With touchless voice controlled phones like Moto X and recent updates to Google Now which allows it to listen to your voice on any screen (even on lockscreen), we’re getting more used to using our devices with voice and that naturally develops craving for even more voice controlled actions.
Google Now is by far the most educated voice assistant that we’ve used on our devices but there are still a tons of things that it doesn’t understands/performs, even basic toggling like “Turn Bluetooth off” doesn’t work on Google Now. But no more! The “Commandr for Google Now” app does things what Google now doesn’t by using Google Now only.
Google Now doesn’t offer third party support, so how could “Commandr for Google Now” can add commands to it? Well, it’s a clever workaround. Google Now has a note taking command called “Note to self” which allows support for third-party Note apps to be used to take notes via Google Now. The Commandr app takes advantage of that and attaches itself to Google Now as a Note taking app, and then uses the Note spoken by user as the command to be executed. For example, to turn on Flashlight, your command to Google Now will be “Note to self turn on flashlight”. Google Now will first save the note and then Commandr will pick up the command and turn on Flashlight.
It may sound hack-ish, but in real it works really smooth. Also, you’ll not lose the Note taking ability of Google Now. For taking Notes you just have to say “Note to self Note book a hotel for two nights in Lonavala for August” and commandr will transfer the Note to the Note taking app you set as default under commandr settings.
For now, Commandr only supports Android phones and tablets. But we guess support for Android Wear should be coming soon.
Kudos to RSen for this. Clever work!
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