Vlingo's Speech-Powered App for BlackBerry Now Includes Facebook, Twitter Updating

Capitalizing on robust social networking and mobile device markets, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company today unveiled an upgraded free application that allows BlackBerry (News - Alert) smartphone users to update their statuses on Facebook and Twitter with their voice alone.

 

Officials with Vlingo Corporation say their program – called “vlingo 2.0 for BlackBerry – includes support for 10 new applications and full-text message read-back.

 

According to the company’s chief executive officer, Dave Grannan, the product’s predecessor – vlingo 1.0 for BlackBerry – has exceeded consumer adoption benchmarks since its June release.

 

“Our users have spoken more than three million times to our application, including over 1 million times to compose text messages with the power of their voices,” Grannan said. “This is validation of our unique approach to voice recognition, which hinges on making mobile data and applications easier to find and use. It provides clear evidence of the growing need to simplify the mobile phone user experience.”

 

The new application – pictured on a BlackBerry smartphone on the right – allows users to power their devices’ most popular features by speaking. After pressing a key on their handset, users can not only search the Internet, send text messages and e-mails, but also launch an address book, alarm, BrickBreaker, calculator, calendar, camera, maps and media.

 

With the rapid spread of Facebook (News - Alert) – which, as TMCnet reported, is emerging as the world’s most popular social networking site – the vlingo application’s speech-powered status updates mark a step forward for the mobile space. 

A screen shot of a vlingo-powered Facebook status update is shown on the left. In addition, the new version of vlingo for BlackBerry features full keyboard support, including SureType, “tell-a-friend” about vlingo and the ability to read back text or e-mail messages that have been spoken.

 

Beginning today, vlingo 2.0 is available for BlackBerry Pearl, Curve and 8800 series smartphones.

 

U.S. and Canadian users can go here to download vlingo 2.0 for BlackBerry directly from a PC or smartphone. U.K. beta users can go here for a download of the vlingo product.