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Daily Update for October 27, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
Hallooo computarrrr! Siri not yet compatible with Scottish accents
Let's open with a reality check: Siri is still in beta. Apple's new voice recognition service is just getting started, and many of us have found out the hard way that Apple's definition of "beta" is closer to what many other developers would call "alpha." That having been said, The Daily Mail's reports of Scottish accents flummoxing Siri still had us trading Sean Connery jokes back and forth in the TUAW newsroom. According to The Daily Mail, numerous videos have surfaced of Scottish users trying (and failing) to interact with Siri. One tells Siri, "Gonnae no dae that," which Siri interprets as "Going Akila." Siri interprets a Scot's charming "Can you dance with me?" as "Can you dutch women?" Siri's confusion doesn't stop at Scottish accents, of course. My father's wife is from the Philippines, and Siri has difficulty understanding her. I'm quite curious to see how Siri responds to me; my accent has become a somewhat corrupted melange of Pacific Northwest English and New Zealand English. Apple's more primitive predecessor to Siri, Voice Control, correctly interprets my commands only about 75 percent of the time. Somewhat predictably, the paper tries to spin this as a disaster for Apple -- "Disgruntled messages have littered gadget websites and forums" according to the Mail. That response comes across as reactionary and a bit unfair, especially since one of the YouTube videos embedded on the Mail's own page (and embedded below) shows Siri reacting to a Scottish accent with rather impressive accuracy. Of course, another video shows a Scot trying to get Siri to "create a reminder" for close to two minutes without success, so the service definitely has some room for improvement. Despite decades of work, voice recognition software is still basically in its infancy. I think my dog probably understands some spoken commands better than Siri does despite all the work that's gone into the software. Then again, my dog is a genius, and Siri has been in public beta for less than two weeks. Give it some time to scale, and eventually I'm sure Siri will far exceed my greyhound's ability to interpret verbal interactions. It may even exceed my abilities someday -- I have a Scottish friend in Christchurch (hallooo Stuarrrrt), and I can understand maybe one out of every five words he says.
Why Google and Microsoft need to fear Siri
Tech.pinions' Tim Bajarin has opined on why they feel Google and Microsoft hate Siri, citing some excellent sources. As the article states, Google's Andy Rubin told the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, "You shouldn't be communicating with the phone; you should be communicating with somebody on the other side of the phone." Likewise, Bajarin quotes Microsoft's Andy Lees saying it "isn't super useful." The reasons he gives behind Microsoft and Google's dismissal comes down to two no-brainer answers: Jealously and knowing that Siri will develop into such a powerhouse that it will be a threat to business. And, you know what? He's right. Bajarin points out that Siri is a front to some major databases including Yelp and Wolfram Alpha. And, just wait until Apple allows developers at Siri's API. The possibilities will be endless. Even now, like Remember the Milk has done, developers are figuring out ways to make Siri work for them. Siri's future paves the way for similar technology to be introduced across all Apple products. Tech.pinions sees Siri as "the gatekeeper to natural language searching" and urges Apple to acquire as many databases as it can to promote this. I think Apple should open the API to developers. I also think it's more than gatekeeping. I had the absolute thrilling experience Tuesday to watch someone be introduced to an Apple product for the first time. I was in a Verizon store starting the process of switching carriers, and the other woman in there was picking up her new iPhone 4S. It was amazing to see her use Siri for the first time, as the salesman asked for hamburger joints, and Siri responded with several locations. He had her instruct Siri to call her spouse, which it did. She talked for a bit, then started playing with the other features. She called one of her children using FaceTime. I finished my business and left before she did, but watching her morph from skeptic to fan was brilliant. Apple's most likely gained another lifetime customer. And a big chunk of it is that Siri makes an already easy-to-use device even easier. Right out of the package, you can press and hold a button and have Siri do so much for you. My grandmother, who had crippling arthritis by the end of her life, could have used Siri to enrich her life. To circle back to Rubin's quote, you're not just communicating with your phone. You're using it as a bridge to be able to connect with people on the other side of the phone easier. Whoever possesses the technology and ability to do this will be the one to dominate the industry in the future, and right now, the ball is in Apple's court.
TUAW TV Live: Reviewing the iPhone 4S
The iPhone 4S has been out for a dozen days, and it's already proving to be Apple's most popular phone ever. The 8 MP camera takes spectacular photos and video, the speed of the device in both native operations and running web apps is amazing, and Siri has raised the bar for what a smartphone needs to be. On today's TUAW TV Live, I'm going to walk through a lot of the features of this new device, do side-by-side comparisons with an iPhone 4 running iOS 5, talk about Siri in daily use, and -- as always -- take questions from TUAW TV viewers in the chat room. Is the iPhone 4S enough of an improvement over the iPhone 4 to make for a no-brainer upgrade decision? You'll find out in just a few minutes. Below, you'll find a Ustream livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. Remember that you can also join the chat room via IRC, using server chat1.ustream.tv and room #tuaw-tv. If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream App. It's a universal app and is wonderful on an iPad, both for viewing and participating in the chat. We'll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you're seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. Those who can't join us for the live edition will be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Are iPad 2 mic issues causing Siri holdbacks?
Dear Aunt TUAW, This isn't a scientific analysis, but I switched to the Mac in 2004 and have owned every product since without issue. Today, however, I am on my third iPad 2 because the mic keeps dying. It seems statistically unlikely to receive two consecutive iPads with defective mics. The only reason I notice the issue is because I rely on Skype and FaceTime on my iPad. If this is a non-public but real defect then no wonder they don't want to put pressure on using the mic. Is the hardware different by chance? Design issue? Your loving nephew, Brian E. Dear Brian, The fail rates on the iPad 2 have been astronomical. Auntie is on her 3rd iPad as well, but for other parts (specifically the bits that do video out mirroring through the cable connector port). Basically, Auntie doubts that it's hardware limitations holding back Siri deployment on the iPad 2. She believes Apple wants to maintain an exclusive feature on its premiere product. Plus, Siri is still in beta and its capacities are already being strained by iPhone 4S owners alone. Nor does Auntie think that the noise cancellation bits on the iPhone (that aren't on the iPad) play a role here. Does Auntie think Siri will make it to the iPad? Yes. Is it due to microphone issues? Probably not. Hugs, Auntie T.
TUAW TV Live at 5 PM EDT: The iPhone 4S review show
The iPhone 4S has been in the hands of this Apple fan for well over a week, and that's been enough time to get a good feel for the speed and abilities of the newest member of the iPhone family. Today on TUAW TV Live, I'll do some side-by-side comparisons with the iPhone 4, perform a comprehensive deep dive into Siri and answer your questions about the top-of-the-line iPhone. As usual, I'll be starting the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT / 10 PM BST) sharp, and we'll take a few minutes to chat before the demos start. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to learn how to participate. If can't join us live, subscribe to the video podcast and watch at your leisure in iTunes or your favorite podcatching app. Previous episodes are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel. The chat is now available on IRC, too. Join us on server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv.
ThinkGeek IRIS 9000 promises to make 2012 a desk-bound odyssey
The comparisons between Siri and HAL 9000 were pretty tough to avoid, and the folks at ThinkGeek have now come through to do what they do best: take things to a ridiculous extreme. In this case, that comes in the form of the IRIS 9000, a familiar-looking fellow that doubles as a dock for your iPhone 4S. It has a remote that lets you activate Siri from afar, a built-in mic and speaker that lets you interact with Siri (or make phone calls) and, of course, a glowing red LED eye that makes Siri suitably menacing. Now, ThinkGeek has been known to produce some faux products in the past, but last we checked it wasn't April Fools' day, and the company has assured us that this is indeed real and set to be available in the spring of next year for $60. Video of your new favorite desk mate is after the break.
Siri shows up on an iPod Touch, no longer plays favorites in the iOS family
That Siri gal is certainly making the rounds these days. When she's not answering your questions on a 4S, she's showing up on iPads and elder iPhones. Not one to play favorites, Siri's now lending her considerable talents to an iPod touch. Two enterprising young hackers, euwars and rud0lf77, are the ones who put Siri on the iPod, and you can see the results of their labor in the video after the break. Of course, Apple's servers still aren't as friendly as the virtual voice assistant, so Siri's latest cameo remains a silent one -- but some Siri's better than none, right?
Conan O'Brien pokes fun at Siri
Siri is quickly becoming everyone's favorite personal assistant. It helps you navigate, sends messages on your behalf and provides quirky answers to life's most difficult questions like "Where do I hide a dead body?" Siri's capacity for juvenile amusement was not lost on Conan O'Brien who used Apple's Siri commercial as the basis for his latest Apple parody. As you would expect, his short skit pokes fun at the voice assistant's ability to answer just about any question you ask of it. For a chuckle or two, check out the Team Coco video below.
Daily Update for October 24, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
Tidying up location contacts for Siri and Reminders
My personal address book has no shame. I have contacts for people I haven't spoken to in years, contacts for people who I met at tech conferences, contacts for schools, for local stores, for repairmen, and so forth. It's one big old happy jumbled mess. I'm cool with that. When I want Siri and Reminders to be able to trigger a location-based event, I just throw it into my address book where it joins the hundreds of other often sad and neglected entries. I believe this makes makes me a type "N" on Myers Brigg or something like that. Not everyone will be happy with this kind of unstructured approach and an overflowing address book, or this kind of lack of organization. If you want to be able to to set location reminders without messing up your address book, TUAW reader Will Herbert has a solution. On your Mac, launch the Address Book application and create two new groups. Call one Contacts and the other Locations. Drag all your normal contacts into the Contacts group and create a set of location-only contacts in the other. Add stores, offices, dry cleaners, supermarkets, and so forth. These are all places that you don't necessarily want in your day-to-day contacts list. Each of these is still available in the address book and therefore still available to Siri and Reminders. At the same time, they won't clutter up your standard contacts. Score one for the Felixes of the world. The rest of us Oscars will trudge on as we were.
Siri being tested in jailbroken iPad 1
It's been ten days since Siri hit the scene and the virtual assistant is in the process of being torn apart by the hacking community. Siri, as it exists on the iPhone 4S, has been ported to the iPhone 4 and now the iPad 1. Developer Steven Troughton-Smith, who worked on the iPhone 4 port, has shared his progress with @jackoplane who has successfully ported the app to the iPad 1. Several images of Siri running on the tablet device document this achievement. Unfortunately, neither the iPhone 4 nor the iPad port is fully functional at this point. Siri still needs to connect to Apple's servers to work and the servers are configured to accept requests only from the iPhone 4S. Potentially, these devices could be spoofed to look like an iPhone 4S which could open this functionality to jailbroken devices. Jailbreaking and porting may be the only solution for owners of older hardware who want Siri on their iOS devices. It's doubtful that Apple will bring Siri to the iPad 1 or the iPhone 3GS. Apple may not want to support this older hardware and these models may also lack the processing power required for the voice assistant. But as some of you pointed out in one of our latest "You're The Pundit" posts, Apple could decide to bring Siri to the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2 once it comes out of beta. [Via Jailbreakstory]
Hey Dude, Where's my Blog? (Follow up to Blogging with Siri)
If you pop by the blog I set up with Siri, you may notice it's been vaporized. Harsh, Google, harsh. Admittedly it wasn't a particularly edifying blog (didn't have to be, was just demonstrating a tech solution) but there wasn't any spam on it. And I just set it up a few days ago. So I tried contacting Google to see if they could put it back. Guess what? Blogger has basically zero tech support. Couldn't find anyone to talk to, any way to appeal. So as a courtesy to readers, I decided to post a quick follow-up to let you know that choosing Blogger as your blogging-by-voice provider may not actually be the best solution for your web blogging needs. You may want to investigate posting-by-email solutions provided by these vendors instead. Tumblr Posterous WordPress
Siri co-founder Kittlaus leaves Apple
According to a report from AllThingsD, Siri co-founder Dag Kittlaus has left Apple to pursue his own interests. The departure was supposedly amicable and Kittlaus will use his newly-found free time to spend time with his family in Chicago and explore new entrepreneurial ideas. He reportedly left Apple right after the launch of the iPhone 4S and the debut of new and improved Siri speech recognition assistant. His departure won't affect the future development of Siri as other members of the Siri executive team are expected to stay at Apple. Once a stand-alone iOS application, Siri was acquired by Apple in early 2010. The voice assistant is now integrated into the version of iOS 5 that ships on the iPhone 4S. It offers a conversational voice interface that lets you send and receive text messages, search the web, add reminders and appointments, navigate using Apple Maps, get the weather forecast and more.
Siri ported to iPad, still getting silent treatment from Apple servers
Developers wasted no time bringing Siri to the iPhone 4, and nine days later, it's been brought to the iPad as well. This version, running on a first-generation jailbroken Apple tablet, suffers from a similar problem as past non-iPhone 4S ports: it's still not talking to Apple's data servers. This means that until devs manage to get voice commands recognized and initiated, the iPad's unofficial virtual assistant will remain effectively gagged.
Great Siri search commands
TUAW reader Harris Rydal sent in a bunch of terrific suggestions for using Siri's built-in search features without having to do a lot of typing. These are exceptionally useful ways of taking advantage of Siri-to-Safari tasking. Sports scores - Look up the current score for in-progress games and find the team record, last game score, and the upcoming game. Say "Yahoo team name score". Rydal points out "There is a 'Yahoo' here because mobile Yahoo formats the results better than Google." Flight Times - Say "Search the web for flights from City/Airport to City/Airport". In Google, this brings up a list of flight times that day and the associated airline. Movie Times (and Ticket Purchasing) Say "Search for Movie Name showtimes Optional ZipCode", or if Siri will let you, you may get away with simply "Movie Name showtimes Optional Zipcode". You can also "Search for showtimes Zipcode". Rydal points out that if you've set Google in Safari to use your current location, you don't even need to specify an area code. Google's Fandango integration allows you to click the showtime and hop over to the ticket purchasing page.
You're the Pundit: When will we see Siri on the iPad 2?
When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is hands-free operation on the iPad. There's no technical reason that Siri can't run on the iPad 2. The iPad 2 has all the resources iOS needs, and knowing TUAW friend Steven Troughton-Smith's ingenuity, a prototype probably will be fully operational within a few weeks. But Apple has never been all about the hands-free on its iPad line. Unlike the iPod touch and the iPhone, the iPad has never supported Voice Control, aka Siri's older and less attractive aunt. So why isn't Apple pushing hands-free onto its hugely successful iPad? What's holding them back? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions. %Poll-70076%
Creating a shopping list with Reminders and Siri
Cliff Joyce of Pure Blend Software introduced me to my favorite way of putting together shopping lists in Siri. Start in the Reminders application and create a new list. To do this, tap the Lists but-ton at the top-left corner of the application. It looks like three lines on top of each other. Then tap Edit > Create New List ... and enter the name Groceries. Click Done. Once you have added a new list, you can refer to that list in Siri. After creating the list, you can add items to it with simple requests whenever you think of something new you need to buy. Tell Siri "Add eggs to my Groceries list". Siri asks you to confirm the new item. Just say Yes, and Siri adds it for you. When you're at the market, just check off the items as you buy them. Couldn't be easier. One more thing? If you're on a diet, this is an excellent way to keep logging what you eat, a little at a time.
Dear Aunt TUAW: What is this "Voice Control" thing?
Dear Aunt TUAW, I discovered by accident that I can hold down the home button on the iPhone 4 and it brings up Voice Control. I don't remember this being there before. Is this some sort of Siri light functionality for the iPhone 4? I can use it to makes calls and FaceTime someone, but not much else. Your loving nephew, Douglas Dear Douglas, Think of Voice Control as Siri's, well, not Mom...maybe Siri's Aunt? Yeah. Exactly. Voice Control is basically an older, less stylish version of Siri -- far more approachable, slightly less sexy. And with a worse sense of humor. First introduced on the iPhone 3GS, Voice Control offers hand-free dialing and basic music controls. As with Siri, you can press and hold the Home button to bring up the assistant. There you can say "Call Dave at Home" or "FaceTime Steve" or "Next Track" or "Play Songs by Parry Gripp" (Auntie is a huge Parry Gripp fan). When Voice Control is running, recommended, speakable phrases scroll across the screen. You can use Voice Control on the 3GS and later and on newer model iPod touches. If you disable Siri on the 4S or haven't gotten around to enabling it, the 4S uses Voice Control instead. Apple has never really done the whole hands-free thing on the iPad, which is a shame because Auntie thinks that Siri would rock on the iPad, but that's the topic for a whole different post. Hugs, Auntie T.
Call me Ishmael: creating a Siri nickname for yourself
Surely you've heard the joke. You tell Siri, "Call me an ambulance" and Siri responds, "From now on, I'll call you, 'An Ambulance', Okay?" As Leanna Lofte points out in a great writeup over at the iPhone Blog, that this joke can actually be of practical use. You can create a more friendly identity for yourself by telling Siri to call you by your nickname, or simply indulge your monomaniacal streak by instructing her to call you "Master" or "Emperor" or similar. Siri does this by checking out two fields in your primary Contacts entry. The Nickname field takes priority. When you say "Call me 'Master,'" Siri updates your nickname field directly. Keep in mind, though, that the nickname field is considered a canonical part of your contact information, and Fury.com pointed out that if you were to send your vCard to someone else they would see that you prefer to be known as 'Master' -- which, depending on who you like to share contacts with, could be a good thing or a bad thing. Another way to achieve the same result, without adding a nickname to your entry, is to use the phonetic guide fields in your contact record. The Phonetic First Name and Phonetic Last Name fields have been around for quite a while in iOS and OS X. They help you pronounce people's names while calling them. For example, you might enter "Ser Hee Yo" for a contact named Sergio. Siri now uses those fields to override the default pronunciation of your name, as well as for any other contacts that have unusual name pronunciations. You can add these fields in iOS by tapping Edit, scrolling down to Add Field, and then choosing one of the phonetic options.
