siri

Bad Siri! She'll let anyone use a locked iPhone 4S

The voice-activated feature on the new iPhone 4S will let anyone use the phone to send e-mails and text messages and make calls even if it is passcode locked, Macworld has reported.

Try it. Grab a friend's locked iPhone 4S, press the button and ask Siri to do something. I was able to send a text message, make a call and send an e-mail, all without knowing my friend's passcode. Another colleague confirmed that she could get an address and a phone number out of the phone and even see the calendar.

There is an easy fix for this situation, which was reported on by Macworld on Friday, followed by security firm Sophos today. In the Passcode Lock settings, switch Siri to "Off" (see below). This lets you continue to use the feature once your iPhone is unlocked, but keeps users from accessing these features when security is enabled. … Read more

An interview with Siri (podcast)

After spending the weekend with Siri, the personal assistant who lives inside the new iPhone 4S, it occurred to me that she would be a good interview subject for my CBS News & CNET podcast. So, I invited her into my studio, plugged her into my mixing board and started asking questions.

In our four-minute conversation, she explained the meaning of life, told me that the Macintosh is her favorite computer, and got a bit indignant when I asked her about her favorite cell phone. It took her awhile to answer my question about the "meaning of life." … Read more

Sassy Siri even performs musical duets

Everyone's talking to the iPhone 4S' personal assistant Siri and posting their favorite exchanges. From witty banter to borderline insults, Siri has us fascinated.

Musician Jonathan Mann, for example, managed to sing a hilarious duet with Siri, which is posted below. Mann uses some of the most popular questions people have been asking Siri, like "will you marry me?" and "what is the meaning of life?"

You'll have to watch the video to see Siri's snarky answers. … Read more

Apple's Siri won't win over Miss Manners

commentary We start by laughing. We go to S**t That Siri Says and chuckle at how asking Apple's new virtual assistant to talk dirty to you generates the response, "Humus. Compost. Pumice. Silt. Gravel." Or, "I'm not that kind of personal assistant." Because, hey, it is funny to hear Siri wax philosophical or crack wise--or utterly misunderstand a command.

But beneath the levity, there's a problem brewing, one that has yet to pop above the surface: the inevitability that soon there will be legions of people talking to their phones in public--and … Read more

How to update Twitter or Facebook with Siri

Even though Twitter is integrated throughout iOS 5, there's one would-be-awesome feature missing: updating Twitter with Siri. If you ask the fine lady to "Update Twitter..." she politely responds, "Sorry, I can't help you with Twitter."

At least, that's what she thinks.

After some tinkering, I set up Siri on my iPhone 4S to not only update Twitter, but Facebook, too. Now when you're driving, on an evening jog, or need a break from the keyboard, you can speak your status updates instead of typing them.

Follow these steps to get started: … Read more

Siri on older iPhones; Apple not listening

Siri may be most at home on the brand new iPhone 4S, but she's up for a little adventure and willing to explore other iOS devices--if you're willing to port her over, at least.

Since the new iPhone and its integrated voice assistant were introduced two weeks ago, there's been talk about getting it up and running on other iOS gadgets, including the iPad and of course, the plain old vanilla iPhone 4.

At first it wasn't looking too good, based on early experiments attempting the portage using an iPod Touch and the Gold Master build of iOS 5. A few of the Apple hacker genius-types out there appealed for patience--just wait until we actually get our hands on the new iPhone, they told us.

They were right, kind of.… Read more

Siri still not working for some iPhone 4S users

Three days after the launch of the iPhone 4S, some users are still running into problems gettings its Siri voice assistant feature to work.

Numerous users on Twitter continue to report that the feature is experiencing connection errors when commands are issued. As before, affected users are saying that the problems are occurring even while they're connected to Wi-Fi, or have 3G coverage, suggesting the issue may lie on Apple's end.

Siri is an iPhone 4S exclusive feature, giving users the capability to talk into their phone to do things like check the weather, set alarms, and search the Web. The feature requires the use of a Wi-Fi or 3G network since it taps into Apple's servers to process and return the commands as soon as they're issued.

The service began experiencing problems on launch day last Friday, with users saying the feature could not connect. Tests on CNET's own iPhone 4S unit could not reproduce the problem, however CNET readers noted in comments on our original story that they too were having issues. Additionally, a now 10-page Apple support forum thread has users experiencing hiccups throughout the weekend. … Read more

The S*** that Apple's Siri says is beautiful

It can be a giddy experience when, on a first date, the lady you met on Match.com turns out to have a tongue saltier than than your Cobb Salad.

You never know, though, whether this is merely a function of nerves, Pimm's or Tourette's.

So it's the second date that truly reveals. This has proved to be the case with Apple's highly intelligent concierge and general factotum Siri.

Earlier this week, one had the impression that here was a woman who was just a little smarter and worldly wily than the rest of us.

But … Read more

Five lessons from Apple's Siri

In each of the last few iPhones, there's been one new feature that's stolen the show. Video recording rocked on the iPhone 3GS, FaceTime entertained on the iPhone 4, and Siri undoubtedly is the star attraction on the iPhone 4S.

Though Apple's phones have long had a Voice Control feature, Siri goes a few steps further. She'll not only follow your basic commands, she'll give you directions and answer all kinds of wacky and serious questions. She's surprisingly intelligent and rather fun.

I've been interacting with Siri for a couple of days, and … Read more