The new Apple iPhone 4S can do more than just check e-mail and make phone calls. It’s also turning into a new — sometimes sassy, often entertaining — digital friend for millions of consumers.
The most touted new feature, the Siri personal digital assistant, has, hidden in the software, dozens of humorous responses to silly questions.
Consumers are asking Siri for dates, marriage, sexual advice, math equations and even crazy stuff like where to hide a dead body.
To their surprise: Siri usually has an answer.
Comedian Stephen Colbert opened his Colbert Report Tuesday night on Comedy Central asking Siri, in jest, to write his show for him. Musician Jonathan Mann wrote an online duet this week with Siri, which has burned up the YouTube charts so far with more than 400,000 views.
Apple declined to comment. But Apple engineers apparently thought of every possible answer in programming Siri. “If you mention sex in any way, it takes you to an escort service,” says Mann, who used about every potential Siri answer to comedic effect in his Duet with Siri. Pretty funny.
Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, figures Siri has “tens of thousands” of answers to choose from. “Siri is linked to a very powerful set of databases,” he says.
The response from consumers to Siri was to be expected, he adds. “I would have been shocked if they didn’t respond this way. People are curious, and they say curious things.”
USA TODAY told Siri it loved her. The answer: “Oh stop.”
Meanwhile, availability for the new iPhone 4S is still elusive. Apple sold 4 million of the phones worldwide last weekend, but phones have been hard to come by since. Availability through Apple’s online store promises a wait of one to two weeks for delivery. The wait is much longer with the wireless carriers. Verizon has waits that range from Oct. 28 to Nov. 4 for iPhones, while AT&T promises delivery in 21 to 28 days. Sprint is totally sold out of the 16-GB model, which sells for $199 with a two-year contract, but promises delivery of the more expensive 32-GB model for $299 in two weeks.
Cluley was able to send an e-mail and text message from an ostensibly locked phone, and pointed out that he could have also changed calendar appointments. While he said it was good of Apple to include the option to lock Siri up, he expressed disappointment that the company didn’t ship Siri with the more secure options on default.
This isn’t a security flaw, per se, more like a security heads-up. There are certainly scenarios where being able to use Siri without needing to input your passcode would be very useful, but consumers should always think about the potential ways that they could endanger their safety in the name of convenience.
All about iPhones:
The most touted new feature, the Siri personal digital assistant, has, hidden in the software, dozens of humorous responses to silly questions.
Consumers are asking Siri for dates, marriage, sexual advice, math equations and even crazy stuff like where to hide a dead body.
To their surprise: Siri usually has an answer.
Comedian Stephen Colbert opened his Colbert Report Tuesday night on Comedy Central asking Siri, in jest, to write his show for him. Musician Jonathan Mann wrote an online duet this week with Siri, which has burned up the YouTube charts so far with more than 400,000 views.
Apple declined to comment. But Apple engineers apparently thought of every possible answer in programming Siri. “If you mention sex in any way, it takes you to an escort service,” says Mann, who used about every potential Siri answer to comedic effect in his Duet with Siri. Pretty funny.
Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, figures Siri has “tens of thousands” of answers to choose from. “Siri is linked to a very powerful set of databases,” he says.
The response from consumers to Siri was to be expected, he adds. “I would have been shocked if they didn’t respond this way. People are curious, and they say curious things.”
USA TODAY told Siri it loved her. The answer: “Oh stop.”
Meanwhile, availability for the new iPhone 4S is still elusive. Apple sold 4 million of the phones worldwide last weekend, but phones have been hard to come by since. Availability through Apple’s online store promises a wait of one to two weeks for delivery. The wait is much longer with the wireless carriers. Verizon has waits that range from Oct. 28 to Nov. 4 for iPhones, while AT&T promises delivery in 21 to 28 days. Sprint is totally sold out of the 16-GB model, which sells for $199 with a two-year contract, but promises delivery of the more expensive 32-GB model for $299 in two weeks.
Cluley was able to send an e-mail and text message from an ostensibly locked phone, and pointed out that he could have also changed calendar appointments. While he said it was good of Apple to include the option to lock Siri up, he expressed disappointment that the company didn’t ship Siri with the more secure options on default.
This isn’t a security flaw, per se, more like a security heads-up. There are certainly scenarios where being able to use Siri without needing to input your passcode would be very useful, but consumers should always think about the potential ways that they could endanger their safety in the name of convenience.
All about iPhones:
- Apple iPhone 4S' Siri says the darnedest things
- Are iOS 5 and iPhone 4S already outdated?
- iPhone 5 rumors start up again
- IOS 5 bricked two of Steve Wozniak’s Iphones
- iOS 5 vs. the Galaxy Nexus and Android 4.0
- Motorola Droid RAZR vs Apple iPhone 4S
- TeliaSonera exec questions Apple’s supremacy
- iPhone 5 Customize Siri to Post to Facebook, Twitt...
- iPhone 5 Release Date: Despite Record Sales
- iCloud and the iPhone 4S in the enterprise
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