siri

At long last, iOS 5 is finally here, two days before the launch of the iPhone 4S.

(Related: We've heard that a number of users have had problems installing the update. Get the latest news on install issues in this post from CNET's Josh Lowensohn.)

Though iOS 5 is not as drastic of an upgrade as we saw with iOS 4 in June 2010, it does offer some much-needed and exciting enhancements for iOS users. A few are quiet and long overdue and others will seriously change how you use your Apple handset.

On that note, perhaps the … Read more

This week, we take a look at what life will be like after Siri for iPhone 4S, check out the latest laptops, and learn how we rescued some game saves from an overheating PS3.

Bonus: Watch the full "Life with Siri" video here.

… Read more

When Apple announced the voice recognition app, Siri, every Android owner was thinking the same thing: we've been doing that for years. Free apps that are available in the Market right now use voice commands to complete everyday tasks like text messaging, sending e-mails, getting directions, and finding reviews.

So while Siri (you know that's "butt" in Japanese, right?) makes its way to the iPhone 4S, grab these free apps and start telling your Android phone what to do right now.

The coolest technology on display at Tuesday's Apple event? Siri, no doubt about it. This new voice-recognition system promises to transform the way we use our iPhones.

Just one problem: you can't have it yet. Apple didn't say when Siri, which is still in beta, will be available, so it could be months before you're telling your iPhone what to do. Update: My mistake. Siri will be bundled with the iPhone 4S, albeit in beta form. Plus, only iPhone 4S owners will be able to get in on the voice-powered action, owing to Siri's steep processing requirements.

If you don't want to wait, or don't want to buy a 4S, try Vlingo. Arguably the "original" voice assistant for the iPhone, this free app lets you accomplish a lot just by speaking. You can post updates to Facebook and Twitter, run a Web search, look up destinations on a map, place a call, and so on.… Read more

When I first heard that Apple had delivered a new, intelligent, and very personal assistant to everyone who buys an iPhone 4S, one question gripped me: Why had the company named her after Tom Cruise's daughter? Was this a neat Hollywood homage?

Then I paid attention a little more and realized she was not called Suri, but Siri.

I am told, though, that most of Japan also paid attention and realized she was not called Suri, but Buttocks.

So many people have sent me the cheeky information that when you say "Siri" in Japanese it means "… Read more

Siri, the new voice technology unveiled yesterday that's coming to the iPhone 4S, may not be such a new idea for Apple after all, at least according to a 1987 concept video showing a vaguely similar system designed for tablets.

Andy Baio over at Waxy posted a video of Apple's "Knowledge Navigator," a concept video put together for the Educom computer trade show in 1987, to be delivered alongside the keynote of then Apple CEO John Sculley.

The video, which cost Apple some $60,000 and six weeks to create from start to finish, features a professor going about comparing research notes and studies, as well as collaborating with others over video chat on a foldout tablet device running an older version of the Mac OS. Included is a plethora of concepty goodness, from touch screens and video conferencing to translucent removable memory that looks like it's straight out of "Star Trek."

But the glue that holds it together is the artificial intelligence assistant: A smooth-talking man who is a dead ringer for Bill Nye, the science guy, has complete conversations with the professor and is able to pull up charts and data based on plain language requests. It was more advanced than the Siri technology we saw demoed yesterday, but there are clearly some shared ideas. … Read more

In retrospect, it shouldn't be a surprise that Apple released a half-step iPhone this week, instead of a revolutionary and redesigned iPhone 5. Think about it--the real reason for the iPhone 4S is the same as for the iPhone 3GS: carrier contracts are two years long.

The 4S isn't meant to be an upgrade for iPhone 4 users--it's a lure to get new iPhone users in the door, and you iPhone 4 folks will get your iPhone 5 upgrade just in time for a new contract. And if you decide you can't wait and spend big … Read more

Missed the big Apple announcement Tuesday? Re-live it with the Buzz crew as we recap the live feeds of Apple's iPhone presentation. Spoiler alert: there's no iPhone 5.

Apple demonstrated an intelligent voice recognition app that turns the iPhone 4S into a personal assistant.

The app, which uses natural language, is still in beta tests. But it will likely become a feature on the soon-to-be-released iPhone 4S. Scott Forstall, head of Apple iOS, spent a considerable amount of time demonstrating the new app at the Apple event in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday.

By simply holding down the home or "I&… Read more