people know NOBODY has much money nowadays.
@kent99 Two words... "Ad supported"
do a google search and see how much money that guy made with an iOS4 flashlight app that was free..
@kent99
Right because Larry is so hurting for money and deserves to stick his hand in Google's cookie jar just when Google filled it up with cookies.
Moron.
@kent99 :
Free / open source software works because the developers have alternate sources of income. In many cases, OSS developers have alternate jobs involving commercial software. In this case for example, developers can always make money from stupid iPhone fanboi's with fat purses and itchy fingers and then give away the same software to Android users for free.
@kent99
>>>> but at the end of the day, men/women who work in software development need to feed their families. If a large corporation undercuts them, runs around patents by use of Davlik, and destroys the ability to earn a living for those who create, they will destroy the platform.
I hope for you own sake that you neither a developer or a business man. Obviously you don't understand either of those professions. Currently developers have more risk developing for iOS than for Android. Lets suppose a software development company invests a lot of money on a great iOS app. The development goes smooth and the company submits it to Apple for approval. Apple rejects the app for because they are going to make similar sometime in the future or because its going to violate a new rule they are going to impose. Worse still they allow the app and the company decides to spend more money to develop version 2 and then Apple decides to reject it and pulls off the first version of the app as well. This has actually happened to a developer who convinced his company to make a major investment in a photo frame app for iOS only for Apple to reject his app after two major revisions have been released. Just imagine the kind of risk there is.
In the Android eco system, the developer can release a free Ad supported version and a second Paid version with more features/no ads. He makes money from either version. If Google does not allow the app on Android market for some reason, the developer can always use an alternative app repository or even put the app up on his own web site.
Both work really well, and I'm not sure which I'll use full-time.
On a related note, I like the Incredible they show running stock Android not Sense lol. And it's on EDGE, not even 3G or EvDo :P
@geniusdog254 our comments are eerily similar.
@Mezmryz03 Yes, but mine was posted 2 hours before yours :P
I tried Vlingo the last few days and love it. But the only issue I have and the looks of things from Google voice action is why is there no option to say Ok or done. So the whole process is entirely hands free.
I wish it would work offline =[ cell reception can be flaky so I get lots of network connectivity errors..
The one area that Vlingo gets smoked by Google is the "Call" command.
You can say: "Call the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia PA, and it will initiate the call. No searching, no nothing. It just connects you. It really is a game changer
Guess they need a new competitive edge. We are going to see the big guys bump the little guys off quite frequently.
Game center on iPhone would be another example.
There seems to be the feeling here that just because you pay for something it's automatically better than if it was free.
Rubbish.
Google is doing something fine imo. They add a lot of stuff to their OS, making it pretty much a complete solution out of the box. You want to make money ? Then think of something new, add features, innovate. Make a better app and people will pay. This is competition and progress.
@balena Exactly what I'm saying. Defiant your apps, make people want to buy it. There's always completion in these kind of things.
Does anybody notice a major flow on the Android phone?
When did Verizon Wireless deploy EDGE?????
@mingkee You idiot, thats just a screencap they put on the phone.
The HTC Incredible runs HTC Sense. That image is the normal stock android.
I think that the reason Vlingo made this app free, is to fully ride this publicity tsunami and in order to get notice for a technology they've been working on for the past 2 years.
I think - in a way, Google was inspired by Vlingo to create this functionality. That's why Vlingo's kind of happy - Google has confirmed that what Vlingo made - is legit.
WTF!? I paid 9.99 for that thing... how do i get a refund?
Not free for long.
The Oracle extortion fee will be added soon.
QR Code or market link??
I've tried so many voice recognition and they all sucked. The only good one was google which did a pretty good job. The bad thing was I need it to read emails and other stuff as well. Not that I'm lazy of reading, but I just had some eye problems lately which makes it very hard for me to read computer screens and phone screen. I never thought I would ever need the "accessibility" options until I had eye surgery for retinal detachment. Thank god I got a decent size phone...I can't see a damn thing on the blackberry.
Google: destroying and upending traditional business models, wherever they go.
It's a *good* thing.