For legions of users, Google Calendar has become the way they organize their lives. While it’s easy to add appointments and reminders at a computer and through text message already, Jott announced today that they’ll create appointments on your calendar by transcribing voice commands transmitted via phone call. Did I mention it’s free?

Now adding an appointment to your Google Calendar takes only takes 5 steps and then can be used anywhere you get a cell phone signal, it’s a great example of open systems working together.

• First, you need an active Google and Jott account. Jott is a beta service that transcribes your voice into text based on software algorithms and when necessary, humans.
• Second, when signed into Jott, click on the “Jott Links” tab, then click on the “Add” link next to Google Calendar. Google will ask if you’d like to give Jott access to your account, say yes.
• Third, call Jott’s toll free number and say “Google Calendar”.
• Fourth, describe your appointment. Be sure to indicate the subject and when it will occur using natural language
  • For example you could say “Take out the garbage tonight at 9pm”
  • Or “Holiday party tomorrow at 8pm”
  • According to the Jott Blog, “Google will go through your message and find the date and time, so no need to worry about saying anything in a specific order, or in a particular format.”
• Finally, hang up.

Jott will create your appointment and send an e-mail confirmation to your stored address. This has the potential to make Google Calendar more useful because making appointments no longer requires creating a text message or a nearby computer.

Related:

Entry was posted on Thursday, December 6th, 2007 at 6:41 pm under Google.

Read more entries by Matt Jansen.
Stumble It!