Google to open up Android voice search for an eyes-free driving experience
Google working on its very own KITT
Google is reportedly working on expanding its Android voice search functionality with an eyes-free interface, allowing drivers to focus on the road while interacting with their phones.
The initiative, apparently codenamed KITT after the artificially intelligent talking car from Knight Rider, would allow users to utter 'OK Google' to search for the weather, for news, or for directions.
The feature would be an expansion of the feature offered by the Google-made Moto X, offering results in spoken form so as not to distract the user from the task at hand.
According to AndroidPolice, the site that uncovered the plans, users would 'take turns' with the phone as it walked them through tasks like searching the web, making calls, sending texts and more.
Safety first
When Google isn't unable to provide the information in a way the does not require the user to look at the screen, it will save the information until users can pull over and read it safely, the report claimed.
The idea, naturally, is to make Android safer to use behind the wheel, with users able to access the 'OK Google' voice search feature from anywhere within the phone.
With Google I/O just a few weeks away, what price we'll see this feature unveiled at Google's annual expo?
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A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.