Test drive of the voice assistant “Alice” from Yandex. Voice assistant "Alice"

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For people with disabilities, and also just for sybarites, OS developers created voice control computer. It allows the user to enter information using their voice. After pronouncing certain words, the device begins speech recognition - conversion sound signal into digital information. After the entered information is correctly recognized, the program proceeds to the specified action algorithm - performs the function that is attached to a particular command.

Everything is quite simple. Speech is not always recognized correctly, so the computer voice control program is not intensively used to solve complex problems of operating system management. It is used to perform basic functions: opening and closing files, local and network search, etc.

History of voice control development

The first voice recognition system, Audrey, was created in the 50s of the twentieth century. She deciphered only numbers spoken in one voice.
In 1962, the first word recognition system was created. She deciphered 15 English words.
With the development of computers in 1990, it was developed Dragon program Dictate. It recognized up to 100 words per minute, but was expensive.
In the early 2000s, an application for recognition appeared on the iPhone. Google speech Voice Search. In 2010, a search system was added to Android.
Siri has been included in the software Phone provision 4S in early October 2011;
Cortana, a voice assistant for Windows, was introduced in 2014.

Cortana and voice input capabilities today

Cortana is a virtual assistant in the operating room Windows system. The service helps the user in planning tasks and reminds them of them.
For a specific request, the service will help to collect specific information, create a clear structure and present it to the user in the most processed form possible.
It’s interesting that immediately when turned on, the virtual assistant collects all the information about entered requests and personal data, trying to adapt as much as possible to each individual user.

Voice control Windows computer 7 through use virtual assistant impossible - it is integrated only into the tenth version. But, unfortunately, the developers didn’t bother to release Russian version.
Main role plays out the search, which in 10 can be opened through “Start”. This function detects almost any requests. If the entry is not recognized, you can enter the appropriate command into the pop-up window and the computer voice control program reads the text information.

The unpleasant thing is that it collects all the data entered via the keyboard and sends it to Microsoft.

Third party programs

Type

After the installation is completed, proceed to the next step - create account. Here you need to come up with key phrase, after which an activation notification will sound.

Next you will need to come up with and create voice commands, regardless of their purpose. The "dog" command can launch an application or perform a completely different action.

You just need to create a voice command and assign it to a specific action. Suitable only for performing basic operations - opening files, folders, etc. The functionality is limited.

Speaker

The functionality here is wider than in Typle.

Voice control of a Windows 10 computer gives the user the ability to open and close files, take screenshots, and turn off the PC.

Speech recognition takes quite a long time, over 3-4 seconds. This is due to the fact that first the speech is converted into text, and the commands are recognized by the computer already with text information.

Laitis

This free program, which allows you to both control your PC and dictate text. After installation, you need to register and then you can use it for your pleasure.

The autocorrect function when typing is interesting. You can say "Quotes" and the corresponding symbol will appear in the text.

Voice control capabilities via Yandex.string

By using this application you can perform local or network search information and files, restart or turn off the computer. There is a function to open programs and sites.
To use the program, you must first download and install it.

But during installation, you should uncheck the boxes next to the items where the software manufacturer suggests installing a browser and changing its settings. Otherwise the installation will take more time and the configuration will change in the browser.
Ultimately, the line is placed near the Start button. Say “Listen to Yandex” and a window will open.

Speak out the request.

After a pause, a search bar will open in the browser. It's fun to manage your search this way.
In general, voice control of a computer has not yet been developed, as it is only in our imagination. But the functions that are available today are already impressive and significantly help to switch to new level using a PC.

Have a great day!

Since October 10, Android owners have a choice - a free voice assistant. Now, instead of “Okay Google,” you can say “OK, Alice” and hear a greeting in response from the new Yandex voice assistant. Behind Last year– this is the most impressive event of the company.

In fact, the Alice application from Yandex, unlike Siri, works not only on Android, the version of which is no lower than 4.3, but also on other OSes. The fact is that it is for devices operating on the Android OS that, by default, for Internet users, Google is installed. Accordingly, all users are forced to communicate using voice commands exactly with him. Yandex developers suggested great alternative, you can download the voice assistant from Yandex.

The main differences between Yandex and Google voice assistants

The program from Yandex has enormous potential for development, due to its basis - a neural network. Voice assistant Google is also connected to the neural network. But Alice was created for Russia and Russian users, and Google Assistant has only been adapted. The Alice Yandex Android assistant can joke in Russian, but the voice assistant from Google is serious and recognizes all questions only as a request to the search engine. To evaluate the assistant, you can download it via Google Play. There is another application on Russian market– “Dusya” also uses the Russian language, but is installed only for a fee. Making a comparison between Alice and other analogues, even at the start, makes the application more interesting.

Main functions of the Yandex voice assistant

The phone program for Android and iOS alice has one distinctive feature, she doesn’t “think” or “speak” in patterns, you can simply talk to her in Russian, which distinguishes her from her analogue - Eva free. Launching the application is simple, you need to click on the microphone icon in the Yandex application and say a greeting, one of which is “OK, Yandex” or “hello, Alice”. After activating the application, a good one will respond female voice, which belongs to Tatyana Shitova.

Convenient to use Alice Yandex Assistant android themes who a priori uses Yandex on their phone or tablet for search and its many functions. It is Alice who is completely synchronized with all services of this search engine and will easily find required address And phone number, as well as other information.

It is enough to ask about the weather and Tatyana Shitova’s voice will notify you about the temperature and possible precipitation outside the window. If you want coffee, pizza or go to the movies, the assistant will tell you where the nearest pizzeria or cinema is. Synchronization with maps will allow you to plot the shortest possible route, both on foot and by transport.

If you are in the mood to watch a video or listen to music, you can notify Alice about this, she will choose tracks to her taste in the Yandex application. Most often it’s Queen or Status QUO, these are her preferences. You can also set a specific style. According to the developers, Alice can analyze preferences based on previously selected ones and turn them on depending on the time of day.

Examples of queries and commands

Find the right establishment - where to watch a movie in Novosibirsk?
Find out the answer to the question - Population in Tokyo?
Get directions and determine geolocation – Get to Adler?
Find out traffic congestion - Are there any traffic jams in Moscow?

This is far from full list possible requests and alias is improved daily with the help of users, and is also refined by Yandex engineering.

Unlike apple Siri, “Alice” has own character and maneuvers his voice. Maybe, like any girl, she will be offended and not respond when a user calls her for some time. Voice accompaniment can be disabled or enabled by calling the program menu and checking the box in the desired position.

What else can Alice do on Android?

To make the most of the assistant's functionality, you need to know what the Alice voice assistant for Android can do.

List of functions:

Answering a question without using a browser;
Activation of some programs on Android;
Answer to the date and time question;
Weather;
Exchange Rates;
Launching a page upon request/opening a query in search;
Determining location on the map;
Computing operations without using third-party applications;
Conversation support.

Alice is only at the start of her career, so to speak, which means she is just beginning to “explore the world.” In alice's application rating top lines TOP. Over time, the application will be supplemented with functions and will work with more operating systems and devices. The more users want to download and start communicating with Alice, the sooner she will replenish her vocabulary, and the conversations will be not only useful, but also interesting.

Just like Yandex.Strok, launched by the company two years ago, Alice is integrated into the taskbar of the worker Windows desktop, in the form of a line or a pair of buttons (for calling the search and voice assistant). You can contact Alice using the commands “Hello, Alice”, “Listen, Alice”, “Okay, Alice” and others (the full list is listed in the settings), the main assistant window is also called using the mouse, touch screen or hotkeys (Ctrl+~).

From the main window of the Voice Assistant, you can easily access a list of frequently visited sites, latest programs, folders and files. Popular at this moment among Yandex users are also available there. search queries. You can ask Alice about the exchange rate, get information about the weather, and clarify the route to the nearest pharmacy. You can just chat with her about something or ask her to play her favorite musical composition on Yandex.Music. It’s unlikely that Alice will help improve the productivity of our computer use (she won’t be able to remind you of an important meeting, track a package, or turn off the alarm), but she can simplify some routine operations.

You can disable it in the program settings voice activation and voice responses from Alice, select the default browser, change hotkeys, clear communication history and set the behavior of the assistant when going to a found file. Change window size or taskbar button layout in current version it is forbidden.

The program is distributed free of charge, Russian language is of course supported. You can use the Voice Assistant on tablets and computers with Windows 7, 8.1 and 10. It is important to remember that at the time of publication of this material the program was assigned beta status, work on it has not yet been completed. The latest version is always available.

Alice is an application released by Yandex on October 10, 2017. This is a voice assistant for your computer and iOS smartphones, Android, and I’ll tell you later whether it’s possible to enable Alice in Yandex Browser. The assistant has all the functions of a full-fledged search from Yandex, but is supplemented large set functions, including:

According to Yandex, Alice is the first application of its kind that does not use “learned words and phrases” in advance. The application interprets the user's voice, virtually searches for an answer in Yandex search and, by reading the text, answers the question posed. In this regard, it can be trained by choosing whether you liked Alice's answer to asked question, whether helpful information. So, with the help of adjustments, each time the Alice voice assistant will become smarter and more convenient for you.

Due to the huge interest in the application, users are ready to install it in their browser today. The question of how to activate Alice in Yandex Browser can be answered like this. After recent updates to Yandex Browser, the Alice assistant is built into it and there is no need to enable the assistant. Install a browser from Alice https://browser.yandex.ru/alice/1.

Version of the Alice voice assistant for PC and smartphone

Alice cannot yet be built into Yandex.Browser, but she can live in your smartphone or phone. To use the assistant on your Android smartphone or iPhone, you need to install one of the Yandex services: weather, maps. According to the developers, in the future the application will be able to work and interact with various applications. To use the Alice application for Android:

Open Google Play on your smartphone.
Install search on your phone.
You can install other Yandex applications listed above.

To try the application on a PC running Windows system, you need to go to the page with the application https://alice.yandex.ru/windows, download the installation package and run it on your computer. By downloading this application, you get not only a voice assistant, but also a convenient assistant for working on your PC.

The program window is a full-fledged search from Yandex, with the ability to open any files and programs on your computer. Alisa has a pleasant voice as an understudy for Tatyana Shitova. Answers your questions quite relevantly, and sometimes even funny. Like her English-speaking sister, Siri has a good sense of humor and can tell you jokes on different topics, and also quote lines from Shakespeare's poems.

The application is also available for operating rooms in the online store iOS systems. To try the application, you also need to download one of the Yandex services. Voice assistant Alice is built into the proprietary application, install separate application, there is no possibility.

How to use assistant Alice

The process of “communicating” with Alice on all platforms is the same. The developers claim that Alice is not needed special approach as it happened with others similar applications in past. You don’t need to search and formulate your requests; you can talk to her like a real person. For example, you don’t need to combine the main words from a sentence to create a query: “pizzeria, Gogol street”, just say in simple words: “Okay, Alice, where can I have a cup of coffee and eat pizza,” and you will receive a clear, and equally “human” answer.

For the assistant's work it was used neural network, which studies a huge array of texts. In this regard, Alice can quite understand even unfinished phrases and questions and, taking into account the context, formulate an answer to the question, and sometimes even tries to improvise. When developing the assistant, programmers focused on recognizing any speech, and not just a clearly pronounced phrase. So Alice appears today best app on the perception of Russian speech.

Differentiating the application from other similar voice assistants

Alice has some advantages over her competitor, the English-speaking Siri. The Yandex voice assistant always works in a group with another application. For example, Alice in the Windows PC version operates Yandex search, and in the case when a more voluminous answer to a question is required, Alice opens the Yandex browser, if it is installed in the system by default, and shows the user a page with his request. Alice also works well with music and maps, fulfilling user requests exactly, and in the future she will be able to recommend movies and even call a taxi. Third Party Applications may in the future provide Alice with their services and access to them, and today she can already open Instagram and Vkontakte.

For the first time they started talking about Alice, a voice assistant developed by Yandex, in May 2017. The developers promised that new system will surpass Apple's Siri in all respects. From October 10, the Alice voice assistant from Yandex is available to all owners of smartphones on Android and IOS. Windows PC users can evaluate the merits of the application in the beta version.

How to activate an artificial interlocutor

Alice was created specifically for Russian-speaking users, as opposed to the English-language Google Assistant, which was never optimized for residents of the RU region. After installing the application, you won’t have to think too much about how to activate the Alice voice assistant for Android.

In the PC version, after installation, a search bar appears in the taskbar. By clicking on it, just say one of the phrases in Russian to launch the program:

"Hello Alice";
"Listen, Alice";
"Okay, Alice";
"Hello, Yandex";
"Okay, Yandex."

After waiting for the activation sound, you can speak commands. The voice assistant answers questions or transfers the request to a search engine. Alice's knowledge base is constantly updated thanks to artificial intelligence capable of self-learning.

To call the assistant on your smartphone, you need to launch the appropriate program, or open the Yandex browser, where you can chat with Alice by pressing the microphone button. The bot speaks in the voice of actress Tatyana Shitova, who voiced Scarlett Johansson in Russian in many films.

Official sources claim that the assistant received her name in honor of Alisa Selezneva, the famous heroine of the Soviet film “Guest from the Future.” The name Alice is also similar to Amazon's Alexa.

How to install

The Alice voice assistant from Yandex for Windows can be downloaded for free on the promotional page, which is located at https://alice.yandex.ru/windows. On the page you can see the full list of functions and watch video reviews. To start using the application, you must:

click on the “Install” button;
wait for the download to finish;
launch the application.

For the installation to be successful, the main requirement is Windows version not lower than 7. In earlier versions of the OS you will have to use BlueStacks emulator App Player, which runs the android shell on the computer. After setting up the emulator, they load required applications With Play Market and work just like on a smartphone.

The Yandex project, a “smart” assistant, will not work on computer operating systems other than Windows.

Owners of mobile devices can download Alice from Yandex on any OS: Android and iOS on iPhone in the appropriate application stores via the Internet: Play Market or App Store. Within a few minutes, the apk file is downloaded and installed on the smartphone, and the owner can fully enjoy the delights of communicating with artificial intelligence.

How to use the free app

The voice assistant from Yandex Alice operates on Windows OS in beta mode, testing is still ongoing. A “smart” interlocutor does not simply answer a limited list of questions. The basis of the application is a neural network that was trained in a huge array of texts. The virtual assistant hears and recognizes spoken speech and is capable of performing a number of complex functions:

gives answers to simple questions(“how many calories are in a glass of cola?”, “how long is the Nile River?”, etc.);
determines location and creates routes using the built-in navigator;
clarifies the situation on the roads;
knows the day of the week, date, time;
informs about the weather;
tells the news;
knows exchange rates;
finds information on the Internet or opens a specific site;
opens files or programs on a personal computer;
turns on music;
controls PC;
leads a conversation.

Functional mobile application similar to the Windows version. The difference is that on the smartphone there is no interaction with the device, except for opening some programs (Music, Taxi, VK, Instagram).

After activating Alice in Yandex, work with the application begins. You can say prepared phrases, your own questions, or chat in text mode.

The developers have tried very hard to “humanize” the virtual assistant as much as possible. One of her main features was the excellent sense of humor that the programmers endowed Alice with. On request she tells interesting stories, jokes, anecdotes and fairy tales that she seems to come up with herself. They have a logical beginning and an unexpected funny ending. Even the poems of the classics, which the robot reads at the user’s request, have a special ending on the topics of technology or computer software. The assistant knows how to keep secrets and is “offended” by incorrect questions: “Let’s pretend that you didn’t say this, and I didn’t hear it. And everything will be the same."

How to delete an application

The assistant does not always show herself perfectly. Sometimes bugs arise, or Yandex Alice does not work at all without visible reasons. You can try to fix the problem by reinstalling the program.

To remove a smart application from a computer or desktop, you must follow these steps:

exit the program;
open the control panel;
go to the “Uninstall programs” section;
select “Voice Assistant” from the list;
Click on the “Delete” button, which is located at the top of the list.

The beta version of the Yandex program, Alice, sometimes functions incorrectly, and after uninstallation the icon remains in the taskbar. In this case, you should do this:

download latest version assistants;
try to carry out the uninstallation procedure again through the control panel.

On many forums such as w3bsit3-dns.com, users often discuss these and similar problems and ways to solve them. The developers are aware of many operational problems and are working to fix them. Updates are coming out constantly.

From a phone or tablet, the application is deleted in the “Settings” menu; the exact process algorithm depends on the specific operating system. If you plan to reinstall, it is better to uninstall and apk file from the "Downloads" folder. And then download the Alice assistant from Yandex on Android, windows background or iOS on iPhone again.

How to call Alice

Artificial intelligence is only taking its first steps towards implementation in all areas of life. Creation Russian programmers far from ideal, but the use of neural networks in various fields gives amazing results. In August 2017, a bot created on a similar basis beat several pro players in Dota 2 in 1v1 mode with a score of 2-0. And here is another breakthrough in development artificial intelligence- a robot from Yandex with the romantic name Alice.

Advertising for the application is everywhere, but it is recommended to download it strictly from the official website or from application stores (Play Market, App Store). This will allow you to avoid infecting your PC or smartphone with viruses that unscrupulous content creators sometimes fill with links to popular projects.

A few minutes, and the useful assistant is already ready to work. Searching for Yandex Alice on your device will not take much time:

on a home PC or desktop, the search bar appears on the taskbar;
V mobile device Alice is available in the browser; clicking on the purple microphone icon launches the application.

Now full functionality is always at hand: on a computer and laptop, tablet and mobile phone. You just need to connect the device to the Internet.

How to turn it on

Activating the “smart” assistant is very simple: just click on the microphone icon in the browser and say “Hello!” and start live communication online with a virtual interlocutor. You can ask her about anything. The list of what Alice from Yandex can do is very wide.

Speech recognition and voice synthesis occurs using SpeechKit technology. The robot is capable of not only learning, but also having a real conversation, answering a variety of questions. Thanks to the neural networks that formed the basis of the application, Alice can maintain a conversation in the context of a given topic.

Assistant tests described in various reviews, showed funny results. To the question: “How old are you?” she might joke: “I’m a voice assistant in my prime. How can I help you?". The user’s next question will be: “How old am I?”, and the bot will answer: “14, probably..” or “17.” The point is that the application understands the meaning of the question in the context of the conversation. It will not be possible to have any lengthy conversations; the list of such topics is limited. But the capabilities of the new Yandex tool are impressive.

There are two ways to talk to the assistant:

search mode;
free talk mode.

In order to activate the latter, you must say: “Let's chat.” After this, a warning will pop up that in this mode, the Yandex assistant Alice does not use the search engine and may answer inappropriately. Exit from the dialogue with the phrase “Stop chatting.” The conversation will return to normal mode.

Alice loves to joke, and she has a great future in this business. Siri has long been a hero of memes. Yandex's assistant will not be ignored by review creators, YouTube stars and simply those who like to have a fun time.

How to set up the program

There are not many system settings in the application. It is mainly intended for voice communication. At the user's request, the voice function can be disabled. The splicing of replicas is almost inaudible, noticeable only when forming long phrases. Instead of talking, you can chat using the keyboard. Take advantage of this free service Yandex Alice can be used by owners of any devices: Android phones, Windows backgrounds, iPhones, laptops, tablets.

For owners personal computers the following are available software settings assistants:

assigning hot keys;
changing methods of working with opened files;
turning row mode on and off;
selecting the browser in which pages open by default.

It is possible to clear the message history by simply clicking on the appropriate button. In the settings menu you can also send feedback, get help and review license agreement. The program is updated automatically.

How to run the software

High tech voice engine works great. Unlike her predecessors, Alice’s voice is much more “human”. There is a lack of emotionality, the tone of the conversation is quite even, but Yandex programmers promise to fix this in the next updates.

Having activated the assistant using a welcome phrase, the device owner begins working with the application. The “smart” assistant will not work without the Internet in offline mode, but with a connection it can fulfill any whim:

Meet everyone software functions difficult in one day. Alice is constantly learning and can bring many surprises to users. So, if you are tormented by the question: “Do I need Alice from Yandex or not?”, then the answer is definitely positive. Why not treat yourself to a unique intellectual creation by Russian developers!