The Vlingo voice control app for Android has been updated to include integration with some new services, and a new text search bar widget for those times you can’t talk to your phone. Now using Vlingo you can search for and book hotels through Kayak, find and reserve spots at local restaurants through OpenTable, and buy movie tickets through Fandango. The text search might seem a little redundant with a Google Quick search widget already available, but Vlingo’s ActionBar takes into account your previous searches when predicting your query – handy if you do a lot of searches by voice anyway.
Vlingo works by taking a sample of something you say to your phone, sending it off to their servers, figuring out what you’re saying, and shooting the plain text back. Sometimes that text is applied simply as a Google search, but it has expanded to let you check-in to Foursquare, update Twitter, and with a new InCar feature, you can listen to and reply to incoming messages without touching a button.
Vlingo was put in a tight spot when Google released native Voice Action capabilities, but partnerships like these will really set the app apart and make it worth downloading (if not paying for). Poynt is in a similar position, in that Google Maps tends to be the first stop for local search, but combining a bunch of tailored functions through dedicated partners tends to provide a level of specialty that Google alone can’t really match.
Anyway, here’s a video of the new features in action, and if you want to get downloading, you can find it free in the Market.
[via Vlingo Blog]