So, Siri was originally supposed to be for Android phones?

[Fritzo]

How 'bout that!

http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/23/3...einstalled-on-all-verizon-android-smartphones

Back in 2009, before Apple purchased Siri, Verizon wanted to bring the app to its range of Android smartphones. The carrier signed a contract with the startup behind the voice assistant to preinstall it on all Droid handsets, and even went so far as to shoot commercials touting the feature, but Apple's buyout resulted in the deal being scrapped. By purchasing the company, Apple not only secured the rights to what is now an iconic feature of Apple's iOS products, but also prevented its biggest rival brand in the smartphone space from including similar functionality in its handsets.

In its "Siri Rises" feature, The Huffington Post looks at the full story behind the app, from its beginnings as a US Defense Department research project, to its inclusion as a halo feature of iOS 5, and beyond. The Apple takeover came after Siri co-founder Dag Kittlaus received a phone call from Steve Jobs asking him to meet the next day. After Kittlaus and Jobs sat down to discuss their vision for the future of the technology, Apple made an approach to purchase the startup.

Siri has gone through a lot of changes since becoming Apple property; originally based on 2001: A Space Odyssey's HAL computer, the voice assistant was programmed to be "otherworldy," "vaguely aware of popular culture," and full of "dry wit." Some of that wit, in particular a propensity for using swear words, had to be dialed back for inclusion in a mainstream product like the iPhone 4S. Real-world functionality was also cut from Siri's repertoire: for the release of the standalone iOS app, Siri's developers worked hard on partnerships to bring functionality such as restaurant booking (only recently included in Apple's implementation) to users, something that became increasingly more complicated once the startup was nestled within one of the world's largest companies.

What does the future hold for Siri? Of the three co-founders originally responsible for the software, only one is still working with Apple, and Scott Forstall, who oversaw the integration of Siri into Apple's mobile OS in his role as Senior VP of iOS software, has also left the company. Gary Morgenthaler, an early Siri investor, argues that Apple should expand the humble assistant's capabilities to do for automation "what Amazon has done for shopping," helping out with all of life's mundane tasks. He offers the examples of booking flights, ordering flowers, and offering fashion advice as a small part of what Siri could be able to do for users. Whether Apple decides to take that grand path or continues to add functionality like checking up on sports scores and cinema times, it's clear that Siri, and voice control in general, is a big part of Apple's future plans.

 

[Ichinisan]

Well, I hear that Google Now is better in many ways.

 

[Jodell88]

Google purchased Android. I say they got the better startup.

 

[Farang]

Well, I hear that Google Now is better in many ways.

I wonder if you could start an endless conversation with these two

 

[gorcorps]

Well, I hear that Google Now is better in many ways.

Maybe, but I wish I had more control over it. For example, it tries to "learn" when you normally drive home and will give you an ETA w/ traffic around that time. Problem is my schedule isn't the same all the time so it pops up at weird times. I can't find a way to force it only show said info at a specific time, and it would be much more useful if I could.

 

[bigrash]

Well, I hear that Google Now is better in many ways.

I use both (have an iphone and a nexus 7), and no way in hell does google now come close to siri.

 

[Fritzo]

I use both (have an iphone and a nexus 7), and no way in hell does google now come close to siri.

I agree there. Siri is more robust, but Google Now is more "automatic"...it does a pretty good job of anticipating things in my case.

For example, it pops up traffic alerts when I'm going to and leaving work. I also use it all the time for the eternal "where should be eat lunch" question.

 

[Dirigible]

I have never successfully gotten Siri to work.

 

[Red Storm]

I use both (have an iphone and a nexus 7), and no way in hell does google now come close to siri.

You're right. It's way better.

Seriously though, it is. Google Now automates so many things that I don't even need to ask/set anymore. The voice aspect of both feels like beta software to me, but Google Now goes the extra step with its automation.

 

[rcpratt]

Talking to a voice in my phone - useless

Automation and learning - useful

 

[vshah]

google now told me to leave early for a dentist appointment because of traffic on the route. i left when it told me to (15 minutes early) and arrived with 2 minutes to spare.

 

[waggy]

I agree there. Siri is more robust, but Google Now is more "automatic"...it does a pretty good job of anticipating things in my case.

For example, it pops up traffic alerts when I'm going to and leaving work. I also use it all the time for the eternal "where should be eat lunch" question.

yeah i like those. Also if i search for directions or a place on google maps it comes up on the phone.

 

[Paul98]

Siri's voice recognition sucks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KjOt1ss-0M

 

[Nintendesert]

google now told me to leave early for a dentist appointment because of traffic on the route. i left when it told me to (15 minutes early) and arrived with 2 minutes to spare.

Just get a wife.

 

[Lash444]

Google Now: Dude, don't get married.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

How 'bout that!

http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/23/3...einstalled-on-all-verizon-android-smartphones

Of course - then they realized that the application was targeted towards the mentally handicapped - so they quickly disregarded the Android one and pumped it into iPhones :whiste:

 

[bearxor]

Siri wasn't "meant" for one device or another. Siri was designed as a platform that could be integrated in to anything.

But plans like that tend to change when you get bought out.

 

[rh71]

Siri wasn't "meant" for one device or another. Siri was designed as a platform that could be integrated in to anything.

But plans like that tend to change when you get bought out.

exactly my thoughts... money more important to devs than pervasiveness? Seeing your product used everywhere, literally. FB didn't sell to MS.

 

[Ravynmagi]

I tested Siri on my iPad 4 and Google Now on my Nexus 4 and Siri seemed to give me better information and understand my questions better.

However other than that one test for the sake of curiosity, I haven't used voice search since. And Google Now at least has been useful for other things besides voice search.

 

[openwheel]

thank God Siri ended up else where. Google Now is much better.

 

[Zstream]

google now told me to leave early for a dentist appointment because of traffic on the route. i left when it told me to (15 minutes early) and arrived with 2 minutes to spare.

Seriously? What setup/phone do you have?

 

[ControlD]

I have never successfully gotten Siri to work.

Same here. I tied it for about a week, never got it to work even close to good enough to use on a regular basis. It has sat disabled and unused since then.

 

[Ravynmagi]

google now told me to leave early for a dentist appointment because of traffic on the route. i left when it told me to (15 minutes early) and arrived with 2 minutes to spare.

Yeah, that is where Google Now shines. I think Google knows a lot more about me than Apple does, and Google Now is leveraging that information in pretty good ways that I don't think Siri can match.

So Siri is better at understanding my questions. But Google Now can answer questions before I even ask them.

 

[nickbits]

Same here. I tied it for about a week, never got it to work even close to good enough to use on a regular basis. It has sat disabled and unused since then.

I found it pointless and disabled it. The only thing I found remotely useful was for setting a timer quickly.

 

[TuxDave]

I agree there. Siri is more robust, but Google Now is more "automatic"...it does a pretty good job of anticipating things in my case.

For example, it pops up traffic alerts when I'm going to and leaving work. I also use it all the time for the eternal "where should be eat lunch" question.

Yeah I was thinking that in terms of voice talk/respond, Siri is way ahead of Google Now. When I played with it, Google Now really doesn't understand a wide range of phrases and defaults into chucking them into a Google search.

However, the non-voice related aspects of Google Now (which is consistent with everyone's praise of Google Now) doesn't have a 1st party equivalent