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April 18, 2012

E*Trade Releases Voice Command, Other Upgrades to iPhone App

By Oliver VanDervoort
Contributing Writer

Since the newest iPhone (News - Alert) launched, complete with better voice recognition software in “Siri,” there have been a ton of different uses for the program, as well as those that have yet to be designed, such as the ability to use a Bluetooth device with the service. Apple (News - Alert) certainly seems to know it has a winner on its hands as it continues to promote brand new ads that feature the use of Siri by stars such as Samuel L. Jackson.

Other companies see the benefits of better voice recognition on the iPhone 4S as well, and for its part, online investment company E*Trade has launched a new voice recognition program for the iPhone allowing its users to work with the service more quickly and efficiently. 

According to E*Trade, this new addition to their existing iPhone app will allow customers to do everything they were doing by punching in data on the screen, only they’ll be able to do it with their voice. Using this application, people will be able to look up stock symbols, get the latest news on the market or actually make trades all by voice command.

Tapping the microphone at the top of the screen starts the process and speaking the name of a stock will provide the latest quotes. Users who want to check personal account info merely have to say “show me my portfolio.” 

Voice command is obviously the most highly touted addition to the app, but there have been other upgrades as well. The barcode scanning function allows users to take a picture of a barcode from a publically traded company, and see its financial information. iPhone users can now also access specific analyst reports from a wide range of the market’s most trusted firms. 

E*Trade has taken quite a few steps to make their particular app the most user friendly of the big financial traders. Will it pay off in terms of more clients?

Edited by Braden Becker