Leander Kahney's Blog, page 1491

Use Speakable Items To Bring Siri's Functionality To Your Mac [Video How-To]

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Since the announcement of Siri with the iPhone 4S, countless OS X users have been wondering if Siri will eventually makes it's way to the Mac. Well, you may not know it, but OS X actually includes a Speech Recognition system called Speakable Items, which is very similar to Siri in many ways. In this video, I'll show you how to set it up, as well as how to tweak Speakable Items to your liking.

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10 Third-Party iPhone Apps That Apple Should Integrate With Siri

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One of the biggest missing features from Apple's Siri technology is integration with third-party apps. Apple launched Siri on the iPhone 4S with Wolfram Alpha and Yelp integration, but other developers have been unable to fully integrate their apps with Siri to create a compelling, voice-controlled experience.

Apple hasn't given a confirmation that it will eventually open up Siri to third-party apps, but that hasn't kept several apps from offering workarounds for Siri integration. What about the apps that were meant for Siri? We've collected 10 apps that we want to see integrated with Siri in the near future.

1. Facebook

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There's no doubt that many people would love to have Facebook integration, and it seems like a no-brainer for Apple to eventually implement Facebook's app with Siri. The only thing that may deter any sort of Facebook tie in with Siri is Apple's tumultuous relationship with Zuckerberg and his social network behemoth, but we can still dream.

"Update my status." "Write on my girlfriend's wall." "Play FarmVille with my grandma." Siri and Facebook would be a dream come true.

2. Twitter

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It's odd that Twitter isn't already working with Siri, considering Apple's system-level integration with Twitter in iOS 5. You can tweet from many of the stock iOS apps, but you can't tweet from Siri. What the heck, Apple?

For now, you can tweet with Siri via SMS. But it's not the same! Apple is hopefully working on full Twitter integration with Siri right now.

3. Amazon

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"I want to buy a new computer monitor." "I'm looking for a one terabyte external hard drive." While you can search for items on Google with Siri, integration with Amazon's official iOS app would be warmly welcomed.

Not only would you theoretically be able to browse a quick drop-down of related products in the Siri window, but you would be able to say something like, "Buy the $89 Shure SE215 earphones." Amazon would process the transaction and send you an email receipt like usual. Simple and effective.

4. Pandora

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While you can play and control your music from the stock Music app with your voice, it would be nice for Apple to open up the same access to third-party music services, like Pandora. You could say something like, "Play my Coldplay station," and Siri would automatically access Pandora and start playing the stream.

If similar services, like Spotify or Stitcher, also integrated with Siri, you could theoretically switch Music apps that integrate with Siri in the Settings app. Instead of the default Music app, you could have Siri always use the Pandora or Spotify app. We'll see if Siri's music controls change at all when iTunes Match finally gets off the ground.

5. Wikipedia

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Wolfram Alpha can answer a lot of questions within Siri, but there's some things that are best answered by the trusty Wikipedia engine. You should be able to say something like, "Tell me everything there is to know about Shakespeare," and get a Wikipedia bio optimized for the Siri window.

It would be really cool if Siri could then read you the summary of whatever Wikipedia page you look up, but maybe that's hoping for too much.

6. Netflix

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This integration would ideally work by saying something like, "Play The Big Bang Theory," and then having Siri respond with, "What season?" followed by "Which episode?" Then, Siri would open the Netflix app and start streaming your TV. Or you could simply say, "Play the first thing in my instant queue."

Have you ever wondered if a movie or TV show is available for streaming in Netflix? What if you could just ask Siri? "Is Dexter available for streaming on Netflix?" (Sadly, it's not anymore.)

7. IMDb

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"What movie did Will Smith play in with Jeff Goldblum in 1996?" "Who is the lead in the upcoming Snow White movie?" Full IMDb integration with Siri would be heavenly for any movie enthusiast.

You could also use IMDb to pull up trailers for new movies, or have Siri show you IMDb facts about your favorite actors.

8. Fandango

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Siri integration with Fandango would let you look up movie showtimes and order tickets by simply using your voice. "Find the nearest showings for Immortals tonight." "Buy me tickets for the 7:30 sh0w." Siri and Fandango would then handle the rest.

9. Yahoo Sports

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You can look up sports scores with Siri in the web version of Yahoo and Google's search engine right now, but full integration with the Yahoo Sports app would be the perfect addition to Siri for sports fans out there.

Like Wolfram Alpha's Siri window, Yahoo's sports information for any given team could be easily displayed in Siri. You would theoretically be able to see the season highlights and scores for a team and see upcoming info on game dates, etc. Some sort of sports news integration would also be nice.

10. CNN

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"Show me the latest headlines." "What's the latest news in tech?" Wouldn't it be awesome if Siri could integrate with something like CNN to offer optimized news headlines and stories?

While Siri is best at completing tasks for you, there's still room for consumption services, like CNN. Siri could show you previews of 5-10 recent headlines, and then clicking a story could bring you into the official CNN iPhone app.

Conclusion

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Apple still has several stock iOS apps that need to be integrated with Siri, like the Camera, iTunes, and App Store app. Siri is still in beta, so we shouldn't expect everything to work, but it's kind of surprising that Apple didn't do a better job of integrating even its own apps with Siri for the public launch.

Why can't you search the App Store with your voice? Why can't you look up a song in iTunes with Siri? Apple will hopefully continue to integrate its own apps and other third-party apps with Siri in future updates.

These 10 apps are what we'd like to see integrated with Siri, but what about you? What are the apps that you think would enhance what Siri has to offer?

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Apple Releases iTunes Match Beta 3 to Developers

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Apple has released iTunes Match beta 3 to developers following the scheduled library reset that took place yesterday, November 11th. The latest beta version of iTunes Match addresses a number of important performance and stability improvements.

Apple originally projected the public launch of iTunes Match for the end of October, but that deadline has passed. Apple is still ironing out the final bugs in its $24.99/year cloud music service.

Part of Apple's message to developers:

iTunes 10.5.1 beta 3 includes a number of important stability and performance improvements for iTunes Match, and is a required update for all subscribers to iTunes Match beta.

Backup regularly and do not delete the music you add to iCloud from your computer. Apple may periodically delete all iCloud libraries during the beta period. This will require you to scan, match, and upload songs again.

The release of this beta indicates that Apple is very close to releasing iTunes Match to the public, but no official date for the launch has been given. iTunes 10.5.1 beta 3 has also been released in conjunction with iTunes Match beta 3. Developers can download the new software in the Dev Center.

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Why Apple Should Tell China Mobile to $#@! Off

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Fragmentary and occasional reports suggest that Apple has been negotiating with China Mobile for three years without reaching a deal over official support for iPhones on the carrier's network.

The sticking point: China Mobile wants a percentage of app revenue.

Many US pundits have written that Apple should bend over and do whatever China Mobile wants. Why? Because China Mobile is so ginormous that Apple could make a killing from all those new customers, even if it shared app revenue.

I think they're flat-out wrong. Apple should hold firm, and refuse to make an exception for China Mobile. Here's why.

China Mobile is the world's largest mobile carrier, with some 628 million customers and 70 percent of the Chinese market. Apple currently partners with competitor China Unicom, which enjoys only 20 percent market share.

Given its dominance, partnering with China Mobile seems like a no-brainer, even if it means sharing app revenue. However, market share numbers alone fail to account for the reality behind those numbers.

China Mobile is owned by the Chinese government. It's like the Chinese cell phone equivalent of the US Postal Service in that they have a commitment to provide service to China's remotest, most rural and far-flung communities.

The vast majority of China Mobile's customers would never buy an iPhone. Most are using cheap, no-name phones that use 2G data connections. iPhone buyers, on the other hand, are wealthy urban hipster types, for the most part.

China Mobile, for example, has only 43 million 3G users. Compare that with China Unicom's 30 million 3G users, and you can see that China Mobile isn't all that much bigger for the kinds of customers who would buy iPhones.

Even AT&T in the United States has vastly more 3G subscribers than China Mobile.

In other words, don't be dazzled by the number of total China Mobile subscribers. Only a small percentage of them are potential Apple customers.

Also: Giving in to China Mobile's demands makes sense only if you think small — the iPhone, China and now.

The big picture is about more than the iPhone, more than China and more than just right now. And if nothing else, Apple is a big-picture company.

The iOS app store concept is broadening and moving up the food chain, first to iPad and then to Mac OS X. In the future, I would expect other devices not only with App Stores, but also running iOS with app stores. I think we'll soon see iPads of various sizes (and with data connections and sold by carriers). We'll could see iOS-based clamshell devices. And we'll almost certainly see iOS-based desktop systems.

Setting a precedent in China for sharing app revenue would be a lousy move by Apple. While hardware sales will fluctuate wildly, content sales, including apps, will prove much more reliable sources of revenue for Apple.

More importantly, I think Apple has the stronger negotiating position, simply because of the crazy and growing popularity of Apple in China.

Steve Jobs is a legend in China — far more popular than anyone in the Chinese government or China Mobile.

Apple is by far the most desired brand in China. Apple's annual sales in China rose from $3 billion last year to $13 billion this year.

More than one in five Chinese say the want a Mac as their preferred PC.

The line for the iPhone 4s in China looked like they were giving away free diamonds, even though there's no Chinese-language version of Siri.

As Apple's popularity grows and grows in China, China Mobile doesn't want to be the only major carrier without an official partnership to sell Apple devices.

Apple's popularity is so great in China, I think, that Apple is in the position to play king-maker among China Mobile's competitors. China Mobile is at risk of losing high-end market share to China Unicom, and any other carrier Apple chooses to crown.

There are already some 10 million iPhones on China Mobile. This is especially impressive when you consider that the iPhone can't even use the carrier's TD-SCDMA 3G data technology. These users are connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi only. That's how badly some China Mobile customers want iPhones: They'd rather have an iPhone without mobile broadband than a non-iPhone with.

The give-em-what-they-want pundits say that the 10 million iPhone users already on the network demonstrates that the carrier doesn't need Apple. I think the reverse is true: It demonstrates that Apple doesn't need a contract with China Mobile.

In fact, the carrier is desperate to win iPhone users to the network, advertising the iPhone on billboards (even though they don't sell it) and even offering Wi-Fi cards to those who sign up using an iPhone.

If China Mobile holds firm and refuses to drop its demand for a share in app revenue, Apple should do one of three things:

Go ahead and make iPhones that are compatible with China Mobile's network, but sell them at Apple stores unlocked instead of through China Mobile. Don't sell a China Mobile-compatible phone, and instead draw iPhone fans to alternative carriers. Do both — sell China Mobile-compatible phones at high prices and work with alternative carriers to bring down the costs for the approved carriers.

I think the worst thing Apple could do is cave.

The potential market-share gains are not as great as they seem. And the potential downside globally, across Apple product lines and for years into the future just aren't worth it.

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Apple Initiates Replacement Program for First-Gen iPod nano

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Credit: The Consumerist

Apple has initiated a replacement program for the first-generation iPod nano due to an overheating issue with the battery inside of the device. The problem was recognized by Apple several years ago and they offered replacements to customers on a case-by-case basis. A number of foreign government agencies in Europe and Asia investigated the defect and last year the Japan trade ministry forced Apple to tell customers about the replacement website on Apple's Japanese website.

This weekend Apple started sending out emails to customers that purchased the first-generation iPod nano to tell them about the replacement program.

You should have the serial number of your iPod nano available before visiting the site, because the problem does not occur in all iPod nanos. You'll need to verify that your iPod nano was one of the defective ones using the serial number to verify eligibility. According to Apple:

Apple has determined that, in very rare cases, the battery in the iPod nano (1st generation) may overheat and pose a safety risk. Affected iPod nanos were sold between September 2005 and December 2006," the company wrote. "This issue has been traced to a single battery supplier that produced batteries with a manufacturing defect. While the possibility of an incident is rare, the likelihood increases as the battery ages.

Apple recommends that you stop using your first-generation iPod nano if it is eligible to be replaced and order a replacement using the provided website. If customers need help obtaining a replacement they can visit an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.  It will take about six weeks for the replacement to arrive.

The reason Apple recommends that customers stop using the first-generation iPod nano is because the longer it has been in use the more likely the overheating issue will occur. Due to the fact that these iPod nanos are about six years old you should probably take this advice and stop using it — immediately.

 

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Fun Game: Zen & The Art of Addictive Puzzle Games

Every week Mac Games and More features a fun, casual game you can play into the weekend. This week I'd like to feature a game we just released, a completely reprogrammed and updated logic puzzle called Zen Stones HD that someone once described as a "stupid addictive game." I think that was meant as a compliment.

Zen Stones HD (puzzle) – Zen Stones HD's tagline is, "Relax, it's just a game" and people who play it will agree. There's no intricate plot or story involving kidnapped family members or saving a village from complete annihilation. You're never on the clock so take your time to solve each level. No one cares if you take five minutes or an hour – or even more than that. Send stones from the outer board to the main playing field. Shoot to create three or more adjacent stones of the same color and they will disappear from the inner board. Do this until you clear the playing field to move on the next level. Use the many bonuses that will help you move up to higher levels. You will soon fall in love with these bonuses, especially the "UP" bonus. The game can be truly addictive for puzzle gamers and if you get stuck on a level, save the game and come back to it later. Get it for FREE here:  Download it now

Zen Stones HD is also available for iPad for 99 cents.  Get it here  Visit my Facebook page and leave a comment and you will be eligible to win a code for a free iPad version of Zen Stones HD. Go here: https://www.facebook.com/free.mac.games. You've got to leave a message on the wall saying something about Zen Stones HD or else how will we know you've been there? I will be randomly sending out these freebie codes to your inbox. Good luck!

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Timbuk2′s New Wallet Case Keeps Your iPhone Out of the Weather

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Timbuk2 says its new "aerodynamic" (their words, not mine) Mission Cycling Wallet was inspired by the gearheads over at San Francisco-based Mission Cycling Club — one imagines its inception resulting from a cacophony of complaints about sweaty iPhones and the absence of holes to stash a credit card for that post-ride latte.

Even if that isn't the way it went down, the $30 ballistic nylon case, with its zippered seal and triple-slot card holder on the back, looks like a winner. Aerodynamic though? Really? I want to see those wind-tunnel figures…

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New App Allows You to Leave Location-Based Messages, Videos for Others [Daily Freebie]

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First there were posts, then tweets. Now we've got a new word to use as a method for sharing bits of ourselves: the cling.

"What the %$ is a cling," you're probably asking right now. So here's the deal: If you use developer MyCityWay's new free app Clingle, you can leave virtual stuff for others to find — including messages, photos, videos and iTunes songs — at a particular location, which are then geotagged, uploaded to a server and made available for whomever you specify.

There're also whole bunch of check-in based rewards to make it more Foursquare-ish, like points that can be redeemed for stuff at an upcoming Clingle Store, and business proprietors can use it to offer specials at the door through customers iPhones. Pretty cool.

 

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See What's Really Running On Your iPhone [Review]

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You know about Activity Monitor for your Mac, right? How would you like to have an Activity Monitor for your iPhone too? Something like Activity Monitor Touch might do the trick.

Inside it, you'll find smart-looking charts and graphs for your device's processor and memory usage, battery level and uptime, and a list of running processes.

One fun trick is to quit some background apps while viewing the memory usage page – you'll see the used memory bar shrinking down as you tap wiggling app icons in the running-apps tray at the bottom of the screen. (To get to it, double-tap your device's home button, then tap-and-hold on any of the icons you see.)

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There are two versions of the app: the paid version, currently $2, and a free version that offers just general info and battery usage.

On the battery page, there's an alarm icon – tap this, and your device will alert you when it's fully charged.

Unlike the desktop app, this doesn't let you meddle with running apps directly. You can't quit processes from the list of what's running, for example. But you can see that list in full, including all the internals and system processes that are usually kept hidden from view.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

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Watch This Hilarious Rap Video Made By Apple Store Employees [Video] [Updated]

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Update: Unfortunately, the video has been pulled again.

An interesting music video by Apple Store employees was floating around the internet yesterday, but the video was eventually pulled. (It was that good.)

Now, the video has been re-uploaded to YouTube for all to see. The rap outlines Apple's customer support steps of service that new retail employees have to learn.

A gold start to anyone that can sit through the whole song.

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