Though you wouldn't know it by looking at the homepage for Voice Command at Microsoft, Voice Command for Windows Mobile 5 has been upgraded to version 1.6. New in version 1.6, some great new features:

• New! Bluetooth hands free control: Bluetooth hands free control enhances your hands free eyes free experience and adds privacy to your spoken notifications. Now you can initiate a Voice Command interaction using a Bluetooth headset and some Hands free car kits*. You can also receive spoken notifications in a whisper mode through the Bluetooth headset keeping you privately up to date
• New! Spoken Email notifications: You can now configure Voice Command to speak the subject and sender of incoming email messages and the content of SMS messages as they arrive

Also notable, but less important to Treo users, is that Voice Command 1.6 appears to work on Smartphone-edition phones as well as PocketPC edition phones.

The software currently only appears to be available at the Handango software store for WM5, though I'm sure it will be added to other locations soon.

The Treo 700w and 700wx both ship with Voice Command version 1.5 free of charge. The upgrade to version 1.6 costs $39.99. I'm installing it now and will update this story in just a bit once I've given it a try.

Update: Well, don't go spending your pennies just yet, Treo owners. So far on the WX the added features that actually work are, uh, not much. Voice dialing over bluetooth doesn't seem to work for me. I'll continue to test and gather information, though. -- Dieter

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