There’s no one-size-fits-all digital assistant to rule, but for handling complicated requests, Hound works best.
Do we really need another virtual assistant for our phone?
Siri and Google Now are already baked into Apple and Android phones respectively, but Hound thinks it can do better.
A new virtual assistant from the tech startup that created the SoundHound music-ID mobile app claims to deliver unprecedented speed and virtuosity for users who are tired of typing out queries on their smartphones.
It achieves this, according to SoundHound CEO Keyvan Mohajer, through a proprietary “speech-to-meaning” technology that bypasses the “speech-to-text” algorithms used by other virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and even Microsoft’s Cortana.
As of now, it is currently the only personal assistant that can summon an Uber ride and tell you the cost, distance, and time of the trip.
If you’re scheduling a conference call or appointment in another part of the world, the app can tell you the time both in your current location and abroad.
Looking for quick dining options? This virtual assistant in particular can exclude certain results from a restaurant search. For example, you can ask for Asian restaurants nearby that aren’t Thai or Japanese all in one breath. You can also refine your results further by asking it to show only restaurants that are currently open, have parking, or are inexpensive.
