????不過，或許蘋果在這場提高情境感知的競賽中并不會落后。他們最近的專利應(yīng)用體現(xiàn)出了明顯的意圖，想要通過Apple TV讓Siri成為居室生活中的一部分，還通過iPhoto將其與我們的相片聯(lián)系起來。這一系列整合讓Siri變得更加有用和普遍。

????然而，以上提到的設(shè)想尚未成為現(xiàn)實。與谷歌的產(chǎn)品相比，Siri目前擁有一個致命的弱點。它的后臺實現(xiàn)功能和準(zhǔn)確性相對較弱，使它看起來不像預(yù)想中那個聰明機智的女性，而更像一個剛掌握了一些語言基礎(chǔ)、不諳世事的三歲小孩。

????微軟長期以來都是語音技術(shù)的先行者，他們?nèi)匀辉谠擃I(lǐng)域積極探索。在最近一次語境協(xié)助的精彩演示中，微軟的研究總監(jiān)里克?雷斯特展現(xiàn)了公司在語音領(lǐng)域的突破性進(jìn)展。利用最新技術(shù)，機器將他說出的英語用他自己的聲音幾乎實時翻譯成了中文。如果這項技術(shù)能大量利用，我們可以毫無困難地使用任何語言，可以想象，屆時國際商務(wù)將會發(fā)生多么巨大的變化。它將是專業(yè)翻譯和通曉多國語言者的噩夢，卻是許多旅行者的夢想。

????微軟很早就開始在移動設(shè)備語音的領(lǐng)域一顯身手，卻似乎無法有效地利用自己的能力。他們有許多關(guān)于語音的經(jīng)驗和技術(shù)，通過在必應(yīng)（Bing）上的投入，他們可以與谷歌的后臺在準(zhǔn)確率上一較高下。他們在語音服務(wù)上缺失的東西是，利用技術(shù)使這個相對外來和抽象的事物能夠讓普通人理解和使用。如果微軟能夠在他們對語音服務(wù)的研究與開發(fā)的投入上分出很小一部分，來設(shè)計令人喜愛的人性化服務(wù)界面，他們將會是決定統(tǒng)治地位的語音界面的真正競爭者。

個性化、情境和意圖

????蘋果、谷歌和微軟在語音領(lǐng)域的努力使得這場關(guān)于交互挑戰(zhàn)的形勢昭然若揭。

????在使用語音的情況下，系統(tǒng)只要能更了解用戶，直觀互動的潛力就會以指數(shù)方式增長。掌握更多數(shù)據(jù)后，它就能有效地預(yù)料人們的情境和意圖。展望一下，我們可以看見更令人振奮的新式服務(wù)，它會在背后關(guān)注著我們的各種愿望，從偶然提起的書籍，到令我們想起紐約舊愛的一家舊金山旅館的地址，然后提醒我們?nèi)ベ徺I或預(yù)訂。

????我們可以設(shè)想，這項服務(wù)能在國際磋商中提供同聲傳譯，或是取代消息的提前錄制，使用語音智能將實時的文字信息用你的聲音發(fā)出去——比如，讓你的愛人聽到你暫時無法與她聯(lián)系的理由。

????只要讓這些系統(tǒng)更好地了解我們的需要，它們就能更好地針對我們的需求做出回應(yīng)。

????Apple may not be too far behind in the race for better contextual awareness. Their recent patent applications show a clear intent to make Siri more integrated into the living room via Apple TV, and into our photos via iPhoto. These kinds of connection could make Siri more useful and ubiquitous.

????However, the above is not quite reality yet, and compared to Google, Siri currently has an Achilles heel. Siri's relatively weak backend fulfillment and accuracy often makes her appear less like the savvy and smart woman you would want her to be, and more like your three-year old child that's only just mastered basic language skills and knows little about the world.

????Microsoft has long been a voice pioneer, and they are still actively driving progress in the domain. In a stunning demonstration of assistance in context, Microsoft's Chief Research Officer Rick Rashid recently presented the company's latest voice breakthrough by having the technology translate his spoken English into Chinese in near real-time and in his own voice. If deployed at scale, imagine how much international business would be transformed if we could use Microsoft technology to effortlessly speak in any language. It's the nightmare of professional translators and proud polyglots, but the dream of many travellers.

????While Microsoft was an early player in mobile voice, they seem to have been unable to effectively capitalize on their capabilities. They have lots of voice experience and technology, and through their Bing investments they can compete with Google's backend accuracy. What's missing in their voice services is a clear embodiment of the technology that makes this relatively foreign and abstract phenomenon understandable and approachable for normal people. If Microsoft had invested a small portion of their voice R&D spend in designing a delightful human interface for the service, they would now be a real contender for defining the dominant voice interface.

Personalization, context, and intent

????The approaches that Apple, Google and Microsoft have taken in voice make the challenges of the interaction abundantly clear.

????With voice, the potential for intuitive interactions grows exponentially as the system knows more about you. With more data, it can effectively anticipate your context and intent. Looking ahead, we'll begin to see exciting new services that listen in the background to deliver genie-like wishes for everything from books casually mentioned to the address for a restaurant in San Francisco that reminds us of the one we loved in New York and prompt you accordingly for orders or reservations.

????We can imagine services that enable personalized simultaneous translation in global negotiations, or voice intelligence that replaces pre-recorded messaging with real-time contextual information delivered with your voice–for example, your spouse hearing why you're unavailable at the moment.

????The more we allow these systems the permission to "listen-in" the better they will be at offering the responses we need.

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