Submitted by Marshall Walker on
Siri isn't known for having a winning personality, but a new jailbreak tool can help you give her some pizzazz. The Siri Background Cydia Tweak allows you to spice up Siri's old boring grey background with new wallpaper. Just use any picture from your Camera Roll to change the background, and it will seem like you have an all new personal voice assistant.
Submitted by Marshall Walker on
I've had a few weeks to get acquainted with Siri and I have to admit she's pretty useless to me. I'm tired of her telling me, "I don't know what you mean by..." because she doesn't understand my lisp, or because I tend to mumble. I've struggled to have her set reminders and direct me to friend's homes, and it seems like her solution for everything is doing a web search. Thanks Siri, but I know how to Google!
I know Siri is in beta right now and she is only going to get better, but I don't think she will ever be a useful tool for me personally. Maybe I'm just not creative enough to use her to her full potential or I just feel weird talking to my phone. Whatever our problem is, I hope things work out between us professionally in the future, but until then we can at least have a little fun right?
Submitted by Marshall Walker on
iOS hackers chpwn and Ryan Petrich have released Spire, a new installer that will bring Siri to your jailbroken iOS device without any copyright concerns. Spire is available in Cydia right now, but uses 100 MB of data, so make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi before installing. You will also need to enter your own proxy server address for it to work. Chpwn created a list of suggestions in case you need help.
If you already own an iPhone 4S or know someone else who does, setting up a proxy should be easier. If you do not have access to an iPhone 4S you will have to be more creative. Chpwn admits Spire is "far from perfect" but it's a positive step towards bringing Siri to other iOS devices besides the iPhone 4S.
Submitted by Bob Bhatnagar on
If installing full Siri functionality on the iPhone 4 sounds too good to be true, that's because it is. A new software package claiming to make Siri run on a jailbroken iPhone 4 has appeared on a repository that Cydia warns against. The package is called H1Siri, and there are a few reasons why you should stay away.
Not only does the repository containing H1Siri contain cracks and other illegal software, but the package itself comes from an unknown developer. Apparently a Chinese group dubbed CD-Dev Team is behind the Siri port, but the software illegally uses parts of Apple's copyrighted code.
Submitted by Marshall Walker on
Siri still has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. According to the German website Macerkopf.de, iOS 5.1 will enable Siri to control your iPhone's hardware by the end of this year. This should allow Siri to do more than tell you where the nearest coffee shop is located by giving the voice assistant more control over your device.
If true, iPhone 4S users will be able to ask Siri to do things like shoot video, or turn off their Bluetooth when they get home from the office. Macerkopf.de isn't known for the most accurate iPhone predictions, but Apple needs to do something to make Siri more useful. I know the novelty of the voice assistant has worn off for some.
