'Dragon Search' Comes to the iPhone

MacRumors · Dec 18, 2009

Dragon Search [App Store, Free[/url]], the follow-up to the highly-publicized Dragon Dictation iPhone application released last week, has appeared in the App Store. Dragon Search utilizes voice recognition technology to allow users to search by voice numerous sources, including Google, Yahoo!, or Bing (depending on the user's search engine preferences), YouTube, Twitter, iTunes, and Wikipedia.

Nuance Communications, the company behind the Dragon applications, has also become more proactive about privacy issues in the wake of concerns from users over Dragon Dictation's automatic uploading of their contacts' names to the company's servers. While the goal of the tactic was to enable more accurate transcription of those names, a number of users have been concerned about privacy issues, from the security of the company's servers to possible misuse of the information.

In response, Nuance earlier this week issued an updated version of Dragon Dictation that makes uploading of contacts optional and allows users to delete the information if it had been automatically uploaded by the original version of the application. In the case of Dragon Search, Nuance makes clear in the application's App Store description that no personal information is uploaded or stored, although spoken search queries are stored by the company for assistance in improving its technology.

Article Link: 'Dragon Search' Comes to the iPhone

tryppy · Dec 18, 2009

not seeing this in the Canadian store. Not really surprised though.

str1f3 · Dec 18, 2009

Seriously, they couldn't just add this to the Dictation app already?

I wonder about the relevance of this app since the Google Mobile App already has voice search.

GoldenPRGuy · Dec 18, 2009

Dictation Update Failing

Not sure if anyone else has experienced this issue, but for the last several days my Application app has been showing there is an update to a new version which lets you pull back contacts from the Dragon server. No matter how many times I try to update the app stays at the original version and continues to show as new in my apps to update. Thoughts?

vigorblade · Dec 18, 2009

GoldenPRGuy said:
Not sure if anyone else has experienced this issue, but for the last several days my Application app has been showing there is an update to a new version which lets you pull back contacts from the Dragon server. No matter how many times I try to update the app stays at the original version and continues to show as new in my apps to update. Thoughts?

I had the same issue when trying to update it through itunes, but I tried deleting the original app I had, directly from the iphone and re-downloading directly through the iphone and finally I had the updated version. The next time I sinc'd with itunes the updated version of the app was transferred from my iphone to my itunes. Hopefully it works for you. Good Luck !

-Vigorblade

TraceyS/FL · Dec 18, 2009

Would be nice if it worked on the Touch with a Mic. My Dad could use it/them for medical reasons....

MadeTheSwitch · Dec 18, 2009

Needs a different icon. Too similar to the dictation app. In fact, it should specifically have the word SEARCH on it.

A lot of these companies need to go take an icon 101 class. Some of this stuff is so basic, yet they still make icons that don't even resemble their products or what they do. DUMB!!!!

deenybird · Dec 18, 2009

These dragon apps are really great, but I'm wondering how their search app will improve over googles. This should have been bundled with their dictation app as well

iphones4evry1 · Dec 18, 2009

str1f3 said:
I wonder about the relevance of this app since the Google Mobile App already has voice search.

I'm thinking the same thing. When you search Google, Wikipedia results come up in the search results; so Google really searches both Google and Wikipedia.

The only advantage I can think of is that perhaps the Dragon voice dictation/recognition software is better than Goolge's. Maybe not. I don't know which is better.

Does anyone know what this app has that Google App does not already have?

Darth.Titan · Dec 19, 2009

iphones4evry1 said:
Does anyone know what this app has that Google App does not already have?

It's simple. The Google App searches Google. Dragon Search lets you view results from Google, Wikipedia, Twitter, YouTube, and the iTunes Store individually. It also looks like it would be a simple matter to add other searches via updates.

Pretty sweet for a free app.

stepchild · Dec 19, 2009

Darth.Titan said:
It's simple. The Google App searches Google. Dragon Search lets you view results from Google, Wikipedia, Twitter, YouTube, and the iTunes Store individually. It also looks like it would be a simple matter to add other searches via updates.

Pretty sweet for a free app.

Agreed, I just hope it stays free.

str1f3 · Dec 19, 2009

Darth.Titan said:
It's simple. The Google App searches Google. Dragon Search lets you view results from Google, Wikipedia, Twitter, YouTube, and the iTunes Store individually. It also looks like it would be a simple matter to add other searches via updates.

Pretty sweet for a free app.

Google gives you all of these with the exception of iTunes store searches & Twitter (soon to change). It's sounds decent but I don't have the room to be adding multiple apps that Dragon releases. Why couldn't they consolidate this into one app? It really is getting ridiculous with these multiple apps that should really be one app.

I also assume in the near future that Google will release Goggles which will make the app even stronger.

Xibalba · Dec 19, 2009

TraceyS/FL said:
Would be nice if it worked on the Touch with a Mic. My Dad could use it/them for medical reasons....

i, too, have been testing out different alternatives to our current dictation and transcription system and would like to see the iphone replace my dictaphone. the software is improving but the hardware needs more of a boost - maybe the next revision can improve on the speed of the 3GS.

erratikmind · Dec 20, 2009

Love this app.

creator2456 · Jan 10, 2010

New update 1.2.0 brings support for the iPod touch.

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