Apple popped out a new pair of AirPods this week. The design looks exactly like the old pair of AirPods. Which means I’m never going to use them because Apple’s bulbous earbuds don’t fit my ears. Think square peg, round hole. The only way I could rock AirPods would be to walk around with hands […]
View More The damage of defaultsCategory: Siri
AirPods 2 could have hands-free ‘Hey Siri’ feature
The AirPods 2 rumors just keep on coming.
Apple rolled out the first iOS 12.2 beta for developers on Thursday. According to 9to5Mac, which made the discovery, there’s a new, hidden setup menu when configuring AirPods with an iPhone. This new screen includes a prompt to set up “Hey Siri” with AirPods.
“Talk to Siri with your AirPods or iPhone by saying ‘Hey Siri’,” states the new iOS setup screen. Once the Siri setup is complete, 9to5Mac says a user’s AirPods will respond to only the user’s voice commands. The process is similar to the “Hey Siri” setup with other Apple devices, like iPhones and iPads. The report also states that AirPods 2 will process the voice commands and send it to the paired iPhone or iPad. That means users could access Siri without having to touch their AirPods or remove their iPhone from their bag or pocket. Read more…
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View More AirPods 2 could have hands-free ‘Hey Siri’ featureIkea quietly rolls out smart shades in Europe
Who said a minimalist home can’t also be a smart home, eh?
Spotted by the blog Zatz Not Funny, Ikea has quietly debuted smart blinds that pair with voice assistants on its German website. That means Ikea customers in Europe will soon be able to c…
Apple’s increasingly tricky international trade-offs
Far from Apple’s troubles in emerging markets and China, the company is attracting the ire of what should really be a core supporter demographic naturally aligned with the pro-privacy stance CEO Tim Cook has made into his public soapbox in recent years — but which is instead crying foul over perceived hypocrisy. The problem for this subset […]
View More Apple’s increasingly tricky international trade-offsHey Siri, this rapper sounds just like you
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Doing a decent impression of Siri is a high-flying goal for some, but a Maryland rapper has nailed it.
Baltimore-based artist and producer Caz, a.k.a. HAZMATCAZ, has mastered the voice of Apple’s digital smart assistant, demonstrated in two viral clips posted to Twitter on Saturday.
First spotted by PAPER, the clip was posted by Twitter user @Erinie_DaBest, and shows Caz giving her best Siri rendition:
After reportedly receiving comments suggesting the video was fake or lip-synced, Caz responded to critics on Twitter.
“For everyone saying that i’m faking the siri you hear in the background is me being previously recorded on someone else’s phone and my friend asked me to do it again,” she tweeted. “I’ve always has a good speaking voice it just came naturally to me one day and i’ve been doing it ever since.” Read more…
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OK Google arrives almost natively on iOS through Siri Shortcuts
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Google‘s latest Assistant update on iOS is packing quite the integration.
The app now supports Siri Shortcuts, which means, with that in tow, you can now say “Hey Siri, OK Google” to beckon Google’s assistant. Users who have the Google Assistant installed will find an update waiting in the App Store, and new users can download it here.
It’s not quite as easy as using the Google Assistant on an Android device like the Pixel 3. On that phone, all you need to do is say “OK Google,” followed by any command you’d like. On iOS, you still need to go through Siri to use the Google Assistant. Read more…
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View More OK Google arrives almost natively on iOS through Siri ShortcutsVolkswagen drivers can unlock their cars with Siri
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Fumbling for your keys is no fun.
Volkswagen has introduced Siri integration on its Car-Net app, allowing owners to unlock and lock their cars with a voice command.
SEE ALSO: Virtual reality training for car assembly line workers feels like a game — but it might work
It works with Apple devices on iOS 12, and once you’re logged into the Car-Net app, you can simply say, “Hey Siri, unlock my car,” to do just that.
Additionally, there are new Siri Shortcuts which allow you to check estimated mileage with your current fuel level, or the amount of charge left in the vehicle. You can also turn on alarms, set the defroster, adjust the temperature, and find out where your car is parked with a command. Read more…
More about Apple, Cars, Transportation, Siri, and Voice Assistants
View More Volkswagen drivers can unlock their cars with SiriSiri Shortcuts app gets updated with weather, alarms, timers and more
Alongside today’s announcements of new iPads and Mac, Apple also rolled out an updated version of its Siri Shortcuts app. The app, first introduced at WWDC, arrived with iOS 12 as a way to unlock Siri’s potential by allowing users to create their own custom voice commands and workflows. Now, it can do a few […]
View More Siri Shortcuts app gets updated with weather, alarms, timers and moreiOS 12 review: Finally, the fear of upgrading is over
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iOS 12
$0
The Good
Lightning fast • even on older phones • A smarter Siri is compatible with more third-party apps • Password management’s never been easier • Notifications are finally grouped by app
The Bad
Screen Time can be confusing to navigate • Shortcuts app isn’t for beginners • Memoji are kind of bland
The Bottom Line
iOS 12 may not have some of the big marquee features of previous years’ updates, but it still delivers massive improvements everywhere it counts most.
Mashable Score4.5
Cool Factor4.0
Learning Curve4.0
Performance5.0
Bang for the Buck5.0
Read more…More about Tech, Apple, Reviews, Siri, and Ios 12
View More iOS 12 review: Finally, the fear of upgrading is overCommitted to privacy, Snips founder wants to take on Alexa and Google, with blockchain
The story could be a harbinger of things to come when voice becomes more and more ubiquitous. After all, Amazon announced the launch of Alexa for Hospitality, its Alexa system for hotels, in June. News stories like this simply reinforce the idea that voice control is seeping into our daily lives. The French startup Snips […]
View More Committed to privacy, Snips founder wants to take on Alexa and Google, with blockchainYou can try Siri Shortcuts today in these iOS 12-ready apps
With today’s release of iOS 12, Apple is also rolling out a new feature called Siri Shortcuts, which allows users to create their own voice commands to take actions in apps. For example, you could create a shortcuts for ordering your morning coffee, playing your favorite music, getting your daily schedule, and much more. In […]
View More You can try Siri Shortcuts today in these iOS 12-ready appsSiri is now trained to recognize your local, weirdly named small businesses
Getting directions to the nearest Starbucks or Target is a task Apple’s virtual assistant can handle with ease. But what about local businesses with names that Siri has never heard, and might mistake for another phrase or the user misspeaking? To handle these, Apple has created libraries of hyper-local place names so Siri never hears […]
View More Siri is now trained to recognize your local, weirdly named small businesses