Vlingo [iTunes Link] has all of the great features you would expect, but remains simple and easy to operate.  On top of that, the App allows you to choose which task you want to execute by voice (or by keystroke).

This is also the first app I’ve seen that lets you update Twitter and Facebook statuses by voice as well.

The core of Vlingo is the home screen. From here, you can actually use any of its main features directly.  For simplicity though, let’s break them down. At the bottom the app displays:

• Maps
• Search
• Phone
• Social

Each function has been cued to specific keywords that are easy to remember. If you want to run a web search, simply prepend your query with “search,” “Google,” or “Yahoo.” If you just go with “search,” it defaults to Yahoo, but you can change the default easily from either the search screen or the options.

Likewise, the mapping function only requires a “find” in the front and then a regular Google Maps search query. “Call” brings up the phonebook function and very reliably brings up hard to pronounce names. You can specify “mobile” or “home” if you wish. The first time you use the phonebook, you’ll need to submit your contacts to the Vlingo servers, but this only takes a minute.

The last function is the most innovative. There are two status update options. You can update your Twitter status or your Facebook status. What’s nice is that you can say “status update” if you want to choose the service manually, or you can say one or the other. For instance you can say “Twitter update: This movie is really boring” and it will figure the rest out.

The first time you use it, Vlingo prompts you for your log-in information. As an added advantage, you can view your Twitter feed directly inside the app without switching to Safari. It works the same way with Facebook, using the API. It too provides the mobile version of Facebook inside the app, so there is no need to open a browser window. Keep in mind that the Facebook API is a bit finicky (at least it was when I tried to connect), so a WiFi connection is optimal. Otherwise, it might just time-out on you.

I’m hoping that Vlingo will extend their interest in status update networks and add in more services. Personally, I’d like to see Plurk, FriendFeed, BrightKite, and Tumblr added to their list.

So, the biggest question with any voice recognition app is “how accurate is the recognition software?” Well I tested it a bit and it is one of the best I’ve ever tried on the iPhone. Most recognition programs have a minimum level of quality nowadays, but often get tripped up on funny names and words. While there are limits, I found that even the trickiest names in my contact list were no problem for Vlingo.

The web search was the only sticky point. The longer the query the worse my results seemed to be.  This might be because longer phrases are probably less well pronounced and harder to decode. Also there is more room for error. Fortunately, Vlingo has a built in function to list alternate possible phrases under the search box. For some reason, the status update function had fairly good recognition, but that is probably because the choice of words in a tweet is easier to parse (lots of short verbs and location nouns).

In comparison to Google’s new search app, the two fared about the same. I tried searching for my blog, “Mason Tech Beat,” and neither app did very well, no matter how well I pronounced it. Google probably still wins this one because they have the hands-free option (but Apple is letting them have special privileges so it’s a little unfair).

Overall, I was very impressed by the new direction Vlingo is taking their voice-driven iPhone app. The status updates, the high recognition quality, and the overall ease of use has really warmed me to this app. I’m definitely keeping this one around for when I get a little tired of typing everything out!

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Here’s an App that attempts to rectify the iPhone’s lack of voice dialing capability. It’s called Cactus Voice Dialer (iTunes Link) and it’s free in the App Store. To put it simply, Cactus listens to your commands, interprets them intuitively, and tries to find the right number in your contact list. The neat thing about it is that there’s almost no set-up whatsoever.

Many built-in voice calling systems require you to record a keyword for each contact or “train” the speech algorithm. Cactus uses a speech recognition system that doesn’t require any training at all. That system is PocketSphinx, a mobile version of the Sphinx recognition system developed at Carnegie Mellon University.

When you first bring up the App, it has a quick cheat sheet for command entries, a settings button, and a “Speak” key (visible on the right). Holding down that last key while giving your command should bring up the desired contact. For instance, If you say “Call John Doe” and John Doe is a contact on your phone, their name should appear immediately after that. If they have more than one phone number, Cactus will automatically click through and show you all of them. You can specify “Call John Doe’s Mobile” as well if you solely want to bring up your contact’s mobile number.

There are a number of options to choose from in the settings that relate directly to how much you trust the App to get the right person. The first setting allows Cactus to begin the call as soon as it determines the contact you want. I would recommend holding off on this option until you are more comfortable with the App. Next is the option to allow multiple results after a query. This is handy if you simply want to use Cactus to quickly find contacts. Last, there is an option to only bring up the primary number for each result (which could save some click-throughs).

Of course the key to any voice recognition system is accuracy. How well does it work? Well, after testing it with a number of different types of names, it seems to respond with a fair amount of accuracy. The settings let you meter your level of trust, so you can use it as voice calling or simply a voice-based contact book (which is mostly how I use it).

Cactus is a little on the “heavy” side for a free App. If you download a lot of Apps, you’ll notice that very few are above 1MB in size. Cactus Voice Dialer is 4.9MB. Presumably the voice recognition software is what takes up most of the space.

Tip: One little trick I’ve found helpful is to alter my voice commands slightly. The App suggests saying “Call” next to each contact’s name, but this seems to be completely unnecessary. Also, if you just want to quickly jump to a small group of names, you can say “John,” and all the Johns on your phone will appear. This is by far the most reliable way to call up names because as long as you don’t rush your pronunciation, which might be tempting for shorter names, you’ll almost always get your desired contact up on the results list.

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The main question I leave you with is this: Is voice dialing really necessary on the iPhone? If the recognition isn’t perfect and you just use it as a shortcut for your address book, is it really any faster than double-clicking the home button (presumably taking you to your favorite contacts)? I’m still not sure if I’m going to use this much in the long run.

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