Siri

Inside Google's sci-fi search experiments

The familiar whistle of a smartphone notification told me that Paco was hungry. The dog's face had appeared on my screen, as it did eight or so times a day, to remind me to fill out a form. And I had an interest in feeding the beast -- my answers would help set the course for Google's evolution as a mobile search company.

Paco isn't a real dog, of course. The name is short for Personal Analytics Companion. It's an app that Google's user experience researchers rely on for their many studies about the search … Read more

When Apple got serious about software patents

Apple's exploits in the world of software patents are under close scrutiny, and with good reason. Every few weeks new applications are unearthed providing possible clues to future products, or insights into what's already been released.

In recent years though, the focus has been less about products and more about how Apple can use these patents in court -- or to avoid it entirely. Case in point, just a handful of patents (seven to be precise) were enough to set the stage for a dramatic U.S. court battle between Apple and Samsung, a fight that already has is sequel lined up. … Read more

iPhone 5 is a 'winner,' says Consumer Reports

The iPhone 5 is among the best smartphones on the market, at least in the eyes of Consumer Reports.

Putting the new phone through the paces, CR was impressed with the larger 4-inch display, the thinner and lighter body, 4G LTE access, and "a host of innovative features." Those factors all pushed the iPhone 5 high in the ratings, beating the iPhone 4S as well as a host of Android phones.

Consumer Reports found improvements in Siri, as well as the camera. With the exception of the 41-megapixel camera on the Nokia 808, the iPhone 5's camera … Read more

Apple patent roundup: Siri and flexible displays

Apple has been on a patent tear as of late, and it doesn't appear the company will slow down anytime soon.

The iPhone maker has filed for a patent related to "electronic devices with flexible displays." According to the filing, which was first discovered by Unwired View, it'll allow for mobile devices to feature flexible screens that can match the case design of a respective device.

The patent application, published today, describes a method by which Apple could place a speaker or microphone under the screen. In addition, a keyboard could be modified to handle the … Read more

'My iPhone 5 loves me,' Nathan Fillion tells Conan

Many people love their iPhones, but how many people can say their iPhones love them?

Chatting it up with Conan on Tuesday night, sci-fi fan favorite Nathan Fillion wasn't shy about expressing his feelings over his new iPhone 5. The professed gadget lover told Conan that his phone is so pretty. It's "tiny and light and smart," Fillion said. "And it loves me, it obviously loves me."

But the bond between Fillion and his phone wasn't always so lovable.

The actor confessed that he once had a "contentious relationship" with Siri. … Read more

Siri reporting wrong weather results, users say

Some iPhone users report having received wrong weather reports from Siri when they specify city names found in several states, according to MacRumors' forums.

"I live in New York and every time I ask it for the weather it gives me the forecast for New York, Texas," one user complained. Apple's own support board also includes a few posts on the matter. We've contacted Apple and will update the post when we hear back.

Last week Apple suffered a public relations embarrassment after users discovered glitches in the company's update to its iOS 6 mobile … Read more

New Google Voice Search, Siri are closely matched (hands-on)

This article updates the original hands-on comparison posted on July 2, 2012, to include changes to iOS 6. I also compare Siri on iOS 6 to Samsung's S Voice (found in the Samsung Galaxy S3 flagship phone.

Back in June, Google's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean managed to bring Android's voice actions to the forefront in a meaningful way. Mostly, by dressing up the voice search interface like Apple's Siri, and making voice search available from any screen. (Samsung's attempt for select Android phone, S Voice, falls behind .)

Luckily for Google, Voice Actions was fairly accurate in our tests. Thanks to an iOS 6 update that brings even more capabilities, Siri can do more than Google Voice Actions. That's a definite benefit for iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 users. However, Google Voice Actions' accuracy remains on point.

The two of us, Brian and Jessica, each tested commands on the iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 and on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus updated with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Brian tested the phones in New York and Jessica tested in San Francisco. Here's what we found.… Read more

Turn-by-turn field test: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

We've been hearing a lot of stories around the Web about how the Apple Maps app in iOS 6 is proving to be a poor replacement for the former Google-powered Maps app in iOS 5. Some of the stories say the Apple app doesn't show certain roads that are obviously there in real life, while others say they've followed directions to a destination and found that they didn't end up where they wanted to go.

For the first post in the series, CNET editors Jason Parker and Jaymar Cabebe took the turn-by-turn navigation through its paces … Read more

Apple's Siri trounces Samsung's S Voice (hands-on)

I've updated this hands-on to reflect Siri's new tricks in iOS6; it originally posted June 21, 2012 comparing S Voice on the Galaxy S3 -- which is still current -- to Siri on iOS 5. If you're wondering, tomorrow I'll be comparing the updated Siri to Google Voice Actions.

Voice assistants like Siri, S Voice, Google Actions, and Microsoft's TellMe aren't new, but they are evolving into more mainstream features that can expedite results. S Voice, which launched this summer on the Samsung Galaxy S3, is Samsung's answer to Siri. That also makes … Read more

iOS 6 allows tweets, Facebook posts from locked device

Upgrading to iOS 6? Be careful about leaving your locked iPhone unattended unless you change some settings. Otherwise an unscrupulous stranger could order Siri to send tweets and Facebook posts from your account that you didn't make -- even if your phone is locked.

Apple has added the ability for Siri to interact with Twitter and Facebook from the lock screen, just like you can use Siri to send text messages and e-mails and make calls on a locked device running iOS 5. If you don't want Siri to conduct these sorts of activities while the device is … Read more