siri

Apple job posting wants to 'refresh and refine' Siri

It's no secret Apple's still in the process of fine-tuning its virtual voice assistant Siri, and a recent job posting confirms there's still much work to be done.

The company is looking for someone to "refresh and refine existing Siri dialog," according to the posting for a Siri writer/editor, as well as expand what the software can do.

"Siri's known for 'her' wit, cultural knowledge, and zeal to explain things in engaging, funny, and practical ways," the posting, which was spotted by 9to5Mac, reads. "The ideal candidate is someone who … Read more

Control your lights using Siri and a WeMo Switch

There are plenty of creative hacks you can use to control a random appliance or two in your house with Apple's Siri, but most of them take some level of programming and hardware expertise to accomplish.

I've come up with a less tech-savvy way to use Siri to control a lamp, or anything that plugs in. You'll only need to know how to give Siri a command after everything is set up.

To get started you'll need a Belkin WeMo Switch and an IFTTT (for "if this, then that") account. Provided by the WeMo … Read more

Trouble hearing that caller? Phone captions your calls

LAS VEGAS--My stepfather doesn't have the best hearing, and phone calls can be a trial. He tends to crank the speakerphone volume to MAX.

Clarity, a division of Plantronics, is trying to help the tens of millions of people with hearing loss with its new Ensemble phone, which displays real-time captions of what the other person on the line is saying.

Developed with ClearCaptions, the Ensemble is an amplified phone with a 7-inch touch-screen tablet display for the captions.

While there are other caption phones on the market, the Ensemble is being billed as the first of its kind with a tablet interface, and is on display at CES 2013. … Read more

Siri behaves slightly better in iOS 6, says analyst

Is Siri more responsive in iOS 6 than she was in iOS 5?

A new study from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster uncovered a slight improvement in the voice assistant in the latest version of iOS.

Based on the analyst's testing, Siri understood 91 percent of queries under iOS 6, compared with 89 percent in iOS 5. Further, Siri correctly answered 77 percent of those queries under iOS 6, versus 76 percent in iOS 5.

In general, Siri was adept at finding local businesses and understanding operating system commands but not so good at tracking down general information or … Read more

How to trick Siri into using Google Maps

Much has been made of the general suckiness of Apple Maps, but, hey, we're stuck with it, right? If you ask Siri for directions, that's gonna be her go-to app.

Turns out, it doesn't have to be. As discovered by JailbreakNation, there's a simple way to trick Siri into using Google Maps for directions. Sort of.

All you do ask for directions like you normally would, but tack on "via transit." So, for example, to find the nearest Starbucks, you'd say, "Take me to the nearest Starbucks via transit."

What happens … Read more

Watch Siri open a garage door

Despite owning an iPhone 5 for several months, I find myself using Siri only when someone else wants to see how it works.

A video created by a Raspberry Pi enthusiast motivates me to learn about Siri's unadvertised side -- as a place where hackers can use special software to teach Apple's voice assistant new commands. One such person found a compelling use for the $35 Linux-based Pi and Siri: the ability to open a garage door with a push of a button and a simple spoken sentence. … Read more

Mac and Siri becoming popular as baby names

Technology is trying to take over the world with as much grace as it can.

Sometimes, though, its influence can seem overt, especially when it steps onto the hairy, scabby toes of traditional thinking.

Earlier this week, there were unconfirmed rumors that a baby had been named Hashtag.

But, even if true, this is likely a one-off.

What is more important are societal trends. So my epiglottis was temporarily blocked with excitement on hearing that more and more parents are naming their children after Apple products.

I gurgle with delight at the information offered by Babycenter.com that "iBabies&… Read more

Copyright scare spreads on Facebook

Tuesday's CNET Update has a cyber-shopping hangover:

Today's tech news roundup looks at the Cyber Monday shopping surge and how Amazon's Kindle Fire was a hot seller.

Also, don't be fooled by the status updates spreading on Facebook about copyright. It's a hoax. Nothing that you put in your status message will change the policies you agree to when you sign up for an online service.

In Apple news, iPhone owners can use Siri in some Chevy cars next year, with Chevy MyLink. And the new iMac all-in-one desktops will be on sale Friday.

And … Read more

Siri to make automobile debut on Chevy Spark, Sonic

Siri's full functionality is coming to two Chevrolet cars next year, General Motors announced today at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.

Siri will be available to customers who buy the Chevrolet Spark and Sonic. The virtual personal assistant connects wirelessly with the Chevy MyLink infotainment system and allows people with the iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 with iOS 6 to perform a host of Siri-related tasks.

According to Chevrolet, Siri will be available in Eyes Free mode, letting users make voice-activated calls, access their calendars, and listen to and compose text messages. However, Eyes Free mode won't … Read more