Indisys, a Spanish company founded in 2005 which makes natural language virtual assistants and telephone operators to power 24/7 customer services, has raised a new funding round of $5 million, led by Intel Capital. Inveready Technology Investment Group also participated in the round. The investment is Intel Capital’s first in Spain — making it the 54th country the fund has invested in. → Read More
Dexetra, the company behind the Siri-like Android app Iris and the activity-tracking app Friday, is merging the two apps to work together more seamlessly on Android devices. Giving Siri a run for its money, Iris users can now search the data archive generated by the Friday app, following the recent updates to these mobile applications rolled out over the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. → Read More
WonderVoice, a Tel Aviv-based startup I first ran into at TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Alley, is today launching its brand-new iOS application which allows you to listen to content from Facebook while on the go. Yes, it’s another audio-based virtual assistant of sorts, joining an ecosystem that’s been booming since the debut of Apple’s Siri. And like most of these voice-activated alternatives… → Read More
Robin, a virtual assistant application for Android that’s a bit like KITT in app format, is out with its first major update since its public beta launch in June. Not meant as a Siri clone, Robin is focused primarily on assisting users while driving – that is, it helps keep their eyes on the road by offering support via its voice and gesture interface. Robin currently offers navigation, real-time… → Read More
Chinese companies don’t view Siri in a favorable light, hence the creation of the Speech Industry Alliance of China (SIAC). They are willing to offer an alternative that is supposed to work better with Mandarin and Cantonese. In fact, iOS 6 will include a new version of Siri that understands and speaks Mandarin and Cantonese. It is a threat for Chinese mobile phone manufacturers, carriers and… → Read More
Nuance, the company that powers a large number of tools that use voice recognition (including Apple’s Siri) launched its own Siri-like voice-powered “virtual assistant” today that developers can add to their mobile apps. The Nuance Interactive Natural Assistant (Nina) uses the company’s speech recognition technologies and combines them with voice biometrics and an understanding of natural… → Read More
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