Jump to content

Siri: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Reception: Moved content regarding the reception of Siri from the iPhone 4S article to here
→‎Reception: reinstate "creep", "zero self-respect" from Charlie Brooker piece, per WP:NPOV, reword accordingly - see Talk:Siri (software)#Delete the "abortion" stuff?
Line 75: Line 75:
==Reception==
==Reception==
[[File:Iphone 4s marry siri.png|thumb|Siri offers humorous answers to questions that do not have a practical answer.]]
[[File:Iphone 4s marry siri.png|thumb|Siri offers humorous answers to questions that do not have a practical answer.]]
Siri was met with a very positive reaction for its ease of use and practicality, as well as its apparent "personality". [[Google]]’s executive chairman and former chief, [[Eric Schmidt]], has conceded that Siri could pose a "competitive threat" to the company’s core search business.<ref>{{cite news|author=Eric Schmidt |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/eric-schmidt/8873664/Googles-Eric-Schmidt-Apples-Siri-could-pose-threat.html |title=Google's Eric Schmidt: Apple's Siri could pose 'threat' |publisher=Telegraph |date= November 7, 2011|accessdate=November 23, 2011 |location=London}}</ref> Google generates a large portion of its revenue from clickable ad links returned in the context of searches. The threat comes from the fact that Siri is a non-visual medium, therefore not affording users with the opportunity to be exposed to the clickable ad links. Writing in ''[[The Guardian]]'', journalist [[Charlie Brooker]] described Siri's tone as "servile" while also noting that it worked "annoyingly well."<ref name="guardian gadget addiction">{{cite news | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/01/charlie-brooker-dark-side-gadget-addiction-black-mirror | title=Charlie Brooker: the dark side of our gadget addiction | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=December 1, 2011 | accessdate=December 2, 2011 | author=Brooker, Charlie | authorlink=Charlie Brooker | location=London}}</ref>
Siri was met with a very positive reaction for its ease of use and practicality, as well as its apparent "personality". [[Google]]’s executive chairman and former chief, [[Eric Schmidt]], has conceded that Siri could pose a "competitive threat" to the company’s core search business.<ref>{{cite news|author=Eric Schmidt |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/eric-schmidt/8873664/Googles-Eric-Schmidt-Apples-Siri-could-pose-threat.html |title=Google's Eric Schmidt: Apple's Siri could pose 'threat' |publisher=Telegraph |date= November 7, 2011|accessdate=November 23, 2011 |location=London}}</ref> Google generates a large portion of its revenue from clickable ad links returned in the context of searches. The threat comes from the fact that Siri is a non-visual medium, therefore not affording users with the opportunity to be exposed to the clickable ad links.


However, Siri was criticized by organizations such as the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] and [[NARAL Pro-Choice America]] after users found that it would not provide information about the location of birth control or abortion providers, sometimes directing users to anti-abortion [[crisis pregnancy center]]s instead. Apple responded that this was a glitch which would be fixed in the final version.<ref name="Blind Spot">{{Cite news |work=Slate |url=http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2011/11/30/apple_iphone_s_siri_doesn_t_locate_abortion_clinics.html |title=Apple Says Siri's Abortion-Clinic Blind Spot Wasn't Intentional |date=December 1, 2011 |first=Greg |last=Howard |first2=Josh |last2=Voorhees}}</ref> It was suggested that abortion providers could not be found in a Siri search because they did not use "abortion" in their descriptions.<ref>{{Cite news|work=Gizmodo |url=http://gizmodo.com/5864602/siri-isnt-pro+lifeits-bing?tag=siri |title=Here’s Why Siri Can't Find Abortion Clinics |date=December 2, 2011 |first=Kyle |last=Wagner}}</ref> At the time the controversy arose, Siri would suggest locations to buy illegal drugs, hire a prostitute, or dump a corpse, but not find birth control or abortion services.<ref>{{Cite news |work=Boston Herald |title=Apple sparks Siri-ous debate |date=December 4, 2011 |first=Brendan |last=Lynch}}</ref> Apple responded that this behavior is not intentional and will improve as the product moves from [[Beta (software)|beta]] to final product.<ref name="Blind Spot"/>
Writing in ''[[The Guardian]]'', journalist [[Charlie Brooker]] noted that it worked "annoyingly well". However, he also described Siri as a "creep" who is "servile" and without [[self-respect]].<ref name="guardian gadget addiction">{{cite news | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/01/charlie-brooker-dark-side-gadget-addiction-black-mirror | title=Charlie Brooker: the dark side of our gadget addiction | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=December 1, 2011 | accessdate=December 2, 2011 | author=Brooker, Charlie | authorlink=Charlie Brooker | location=London}}</ref> Siri was criticized by organizations such as the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] and [[NARAL Pro-Choice America]] after users found that it would not provide information about the location of birth control or abortion providers, sometimes directing users to anti-abortion [[crisis pregnancy center]]s instead. Apple responded that this was a glitch which would be fixed in the final version.<ref name="Blind Spot">{{Cite news |work=Slate |url=http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2011/11/30/apple_iphone_s_siri_doesn_t_locate_abortion_clinics.html |title=Apple Says Siri's Abortion-Clinic Blind Spot Wasn't Intentional |date=December 1, 2011 |first=Greg |last=Howard |first2=Josh |last2=Voorhees}}</ref> It was suggested that abortion providers could not be found in a Siri search because they did not use "abortion" in their descriptions.<ref>{{Cite news|work=Gizmodo |url=http://gizmodo.com/5864602/siri-isnt-pro+lifeits-bing?tag=siri |title=Here’s Why Siri Can't Find Abortion Clinics |date=December 2, 2011 |first=Kyle |last=Wagner}}</ref> At the time the controversy arose, Siri would suggest locations to buy illegal drugs, hire a prostitute, or dump a corpse, but not find birth control or abortion services.<ref>{{Cite news |work=Boston Herald |title=Apple sparks Siri-ous debate |date=December 4, 2011 |first=Brendan |last=Lynch}}</ref> Apple responded that this behavior is not intentional and will improve as the product moves from [[Beta (software)|beta]] to final product.<ref name="Blind Spot"/>


Siri has not been well received by some English speakers with distinctive accents, including [[Scottish English|Scottish]]<ref name="Chu">{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/scottish-burr-beyond-siris-recognition-20120203-1qwuy.html|title=Scottish burr beyond Siri's recognition|last=Chu|first=Henry|date=February 3, 2012|work=The Age|accessdate=4 February 2012|location=Melbourne}}</ref> and Americans from Boston or the South.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/siri-lost-translation-heavy-accents/story?id=14834111#.TwdUoZhSH8s Siri Lost in Translation with Heavy Accents.] ABC News. Published October 28, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://news.discovery.com/tech/iphone-siri-accents-111221.html Apple's Siri Dislikes Brits, Southerners.] Discovery News. Published December 21, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.</ref> Apple's Siri FAQ states that, "as more people use Siri and it’s exposed to more variations of a language, its overall recognition of dialects and accents will continue to improve, and Siri will work even better."<ref name=FAQ/>
Siri has not been well received by some English speakers with distinctive accents, including [[Scottish English|Scottish]]<ref name="Chu">{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/scottish-burr-beyond-siris-recognition-20120203-1qwuy.html|title=Scottish burr beyond Siri's recognition|last=Chu|first=Henry|date=February 3, 2012|work=The Age|accessdate=4 February 2012|location=Melbourne}}</ref> and Americans from Boston or the South.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/siri-lost-translation-heavy-accents/story?id=14834111#.TwdUoZhSH8s Siri Lost in Translation with Heavy Accents.] ABC News. Published October 28, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://news.discovery.com/tech/iphone-siri-accents-111221.html Apple's Siri Dislikes Brits, Southerners.] Discovery News. Published December 21, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.</ref> Apple's Siri FAQ states that, "as more people use Siri and it’s exposed to more variations of a language, its overall recognition of dialects and accents will continue to improve, and Siri will work even better."<ref name=FAQ/>

Revision as of 12:58, 2 May 2012

Siri
Original author(s)SRI International
Developer(s)Apple Inc.
Initial releaseAugust 9, 2011; 12 years ago (2011-08-09)
Operating systemiOS 5 and above
PlatformiPhone 4S
Available inEnglish, French, German, Japanese[1]
TypeIntelligent software assistant
LicenseProprietary
Websitewww.apple.com/siri/ Edit this on Wikidata

Siri (Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface)[2] (pronounced /ˈsɪri/) is an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator which works as an application for Apple's iOS. The application uses a natural language user interface to answer questions, make recommendations, and perform actions by delegating requests to a set of web services. Apple claims that the software adapts to the user's individual preferences over time and personalizes results, and performing tasks such as finding recommendations for nearby restaurants, or getting directions.[3]

Siri was originally introduced as an iOS application available in the App Store by Siri Inc. Siri Inc. was acquired by Apple on April 28, 2010.[4] Siri Inc. had announced that their software would be available for BlackBerry and for Android-powered phones, but all development efforts for non-Apple platforms were cancelled after the acquisition by Apple.[5]

Siri is now an integral part of iOS 5, and available only on the iPhone 4S, launched on October 14, 2011.[6] Despite this, hackers were able to adapt Siri in prior iPhones.[7] On November 8, 2011, Apple publicly announced that it had no plans to support Siri on any of its older devices.[8]

Founding

Siri Inc. was founded in 2007 by Dag Kittlaus (CEO), Adam Cheyer (VP Engineering), and Tom Gruber (CTO/VP Design), together with Norman Winarsky from SRI International's venture group. On October 13, 2008, Siri announced it had raised an $8.5 million Series A financing round, led by Menlo Ventures and Morgenthaler Ventures.[9] In November 2009, Siri raised a $15.5 million Series B financing round from the same investors as in their previous round, but led by Hong-Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing.[10] Dag Kittlaus left his position as CEO of Siri at Apple after the launch of the iPhone 4S.[11]

DARPA involvement

With Siri, Apple is using the results of more than four years of research funded by DARPA via SRI International's Artificial Intelligence Center through the Personalized Assistant that Learns Program and Cognitive Agent that Learns and Organizes Program CALO.

This includes the combined work from research teams from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Rochester, the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Oregon State University, the University of Southern California, and Stanford University. This technology has come a long way with dialog and natural language understanding, machine learning, evidential and probabilistic reasoning, ontology and knowledge representation, planning, reasoning and service delegation.[12]

iPhone application

Siri was launched first as an application available on Apple's App Store in the US. It integrated with services such as OpenTable,[13] Google Maps,[14] MovieTickets and TaxiMagic.[15] Using voice recognition technology from Nuance[16] and their service partners, users could make reservations at specific restaurants, buy movie tickets or get a cab by dictating instructions in natural language to Siri. Siri was acquired by Apple on April 28, 2010,[4] and the original application ceased to function on October 15, 2011.[17]

iOS integration

File:Iphone 4S showing Siri.jpg
The Siri feature shown on a White iPhone 4S
Main article: Siri on the iPhone 4S

On October 4, 2011, Apple introduced the iPhone 4S with their implementation of Siri.[18] The new version of Siri is integrated into iOS, and offers conversational interaction with many applications, including reminders, weather, stocks, messaging, email, calendar, contacts, notes, music, clocks, web browser, Wolfram Alpha, and maps.[3] Currently, Siri only supports English (US, UK, Australian), German, French, and Japanese,[19] and has limited functionality outside the US.[20]

After announcing that Siri is included with the iPhone 4S, Apple removed the existing Siri app (which ran on all iPhone models) from the App Store.[21]

Independent developers claim that they have ported Siri into the iPhone 4.[22][23] However, some news sites suggest that the videos posted by the developers as "proof" only show the user interface of the Siri software, and not the voice commands, implying that developers haven't been able to port the application with full functionality.[24] However, new reports from January 2012 suggest that independent developers have succeeded in porting Siri into the iPhone 4, iPod Touch, and iPad. i4Siri.com, a United States based team, have demonstrated Siri working as intended on the iPhone 4, iPod Touch, and iPad, communicating without the Apple servers.[25]

In later January 2012, independent developers have successfully created and distributed a legal port of Siri to older devices that are not authorized to use it by Apple.[26] The port, however, requires you have special authorization keys from another iPhone 4S, and that this authorization be exploited in the form of a proxy server.

Research and development

Siri is a spin-out from the SRI International Artificial Intelligence Center, and is an offshoot of the DARPA-funded CALO project.[27][28]

Siri's primary technical areas focus on a Conversational Interface, Personal Context Awareness, and Service Delegation.[29]

Siri's speech recognition engine is thought to be provided by Nuance Communications, a speech technology company, although this has not been officially acknowledged by either Apple or Nuance.[30]

The United Kingdom male voice is called "Daniel" and is voiced by Jon Briggs, a former technology journalist. The voice was recorded for Scansoft, who merged with Nuance Communications, a company that is thought to be working on Siri with Apple.[31]

The original Siri application relied upon a number of partners, including:

The sources in Apple's implementation of Siri differ from the original iPhone application. It integrates with default iOS functionality, such as contacts, calendars and text messages. It also supports search from Google, Bing, Yahoo, Wolfram Alpha and Wikipedia.[1] Siri also works with Google Maps and Yelp! search in the United States only.[1]

Reception

File:Iphone 4s marry siri.png
Siri offers humorous answers to questions that do not have a practical answer.

Siri was met with a very positive reaction for its ease of use and practicality, as well as its apparent "personality". Google’s executive chairman and former chief, Eric Schmidt, has conceded that Siri could pose a "competitive threat" to the company’s core search business.[33] Google generates a large portion of its revenue from clickable ad links returned in the context of searches. The threat comes from the fact that Siri is a non-visual medium, therefore not affording users with the opportunity to be exposed to the clickable ad links.

Writing in The Guardian, journalist Charlie Brooker noted that it worked "annoyingly well". However, he also described Siri as a "creep" who is "servile" and without self-respect.[34] Siri was criticized by organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and NARAL Pro-Choice America after users found that it would not provide information about the location of birth control or abortion providers, sometimes directing users to anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers instead. Apple responded that this was a glitch which would be fixed in the final version.[35] It was suggested that abortion providers could not be found in a Siri search because they did not use "abortion" in their descriptions.[36] At the time the controversy arose, Siri would suggest locations to buy illegal drugs, hire a prostitute, or dump a corpse, but not find birth control or abortion services.[37] Apple responded that this behavior is not intentional and will improve as the product moves from beta to final product.[35]

Siri has not been well received by some English speakers with distinctive accents, including Scottish[38] and Americans from Boston or the South.[39][40] Apple's Siri FAQ states that, "as more people use Siri and it’s exposed to more variations of a language, its overall recognition of dialects and accents will continue to improve, and Siri will work even better."[1]

Despite many functions still requiring the use of the touchscreen, the National Federation of the Blind describes the iPhone as "the only fully accessible handset that a blind person can buy".[41]

In March 2012, Frank M. Fazio filed a class action lawsuit against Apple on behalf of the people who felt misled about the capabilities of Siri and failing to function as depicted in Apple's Siri commercials. Fazio filed the lawsuit in California and claimed that the iPhone 4S is merely a "more expensive iPhone" if Siri fails to function as advertised.[42][43]

Geographic limitations

As of January 2012, Siri's functionality is limited in most countries, with maps and local search with Yelp only being available within the United States. For example, asking Siri in the United Kingdom to list local businesses, to navigate somewhere, or to give traffic information, elicits the reply "I can only look for businesses, maps and traffic in the United States, and when you're using U.S. English. Sorry about that." Using Siri within the United States with the English voice (Daniel) elicits a similar response - despite the user's geographic location. Apple intends to add support for additional languages later in 2012, including Chinese, Korean, Italian and Spanish.[44]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Apple - Siri - Frequently Asked Questions". Apple Inc. October 4, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  2. ^ "Is Apple "Siri"-ous About Search?" (PDF). Barclays Capital.
  3. ^ a b "iPhone 4S - Ask Siri to help you get things done". Apple. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Scoble, Robert (April 28, 2010). "Breaking News: Siri bought by Apple". Scobleizer.com. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  5. ^ Timothy Hay (February 5, 2010). "Siri Inc. Launches 'Do Engine' Application For iPhone". Dow Jones Newswire. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  6. ^ Darren Murph (October 4, 2011). ""iPhone 4S hands-on!". Engadget. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  7. ^ http://www.iphonestuffs4u.com/how-to-install-siri-on-iphone-4-ipod-touch-4g-without-proxy/
  8. ^ Jake Smith (November 8, 2011). "Apple confirms Siri isn't coming to any other devices as of now | 9to5Mac | Apple Intelligence". 9to5Mac. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  9. ^ Lardinois, Frederic (October 13, 2008). "Semantic Stealth Startup Siri Raises $8.5 Million". Readwriteweb.com. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  10. ^ A Personal Assistant on Your iPhone.
  11. ^ "Siri co-founder leaves Apple following iPhone 4S launch". AppleInsider. October 24, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  12. ^ "Why is Siri important". Brian Roemmele. October 10, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2001.
  13. ^ "Siri Personal Assistant: A Voice App That Lets You Speak to OpenTable". OpenTable. February 19, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  14. ^ "Siri for iPhone is like the proverbial Genie in a bottle". TUAW. February 5, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  15. ^ "Siri iPhone App Uses Speech-Recognition Technology To Organize Your Social Life". Gizmodo. February 5, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  16. ^ "Siri: Your Personal Assistant for the Mobile Web". ReadWriteWeb. February 4, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  17. ^ "The Original Siri App Gets Pulled From The App Store, Servers To Be Killed". TechCrunch. October 4, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  18. ^ Apple (May 31, 2011). "Apple iPhone 4S event: as it happened". London: Telegraph. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  19. ^ Viticci, Federico (September 27, 2011). "Apple Officially Unveils Siri Voice Assistant – Supports English, French, German, and Japanese,". Macstories.net. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  20. ^ Viticci, Federico (October 14, 2011). "There Are Some Siri Limitations Outside The US". Macstories.net. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  21. ^ Danny Sullivan. "With New Siri Promised For iPhone 4S, Apple Pulls Existing Siri From App Store, and all existing Siri servers will be stopped on October 15th".
  22. ^ Mark Gurman (October 14, 2011). "Siri voice command system ported from iPhone 4S to iPhone 4 (video) | 9to5Mac | Apple Intelligence". 9to5Mac. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  23. ^ Ahmed Omar. "Siri Ported Successfully To The iPhone 4 (VIDEO)". Cydiahelp.com. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  24. ^ "Un hacker irlandais prétend porter Siri sur iPhone 4". lemondeinformatique.fr. October 18, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2011. Cependant, aucune des vidéos, celle de Steve Troughton-Smith ou celle de 9-to-5 Mac, ne montre Siri en action ou ne présente un utilisateur essayant d'interagir avec les commandes vocales de Siri (However, neither video shows Siri in action or does a user attempting to interact with voice commands Siri)
  25. ^ Mark Gurman. "Siri hacked to fully run on the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, iPhone 4S vs iPhone 4 Siri showdown video (interview) | 9to5Mac | Apple Intelligence". 9to5Mac. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  26. ^ Perez, Sarah (December 27, 2011). "Spire: A New Legal Siri Port For Any iOS 5 Device". Techcrunch. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  27. ^ ACM Transactions on Intelligent Systems and Technology (ACM TIST)
  28. ^ Berry, Pauline M.; Gervasio, Melinda; Peintner, Bart; Yorke-Smith, Neil (July 2011), "PTIME: Personalized assistance for calendaring", ACM TIST, 2 (4), doi:10.1145/1989734.1989744
  29. ^ "What is Siri? Apple's iPhone 4S assistant explained". October 5, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  30. ^ "Nuance Exec on iPhone 4S, Siri, and the Future of Speech". Tech.pinions. October 10, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  31. ^ Warman, Matt (November 10, 2011). "The voice behind Siri breaks his silence". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  32. ^ "Apple Siri". Apple.com. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  33. ^ Eric Schmidt (November 7, 2011). "Google's Eric Schmidt: Apple's Siri could pose 'threat'". London: Telegraph. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  34. ^ Brooker, Charlie (December 1, 2011). "Charlie Brooker: the dark side of our gadget addiction". The Guardian. London. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  35. ^ a b Howard, Greg; Voorhees, Josh (December 1, 2011). "Apple Says Siri's Abortion-Clinic Blind Spot Wasn't Intentional". Slate.
  36. ^ Wagner, Kyle (December 2, 2011). "Here's Why Siri Can't Find Abortion Clinics". Gizmodo.
  37. ^ Lynch, Brendan (December 4, 2011). "Apple sparks Siri-ous debate". Boston Herald.
  38. ^ Chu, Henry (February 3, 2012). "Scottish burr beyond Siri's recognition". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  39. ^ Siri Lost in Translation with Heavy Accents. ABC News. Published October 28, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  40. ^ Apple's Siri Dislikes Brits, Southerners. Discovery News. Published December 21, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  41. ^ New iPhone a breakthrough for blind people. Denver Post. Published October 14, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  42. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/were-apples-siri-ads-false-and-misleading/2012/03/13/gIQAtBBWGS_story.html?tid=pm_business_pop
  43. ^ http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/03/12/so-sirious-iphone-user-sues-apple-over-voice-activated-assistant/
  44. ^ Slash Lane. "Siri functionality limited outside US, but Apple promises updates in 2012".

Template:Computable knowledge

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siri&oldid=490290897"