Google updated its Chrome Web browser today to include voice search, a feature that lets you speak naturally to your computer to get search results. The feature not only does your searches by voice but responds to questions and allows you to engage in follow up questions thereby allowing you to have a conversations with Google.
Its a product which takes mobile search and places it in your laptop or desktop.
To use voice search you need to be running the latest version of the Chrome browser.
Here is how Google described the product on its blog:
A conversation with search — across your devices
People communicate with each other by conversation, not by typing keywords — and we’ve been hard at work to make Google understand and answer your questions more like people do. Already, you can tap a mic, talk to Google in a more natural way and get responses spoken back to you on Android, iPhone, and iPad devices.
Today, we previewed what this conversational experience will look like in Chrome on your desktops and laptops.
You’ll be able to just say, hands-free, “OK Google, will it be sunny in Santa Cruz this weekend?” and get a spoken answer. Then, you’ll be able to continue the conversation and just follow up with “how far is it from here?” if you care about the drive or “how about Monterey?” if you want to check weather somewhere else, and get Google to tell you the answer.
You’ll also get smarter answers to questions like “what’s the population of Canada?” Not only will Google answer that question, but you also get an answer to the next few follow-up questions people often ask. In a single card, you’ll see how Canada’s population changed over time — and a comparison with California and Australia.
I seen a demo of it at last weeks conference and couldn’t imagine using it under any circumstances (unless I was blind).