Microsoft promises "eyes-free" mobile access

It seems Microsoft could be following Yahoo into the world of voice-enabled search: the company has released a research paper which shows its been working on a product called BlindSight, which promises “eyes-free access to mobile phones”.

Microsoft, along with the University of California, is looking into ways to recover information, like checking a calendar or contacts list, while you’re on a conversation and can’t look at your phone screen. Instead, the idea is you get is the details delivered audibly, while you carry on your conversation.

I can’t decide if this is a great idea or an awful one – no need to ring someone back while you dig out that phone number you promised, which is handy, but then again do you really want to be trying to listen to that phone number in one ear and a conversation in another?