Featuring an interesting “Voice Actions” update to the Voice Search that the Android operating system had earlier integrated, Google rolled out the next generation of voice control for the Android OS, in San Francisco on Thursday.

As per the details forwarded by the company, the “Voice Actions” application will essentially enable owners of the Android handsets to use voice commands for getting the devices to accomplish certain tasks like sending emails or fetching driving directions.

Specifically speaking, the voice commands that are a part of the “Voice Actions” program include: telling Android-based handsets to call specified contacts, play requested songs, search websites, map directions, and send email or text messages.

Noting that the “Voice Actions” program will only be compatible with smartphones running on the latest Android 2.2 ‘Froyo’ software, Google product manager Hugo Barra and engineering manager Dave Burke said in a Thursday blog post: “Voice Actions are a series of spoken commands that let you control your phone using your voice.”

The post further said: “Even though our phones do all these new things, the most natural way of interacting with a phone remains what it always has been: speaking.”

According to Google, “Voice Actions” are initially available only for English speakers. While the Motorola-Verizon Droid 2 handsets will boast the pre-installation of the program; for other handsets running on updated Froyo software, the program can be installed by downloading an application from the Android Market.