to instantly read 150+ free stories & 250-word summaries of all our stories

Talking apps

Easier said than done: Building for the voice-first audience

Startups such as Slang Labs, Reverie and Liv.ai are developing voice interfacing tools to make it easier for regional language users to navigate apps. Getting them to shop online, however, is a whole different ball game

24/08/18

Olina Banerji, Salman SH

Voice interfacing is set to change how regional language users interface with mobile apps

These voice interfacing tools will have to recognise not just 22 Indian languages, but the various different dialects they are spoken in

Start-ups like Slang Labs, Reverie and others are customising voice for ‘the’Bharat’ use-case

E-commerce is enthusiastic about voice-tech. But can it convert voice users to online shoppers?

Webp.net-resizeimage-1920x1080.jpg

Want to read a free 200 word summary?

Kumar Rangarajan was driving when he heard his daughter call out to the car speaker. “Alexa, lower the volume,” she said. Now, the car wasn’t really the domain of Alexa—Amazon’s voice-controlled digital assistant—and the volume didn’t come down, but the moment stayed with Rangarajan. In fact, it was instrumental to his shift from the US…

To access this post, you must purchase Monthly Recurring, Quarterly or Weekly Product.

Read the full story. Subscribe now.

Why subscribe? Let us explain.

Already Registered?

Related stories

More stories in /Analysis, /Reportage, /Startups & /Technology

See all in Commentary, Startups & Technology

This story is for subscribers only.
or

Read the full story. Subscribe now.

Why subscribe? Let us explain.

The selected story is available only for paid subscribers. Might want to change your mind!

Subscribe now

Already Registered?

Questions?

What is The Ken?

The Ken is a subscription-driven media site. We write one story a day (weekdays only). These stories have sharp, original insights on technology, business, science and healthcare from India.

Why do I have to sign up to read your stories?

Our stories are not free. Well, some select stories are. But, a significant part of what we write at The Ken is for subscribers only. We put in a lot of effort and resources in writing our stories and believe that you must pay for good journalism.
Hence, our three plans. 1) The annual membership
2) The free sign up
3) The recurring quarterly subscription

On journalism and why you should pay for it, if you haven’t already seen it, here’s a great explainer from John Oliver.

So, one must pay for journalism?

Yes.

How many stories will I get if I take an annual membership?

200+ stories.

And, in the free sign up?

Four stories every month.

Do I get a refund?

We allow you to sample our journalism for free before signing up, and after you do, we stand by its quality. But we do not offer refunds.

I am not getting my daily emails. Do I have to whitelist emails from The Ken?

An added benefit of your subscription (free/paid) are the daily personalised emails. These emails, at times, might end up in your spam/junk folder due to emojis, attachments or images. In case you’re not receiving these emails, it might help to whitelist us. If the problem still persists, write to us at [email protected].

Why am I unable to access the archives?

Full and unrestricted access to our archives is a feature of our annual membership.

My payment is not going through, what can I do?

Please write to us at [email protected] detailing the payment error or queries.

See all FAQs