siri

iPad 3 to be 'significant' refresh with LTE and Siri, says analyst

The iPad 3 will be a substantial upgrade over the current model with a variety of "beefed up specs," says Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu.

Based on information from supply chain sources, Wu says the new iPad will sport a much faster processor, a higher-resolution screen, 4G LTE wireless, and the addition of voice assistant Siri. The analyst believes a robust near-term refresh is due since the the iPad 2 is about to turn a year old.

This week, Apple announced an event for March 7 at which the company is expected to unveil its latest iPad.

Other … Read more

Rumor Has It, Ep. 22: Is Google jealous of Siri? (podcast)

Apple's invite doesn't explicitly say "iPad 3," which leaves us surmising whether the tablet about to be unveiled mere feet from the CNET office will be--drum-roll not necessary--the iPad 2S!

Noooooooooooooooo!

But since the mere acknowledgment of an iPad announcement on March 7 makes me the loser of the game show this month (sad face), we come up with an ingenious plan to find out the true identity of the iPad as soon as it's announced!

No, not by live-blogging or finagling another invite to the event from Apple (pshaw), but rather by filming me … Read more

Motorola: Come see how slow-witted Siri is! Please?

So you work in the marketing department at Motorola. You've just been bought by Google.

What do you do to ingratiate yourself? Why, you tell people that Apple is monstrously sucky.

But this is Google we're talking about. The Google that likes data, even when it comes to suckiness. So you create videos that show-- with quite startling factitude-- that Apple's new sexy siren Siri is the slowest-witted assistant since Baldrick.

I am grateful to 9to5 Mac for finding these films. For, yes, here we have utterly incontrovertible proof that Android Voice Actions-- may I christen … Read more

Will Apple pull Siri rival Evi from the App Store?

Apple may be looking to take down its latest Siri rival for fear of competition.

Launched as an Android App, Evi made its iOS debut in Apple's App Store in mid-January. But after a little more than a month, its days may be numbered.

William Tunstall-Pedoe, CEO of Evi developer True Knowledge, told TechCrunch that he received a phone call on Friday from an Apple representative named Richard Chipman, who apparently handles some of the calls about apps on the chopping block.

Chipman reportedly told Tunstall-Pedoe that Apple was going to remove Evi from the App Store since it … Read more

CNET Roadside Assistance 46: How to cozy up with Siri while driving (podcast)

Siri can be great in car, but you need to do some work to get it to play ball with all your other gear.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 46 SHOW NOTES

Mercedes-Benz integrates Siri in A-Class

Mercedes-Benz is making Apple the core of the A-Class' infotainment system by integrating iPhone applications and functionality--namely Siri--with its electronics system.

The Drive Kit Plus integrates the iPhone with the vehicle's electronics platform. It works in concert with Mercedes-Benz' Digital DriveStyle App to display iPhone applications on the infotainment system screen and let the user access the app using vehicle controls or voice commands.

What applications the users can integrate and control will be up to Mercedes-Benz. The free app will add Twitter, Facebook, and Aupeo Personal Radio (which is like Pandora for Europe) to the vehicle's infotainment … Read more

The least sexy iPad 3 part emerges...maybe

The last few weeks have provided a delightful trickle of metal backings, allegedly belonging to an iPad that Apple has not yet announced or released.

Continuing on that trend, today we get a new look at the device from the other side: the glass front.

As picked up by MacRumors, Apple.pro--the same site that posted images of that neato iPod Nano with a built-in camera--has a shot of the iPad 3's front glass, or so it claims.

There's not a whole lot to look at here (see right) besides what Apple.pro notes to be a … Read more

Google files for patent on Siri-like TV user interface

Google has filed for a patent on a technology that would let users search their program listings with only the sound of their voice.

According to Patently Apple, which obtained the patent request, Google's application describes a method of allowing users to say a voice command through a mobile device. That command is then relayed to a television or set-top box--likely equipped with the company's Google TV platform--that displays the desired information.

According to Patently Apple, the patent describes one implementation in which a user asks, "When is 'Seinfeld' on?" The software on the television then … Read more

Apple is combating Siri ports, blocking unauthorized devices

The hacking community is abuzz with news that Apple has decided to thwart attempts to bring Siri to older-model iPhones. The requirements for connecting your iPhone with Siri has a new element, a token, that has blocked third-party apps like Spire from accessing Siri's database.

The SetActivationToken appears to be the culprit, though it is unclear exactly what the requirement of the device is for this token.

The main concern for users with older iPhones is that the SetActivationToken could signal a focused approach by Apple to stop Siri access for unapproved devices. Though the new token does stop … Read more