Siri’s first real competition hits Android phones today [video]
Apple’s Siri represents the birth of a new breed of voice-controlled smartphone assistant services, and it is only a matter of time before other companies begin to expand their offerings as a result. While Microsoft and Google undoubtedly work to refine their own voice command services, a new third-party app hits the Android Market on Tuesday that could represent Siri’s first real competition. Cluzee, billed as your intelligent personal assistant, offers Android users a Siri-like service that includes capabilities even more impressive than Siri in some cases. As showcased in a video provided by_Tronton, the company behind the app, asking Cluzee a simple question like “what does my schedule look like today?” will yield a spoken rundown of the user’s schedule. Beyond just listing events, however, the app also includes smart tidbits from a range of data it pulls from the web. In one example, Cluzee adds “to reach the doctor’s office on time, you should avoid Main Street because of construction” following the mention of a doctor’s appointment, using traffic data to ensure the user reaches his appointment on time. Read on for more.
Cluzee can also search deals in line with the user’s buying habits, read emails and text messages aloud, research hotels and flights, find restaurants a user might enjoy based on his or her tastes, convert voice to text to send emails or SMS, and more._”People are drowning in information overload,” Tronton CEO Ashish Patwa said in a statement. “We don’t need all of the information available, all of the time. We just need the right information at the right time, which Cluzee intelligently provides, making us more productive. Technology created the problem, but we’re using smarter technology to solve it.”
Cluzee becomes available on Tuesday for Android phones, and Tronton has plans to launch a cloud-based version in the future that will be accessible from any phone, tablet, computer or internet-connected device. We’ve spent the past day testing the app and it has worked quite well for us so far. The scope of available commands is far more narrow that Siri’s, but there is plenty of functionality in this first public build of the app and we have high hopes for future versions.
Prometheus Xex
^^^ IBM should hook up Watson to all of this.
E2EK1EL
Plabook get Rooted aka Jailbreak
The BlackBerry PlayBook has just become the first rooted BlackBerry device, and developers xpvqus, neuralic, and cmwdotme are preparing to release their rooting tool, dubbed DingleBerry. Neuralic can be seen below demonstrating control over the backlight and other system features, and has shown the device running Hulu in another video.
The video shows the PlayBook running BlackBerry Tablet OS 1.0.8, but neuralic claims the root also works on the 2.0 beta, and that rooting the beta allows access to the Android Market. Rooting persists after the device is rebooted. Besides giving users access to new features, this could mark the first step towards getting the PlayBook to run a custom OS, making the PlayBook more attractive to people who...
E2EK1EL
IP4S could have hardware issues
It has been a month and a half since Apple released its record-setting iPhone 4S and users are still plagued by a series of bugs that has made the device unusable for some. BGR was one of the first sites to report on a troubling glitch that causes audio to cut out during voice calls when using a headset, and many users continue to experience very poor battery life despite the recent iOS 5.0.1 update Apple released to address the issue. Another bug that has not been widely reported in recent weeks involves static sounds that are heard during voice calls, and the issue may be more serious than initially believed. Read on for more.
Thousands of iPhone 4S owners have taken to Apple’s support forum and other forums around the web to complain of a troublesome bug that rears its head during voice calls. According to users, the iPhone emits an annoying “static digital crackling” sound during voice calls.
“[My] wife and I upgraded to new 4s phones. When we talk to each other we both hear the static,” iPhone 4S user Robert Cantrell wrote in a thread on Apple’s support forum with nearly 600 replies._”I tried calling her with my company blackberry and she sounded good as I did to her. We are on Verizon by the way. She called me back later on my sons Motorola phone and she sounded ok but she said I had static in my voice again.” Hundreds of posts from other users detail similar experiences across various carriers in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere.
“It doesn’t prevent me from having a conversation, but it does get annoying on a long phone call,” one user said on Apple’s support forum. Others are not so forgiving, however, and a number of users say they have returned their iPhones after several exchanges failed to resolve the issue.
While initial speculation suggested software might be to blame, recent posts in at least one thread on Apple’s forum suggest the matter could be more serious. Some users have speculated that the sound is actually caused by a hardware issue related to the embedded 3G radio in the iPhone 4S.
“It’s definitely a hardware problem,” a user wrote on Apple’s support board_after performing a series of tests._”If I use the Siri with 3G network, the noise is absolutely happened. But [if] airplane mode is ON and Wifi is also ON, there is no noise. That means a 3G module inside the iPhone 4S makes a noise. I don’t know the technical issue exactly, but the first reason is by using a 3G module.”
“With every app that requires 3G connection (have not testet_[sic] WI-FI yet) the static sound appears when you hold listen on the backside (around the apple logo),” another user wrote. “This seams [sic] like the sound appears when it is connected and loads data.”
Apple has not publicly addressed the matter and BGR has been unable to reproduce the bug during tests performed with two iPhone 4S units.
E2EK1EL
RIM open enterprise tool to iOS and Android
Research in Motion (RIM), seeking to stabilize its enterprise business amid continued challenges from iOS and Android, today announced a new package of enterprise tools known as Mobile Fusion designed to support a broad range of devices at the corporate level.
“We are pleased to introduce BlackBerry Mobile Fusion – RIM’s next generation enterprise mobility solution – to make it easier for our business and government customers to manage the diversity of devices in their operations today,” said Alan Panezic, Vice President, Enterprise Product Management and Marketing at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry Mobile Fusion brings together our industry-leading BlackBerry Enterprise Server technology for BlackBerry devices with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices, all managed from one web-based console. It provides the necessary management capabilities to allow IT departments to confidently oversee the use of both company-owned and employee-owned mobile devices within their organizations.”
Mobile Fusion will provide corporate customers with an array of device management tools, including centralized remote locking and/or wiping of lost devices and enforcement of password requirements.
Apple offers a number of enterprise tools and capabilities for iOS to help companies manage their device deployments, but cross-platform device management services such as RIM's Mobile Fusion target increasingly diverse mobile deployments as companies offer their employees new levels of flexibility in choosing their mobile platforms.
RIM has long been a leader in business mobile platforms, but has been losing ground to iOS and Android as those platforms have caught on with both consumers and enterprise customers. With Apple also gaining traction in enterprise markets with the iPad, RIM has tried to respond with new devices including its PlayBook tablet device, but has so far been unable to slow the momentum of iOS and Android. The company's new Mobile Fusion tools, which are in early beta testing now and scheduled for public launch in March, demonstrate that diversification in enterprise and highlight RIM's efforts to hold on to its relevancy in its key markets.
Google Maps 6.0 for Android adds indoor mapping, more
Google Maps 6.0 for Android was released on Tuesday with several enhancements, the most notable of which is indoor map support. Google hopes the update will help Android users more easily navigate shopping malls, airports and other public spaces. Users are able to search throughout floor plans, too, which means a traveler can search for a coffee shop or the nearest restroom in an airport. Google said floor plans will appear when a user is zoomed-in fully on a building where mapping data is available; the differences between indoor and outdoor maps can be seen in the image above. Read on for more.
Floor plans supported in this initial release include the Mall of America, IKEA, The Home Depot, select Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s locations, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O’Hare Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Narita International and a handful of Japanese retail outlets.
Google also added a new drop-down menu for quickly switching between features within Maps, which makes it easier to jump to Places, Navigation, Latitude and more. There is a new Places home screen as well, which includes popular searches based on your current location. A video of Google Maps 6.0 for Android follows below.
Microsoft reportedly launching Office for iPad in 2012
Microsoft's released a few apps here and there for the iPhone and iPad but has kept one of its prize breadwinners out of the iOS fray. According to The Daily, that all might change in 2012 with the launch of Office for iPad. The publication claims that this new release will play nice with Office 365's cloud-based service, and iPad documents should be compatible with the desktop versions of Office. In fact, this closely mirrors both Office for Windows Phone and iWork on the iPad, with document syncing and compatibility between mobile and desktop apps. Office for iPad's price point also is rumored to be similar to iWork on iOS's $10 per app pricing. The Daily claims a new Office for Mac will be coming out closer to the end of 2012, but the iPad apps are likely to launch much sooner. It looks like Microsoft's big 2012 is getting bigger.
iOS 5.1 Beta 1 Blocks Settings Shortcuts
If you have enjoyed the beautiful iOS settings shortcuts designed by @brdrck, you might want to avoid iOS 5.1 beta. The latest beta release of iOS has resulted in these shortcuts no longer working properly.
In our conversations with Jeff, he notes this block could be a beta issue, and that the final build of iOS 5.1 could still allow these convenient shortcuts. At this point in time, we can only hope for the best. But, the reality is these shortcuts were able to function due to a some gaps in iOS, and Apple has covered them up.
So if you want to keep your iOS settings shortcuts that Jeff painstakingly created, stay away from iOS 5.1 beta for now.
Prometheus Xex
quote:
Originally posted by E2EK1EL IP4S could have hardware issues
...Thousands of iPhone 4S owners have taken to Apple’s support forum and other forums around the web to complain of a troublesome bug that rears its head during voice calls. According to users, the iPhone emits an annoying “static digital crackling” sound during voice calls.
...
I thought it was just me. This happened today and during the conversation the crackling increased as the other party started to fade away... then it kicked back in to normal. I've had this happen a few times now.
E2EK1EL
^^^
I think it's something to do with the new antenna system switching over. I haven't came across this yet, but I'm rarely talking on the phone ... maybe once a month for 30 secs is my max.
quote:
Originally posted by chinamon
how does on acquire beta iOS firmware?
Your phone has to be registered to a Dev account, the iPhone has many layers of security checks and etc during a restore boot up and the actually IPSW can be found all over the web.
E2EK1EL
Cluzee's Real Life Test Run
Prometheus Xex
quote:
Originally posted by E2EK1EL
^^^
I think it's something to do with the new antenna system switching over. I haven't came across this yet, but I'm rarely talking on the phone ... maybe once a month for 30 secs is my max.
Another thing I noticed is WIFI issues in my office. My iPad has full strength, but the 4S is very low. If I'm holding the 4S my WIFI will cut out until I put it back down on my desk. I never had this problem with my 4 and 3S.
E2EK1EL
The Wifi on my 4S is ultra strong, better then the previous models.
Try to reset the network connection and try again; if the problem still occurs, you may have a defective phone and go see apple.
E2EK1EL
Couple of days back, developer and hacker Eric Day released a jailbreak tweak called Siri0us which brought Siri’s Dictation feature that is available exclusively on Apple’s iPhone 4S, to the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and 4th gen iPod touch.
Not surprisingly the free jailbreak tweak quickly became extremely popular with non-iPhone 4S users.
As we had explained earlier,_Day had got the hack to work by relying on Nuance speech recognition system on the device rather than communicating with Apple’s servers and the result is just like using Siri on iPhone 4S.
It looks like Day was making unauthorised use of Nuance’s speech regonition technology and hence has removed Siri0us from Cydia to avoid getting into trouble. Meanwhile his request to Nuance to use the service has gone unanswered. He has tweeted that he will release it again if he finds a another voice recognition service.
In case, you missed it, you can checkout the video of Siri’s dictation feature working on iPhone 4:
