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Google iPhone App Can't Understand British Accents

Posted November 19, 2008 9:32 AM

From The Raw Feed:

Google Mobile App 0.3.142 arrived in Apple's iPhone App store this week. Trouble is, the application's lauded voice recognition feature CAN'T UNDERSTAND BRITISH ACCENTS. The UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that when most Brits say "iPhone," the app understands "Einstein" or "kitchen sink."

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Gwen.Stouthuysen
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#1

Re: Google iPhone App Can't Understand British Accents

11/20/2008 4:25 AM

He's not the only one,

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Sparkstation
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#2

Re: Google iPhone App Can't Understand British Accents

12/01/2008 5:31 AM

It really depends on the regional accent.

Some are extremely difficult to decipher as the person speaks, until the hearer's mind finds the correct translating part of their brain, and engages it.

I would have thought that extensive use of TV would have reduced the "regional accent" problem, but no.

Mind you, Southern States speakers in the US are sometimes mistranslated by their northern state cousins, and vice versa.

I find it difficult when I call a help-desk, and get transferred to a person in Singapore, Mumbai, Philippines etc, and English is not their first language - often asking for a help-desk person that I may understand has caused difficulty, because they can understand my English, but not I theirs.

Kind Regards....

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