Voice recognition has been available on the desktop for more than a decade but mobile devices have breathed new life into the technology. Applications like Apple's Siri virtual assistant was a huge leap forward but critics of the service are quick to point out that it only works with an Internet connection because it relies on cloud processing.
Intel, along with an unnamed voice recognition technology provider (like Nuance), has come up with a solution - forego the cloud and process human voices locally within mobile processors. And that's exactly what they're doing with a new prototype wireless headset known as Jarvis.
Mike Bell, head of the company's wearables division, recently sat down with Quartz to detail the device. Jarvis sits in the wearer's ear and connects to his or her smartphone. It can listen for commands and respond in its own voice but the most impressive aspect is that it all takes place without an active Internet connection.
Since everything happens locally, Intel's solution is said to be more responsive than the competition. This will be key according to cloud and Internet of Things journalist Stacey Higginbotham as people won't want to wait three or more seconds for automated home appliances to respond to a command. People will want instant responses just as they would with another human, or perhaps even faster.
Bell said Intel is shopping the technology to unnamed mobile phone manufacturers as an alternative to voice recognition technologies from Apple and Google.