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Voice recognition assistants such as Siri on Apple's new iPhone 4S, and built into other smart phones such as the ones powered by Google Android software, seem to be all the rage among mobile device fans. Could such a voice-powered capability be coming to Amazon's new Kindle Fire tablet?
A small blog site called CLT recently uncovered that the online retailing giant has quietly acquired Yap. The start-up in Charlotte, N.C. makes voice-to-text solutions, such as software and hardware that converts voice mails to text messages, a service that has been offered by Sprint to its wireless phone subscribers, for example.
Although Amazon has been mum on the deal, CLT and the website for the Atlantic magazine say SEC papers detailing the Yap acquisition list the buyer's address, which matches that of Amazon's corporate headquarters.
That has led many to speculate that Amazon could soon be offering some sort of voice recognition capability to its Kindle tablet computer—or is possibly jumping into the smart phone arena.
Tech website All Things Digital, which claims to have also "independently confirmed" the Amazon-Yap deal, believes that a voice-powered personal shopping assistant could soon make an appearance on Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet.
Charlotte voice-to-text startup Yap Inc. quietly acquired by Amazon [CLT Blog]
Amazon Has Acquired Yap, the Closest Thing to a Siri Clone It Can Find [All Things Digital]
I See Your Siri and Raise You a Yap: Amazon Quietly Snaps Up Speech-Recognition Startup [The Atlantic]
Is Amazon looking to take on Siri with takeover of Yap? [Los Angeles Times]
—Paul Eng
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