You can probably thank Siri for this. Speech recognition isn’t exactly a new technology, but the “digital voice assistant” in the iPhone 4S has certainly encouraged us to start looking for things using our voices rather than typing with our fingers.

Not to be outdone, Google has more than its fair share of voice-based solutions, too. In fact, much of Google Voice Search was already around well before the boys and girls in Cupertino decided to outfit the latest iPhone with Siri. It doesn’t quite work the same way as Siri, though, since it’s not so much about having a “natural speech” conversation with a virtual assistant. Instead, it’s really just a more convenient way to do the same Google searches that you’ve already been doing.

Let’s look at three separate implementations of Google Voice Search that all work in fundamentally the same way.

Built Into Google Search for iPhone and iPad

In the case of Apple iDevices, there isn’t a separate application for Google Voice Search. Instead, it’s a part of the larger Google Search app for the iPhone and iPad.

Google Voice Search on iOS

Yes, the regular search bar is there and you can use Google Search how you’ve always used it. However, you’ll also notice the inclusion of that little microphone icon next to the search bar. Tap that and you can use your voice to define your search term.

The search results are geo-targeted, meaning that if you look for “sushi restaurants,” the first listings will be sushi restaurants near you. There’s also a nifty image carousel to see your image results in full size, which is very useful on the smaller display of an iPhone. And finally, the Google Search app offers quick access to other Google apps, like Gmail, Calendar, and Docs, in case you don’t have the dedicated apps for those already.

Google Voice Search for Google Android

You didn’t think that Google would bypass some heavy Google integration in its own smartphone platform, did you?

Voice Prompt on Google Android

While there is a separate app available through Android Market called Voice Search, you mostly don’t need to download and install it. Built right into Google Android is a homescreen widget called the Google Search bar.

Place this on any of the homescreens on your Android device and, once again, you’ll notice that handy microphone icon along the right side. The voice search here effectively works the same way as its iOS counterpart, including the localized search results.

One nifty little secret, that really isn’t that much of a secret, is that you can activate the Google Voice Search even when you are not looking at the search bar on your Android device. All you have to do is hold the “search” button on your Android smartphone for a few seconds and the Voice Search window will pop up. This generally works even if you are inside another application.

If you do choose to get the Voice Search app mentioned above, it also comes with Voice Actions that allow you to call your contacts, get directions, and other control your phone using your voice. This only works with U.S. English for the time being.

Voice Search by Google on Your Computer

Google Voice Search isn’t limited to just your mobile devices; you can use your voice to look for things on the web when you’re working from your computer too.

The big caveat here is that Google Voice Search is not universally available across all platforms and all web browsers. It will only work if you are using Google Chrome. Naturally, your laptop or desktop will also need to have either a built-in or attached microphone to use the voice search function.

This probably isn’t quite as useful as the mobile counterparts, since most of us can type pretty quickly on conventional computer keyboards, but it’s still handy for certain types of searches under certain circumstances. Using Voice Search for words that you don’t know how to spell can be very useful, for example, or if you don’t have both hands available since you’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

The Evolution of Search

It’s undeniable that Google is still the world’s search leader. The current iterations of Voice Search are essentially the evolved versions of what we had before in services like GOOG-411. It’s probably only a matter of time before you’re able to simply think about what you want to find.

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I love my Android phone, but I can’t help but to be a little envious of my iFriends from time to time. While it wouldn’t be totally accurate that I wanted to have Siri on my phone, too, I thought it would be nice to have a true “voice assistant” on my smartphone.

There are other so-called Siri clones out there already, but one that holds a fair bit of promise is called Evi. Developed by True Knowledge, it is “the revolutionary artificial intelligence” that is meant to “help with all of your everyday information needs.” Not unlike Siri, Evi is designed to figure out exactly what it is you’re asking, look around the Internet for relevant info, then present you that info in a meaningful and useful way.

Ask Evi Anything

Yes, you could just as easily fire-up your mobile browser and do a search on Google, but Evi is supposed to take some of the guesswork out of those results. You can quite literally ask Evi anything, from finding suitable meal ideas to learning the age of Barack Obama.

For now, the localized information is being limited to the United States and the United Kingdom, though I imagine that True Knowledge will expand that base as Evi continues to grow and evolve. Evi taps into the “nearly a billion facts” in her database, as well as information found throughout the web.

Depending on the question, the answer will be presented in a different way. Restaurant suggestions could take the form of a directory listing (complete with clickable links for the built-in browser), whereas a factual question could just take on the form of some straight text. In the case of asking about a person’s age, an image is usually shown, as well as some supplementary information.

Lost in Conversation

Part of the fun with Siri is that it can usually spit out somewhat comical responses. There’s a sense of humor there. Evi tries to do that, too.

Evi Answering Questions

But it’s not that funny. Instead, when I asked Evi about Siri, it stated that Evi was better than Siri for this and that reason. I also noticed that you’re not able to maintain a “conversation” with Evi like you can with Siri, as each question is taken in isolation. You can give each response a thumbs up or a thumbs down rating, though, helping Evi with its adaptive intelligence.

Also Available for iOS

No, Evi doesn’t offer quite as polished an experience as Siri, but it’s a nice option for all us Google Android-touting folks. It’s also good that you can ask a question either by voice or by text, just in case there are some voice recognition or spelling challenges.

The other good news is Evi for Android is a free download, so you really have nothing to lose for giving it a try. It’s also available for iPhone as a 99-cent purchase.

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