Siri
Siri, the artificial personal assistant for iOS devices, may have some competition from a new Japanese robot developed by Okamura Corporation. At least, that's what we might be saying if not for the tech toy's sticker-shocking price of ¥472,500 (US$5,087). Robotalk is billed as a "friend with functionality" that responds to your voice – head past the break to learn what else it can do. Read More
If you ask someone about Apple's biggest success, you won't likely hear the words "Siri" or "Maps." Siri is inconsistent and still in beta, while iOS Maps was panned for taking a huge step back from Google Maps. A recent report, however, reminds us how important both are to Apple's future: the two services are rumored to be included in the next version of Mac OS X. Read More
As part of its keynote speech on the opening day of this year's WWDC, Apple mentioned that Siri will be featured in vehicles from no less than nine major global automakers. Not only will Siri be making her much anticipated iPad debut, but she'll also be joining you on your daily commute. Apple calls it the "Eyes Free" system. Read More
After decades of trial and error, artificial intelligence applications that aim to understand human language are slowly starting to lose some of their brittleness. Now, a simple mathematical model developed by two psychologists at Stanford University could lead to further improvements, helping transform computers that display the mere veneer of intelligence into machines that truly understand what we are saying. Read More
Sure you've seen Siri work her voice recognition magic on an iPhone 4S, but how about on an older rotary telephone? Davis Remmel took a Bluetooth headset and retro-fitted a rotary telephone to have Siri work as an operator of sorts, catering to your questions and placing phone calls by dialing 1 on the phone. Read More
Developer Brandon Fiquett has hacked Siri on the iPhone 4S to work along with his Viper SmartStart module in order to not only start his car, but also to arm and disarm the car's alarm, lock and unlock doors, and even pop the vehicle's trunk. Read More
When Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S on October 4, Siri was seen as the new iDevice’s biggest selling point and a major carrot to encourage iPhone 4 owners to upgrade. Although Siri originally appeared in the App Store in early 2010 before being acquired by Apple, the assumption was that the new version integrated into iOS 5 relied on the faster processor found in the iPhone 4S for Siri to work her voice recognition magic. Developer Steven Troughton-Smith and Grant Paul have proven that is not the case by not only getting Siri working on an iPhone 4, but also an iPod touch 4G. Read More
IRIS 9000 iPhone 4S dock provides Siri control at a distance
Following the recent release of the iPhone 4S, ThinkGeek has unveiled its IRIS 9000 iPhone voice control module for iPhone and Siri. The dock brings a somewhat sinister feel to the latest iDevice's Siri feature thanks to a red glowing light that mimics the HAL 9000's iconic camera eye from 2001: A Space Odyssey. While the dock won't provide much help in opening the pod bay doors, it will allow users to dock their iPhone 4S and control Siri from across the room. Read More
No iPhone 5 folks, but say hello to Apple's new iPhone 4S
In his first product launch since becoming CEO, Apple's Tim Cook has announced a new version of the iPhone at Apple HQ in Cupertino, California. The iPhone 4S retains the ground-breaking Retina display technology and glass back of its predecessor, but has undergone something of an internal overhaul. Apple's new smartphone gets a brand new dual-core processor, an 8 megapixel camera capable of also shooting full high definition video, and a new personal assistant application that uses voice recognition. The 4S also promises up to double the previous download speeds and will be available on over 100 carriers worldwide. Read More
