[sc:mobile-category ]When the TouchPad 3.0.4 firmware update was release a while ago it added support for non-WebOS phone’s to connect through Bluetooth. This functionality basically allowed the TouchPad to work as a Bluetooth speaker and mic to any phone.
This functionality didn’t really excite me much, but it seemed like it would be convenient if my phone was charging in one room and I was using the TouchPad in another. If a call came in I would be able to hear the ring and answer the call right on the TouchPad. However I have to admit that I really don’t use my mobile phone as a phone very much (the most calls I get is from one very annoying telemarketer that just won’t go away 
).
However one weekend a little while ago I was sleeping in late on a Saturday morning when I heard my phone receive a text message. Normally I would simply ignore this and go back to sleep, but it so happened that I had my TouchPad sitting on my nightstand. It was connected to by HD7 and as Windows Phone sees the TouchPad as a speaker/mic, WP promptly read out the text message to me.
Now I am VERY sceptical of the usefulness of voice control. The vast majority of the time you are in a location that the last thing you want to do is speak a response to a message. However, laying in bed, having WP read the message and then ask what I wanted to do, I couldn’t help but feel like this was one of the few instances where voice control could really work.
I dictated back a response, sent it, received another text response, responded to it and close the conversation, all without even opening my eyes.
While I still don’t see voice control as the end all and be all of user interfaces, I will begrudgingly say that in this instance, it was cool 
.
