Siri, Apple’s virtual personal assistant, has received a server side update allowing it to now prompt users to keep their queries short if they’re too long for it to deal with. Siri will not outright reprimand users for asking long […]
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Almost a week ago we reported on a study conducted by Texas Transportation Institute which claimed that voice-to-text activities can be as dangerous as texting while driving. Sending text messages while driving a car is without a doubt one of the most dangerous things a person can do inside a moving vehicle, not only is it distracting, it is one of the main causes of road accidents. One would think that using voice assistants such as Siri would be less distracting, but the Institute puts them in the same basket as texting while driving.
He doesn’t think that there’s any evidence which suggests that using Siri or other voice assistants properly in “eyes-free mode” makes them just as risky as texting behind the wheel. Using Siri through a Bluetooth headset or speaker implements its voice only interactions limit, as the software assumes the user’s eyes are busy and it responds accordingly. Despite having left Apple last year, Adam feverishly favors Siri, saying that calling it just as risky as texting while driving is misleading. He further adds that researchers did not fully test the software’s voice to text capabilities which allow the user to interact with their iPhone without even having to look at it.
Even if you think that Adam is merely taking a stand for something that he helped create, there’s absolutely no questioning the fact that while driving, your attention should completely be on the road to ensure your, as well as the safety of others.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: iOS And Samsung Galaxy Devices Reportedly Being Approved For Use By DoD, Iron Man Mark VII Armor Case For iPhone 5 Features A Flashing Power Core, 
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![iOS 7 Could Feature Deeper Integration In Vehicles With Apple Maps [Rumor]](https://i0.wp.com/cdnrss.ubergizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/bmw-3-siris-iphone-integration-626x469.jpg?resize=626%2C469 "iOS 7 Could Feature Deeper Integration In Vehicles With Apple Maps [Rumor]")
Yesterday we reported that a couple of details about iOS 7 were leaked ahead of its possible announcement at WWDC 2013. Basically those details involved the user interface of the software, and today the folks at 9to5 Mac have managed to get more information about the upcoming update, and unsurprisingly it seems that according to their sources, iOS 7 is expected to offer more integration with vehicles through the use of Siri. We said that this is unsurprising because Siri has already seen some integration with vehicles through the Eyes Free feature.
However what’s more interesting is that the integration is expected to go beyond Siri and could even see integration with Apple Maps on the dashboard of cars! Considering that Apple Maps was thought of as highly inaccurate during its launch, we’re seriously hoping that Apple has managed to get their stuff together if they hope that Apple Maps integration in vehicles is to be met with enthusiasm instead of groans. In any case take this with a grain of salt for now, but with WWDC coming up in the next month, we expect more details to be revealed then. In the meantime what do you guys think? Anyone interested in seeing Apple Maps integration in their vehicles?
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: iOS 7 Could See Major Changes Made To Mail And Calendar Apps [Rumor], iOS 7 Allegedly Gets Detailed Ahead Of WWDC, 
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We’ll most likely hear about iOS 7 at some point this year, possibly at WWDC in June, but in the meantime we’re left to speculate on what we could see in the new update. However, it’s reported that iOS 7 will focus more on in-car integration with Apple Maps and Siri. The company is said to be improving in that section of iOS in order to deliver their technology to more cars.
According to 9to5Mac, several sources “familiar with the initiative” say that Apple is in talks with multiple auto makers to bring iOS integration to more cars once iOS 7 hits the mainstream. It’s said that Apple is trying to get auto makers to add native iOS integration to infotainment systems in more vehicles in time for the launch of iOS 7.
It’s not exactly certain as to how Apple wants its products to be integrated into cars, but one possibility is that users can plug in their iPhones into the infotainment system and have a redesigned version of Apple Maps show up on the infotainment display, instead of using the iPhone’s smaller screen.
Siri would also be another feature that Apple is trying to get inside of more cars. It would be similar to what Ford and Chevrolet offer, which we took a look at both recently. Chevrolet is putting Siri integration into the new Sonic, and Ford has its SYNC program, which we also took a look at during CES back in January.
[via 9to5Mac]
Apple looks to boost in-car integration with iOS 7 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Intel and Samsung have invested in a startup company by the name of Expect Labs, which offers an alternative to Siri and Google Now, but the only difference is that the software constantly monitors users’ voices to deliver content in real-time, rather than delivering content on command like in Siri.
You’ve probably never heard of Expect Labs, but it’s a company that you should definitely keep your eye on. Intel, Samsung, and Telefonica all have invested in the small startup, and they join the likes of Google who have invested in the company in the past. Specific dollar amounts have not been disclosed as of right now.
The marvel behind Expect Labs’ Siri alternative is that the software constantly listens to and analyzes your conversations as they happen, and if it notices that you’re asking a factual question to a friend (like, “what time does the White Sox game start?”), it’ll pull up relevant information right at that moment without having to search for it.
Of course, it’s surprising why big companies are eyeing this kind of technology. More and more companies are getting into voice control software, and if it could offer something as revolutionary as what Expect Labs is cooking up, it could change the way voice control works. Of course, privacy is a big concern here, especially when the software listens in to your conversations at all times. Nonetheless, Expect Labs is looking to expand its team, and they didn’t go into detail as far as the future of the company, but it seems they have some big plans coming up.
[via TechCrunch]
Intel and Samsung throw cash at Expect Labs’ smart Siri alternative is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Texting while driving is as big of a no-no as talking on the phone while driving, especially since both activities are distracting and could cause accidents. With the introduction of voice assistants, such as Siri and S Voice and etc. and their ability to convert voice to text, and text to voice and so on, logically it would seem like we might have found a safer alternative to reply and read text messages while driving, right? However a survey conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute thinks otherwise and believes that voice-to-text activities can dull reactions the same way texting while driving might.
In their study, they have found that drivers who use voice-to-text take twice as long to react when they weren’t trying to use their phone, and that eye contact to the road was also noticed to have decreased. The study also found out that voice-to-text actually took longer than manual input because drivers were busy trying to think of what to say as well. In a way this makes sense because in some cases, voice assistants can find it hard to detect certain accents and will get the message wrong, causing the user to either type it out manually, or re-do voice-to-text again. Not to mention the user will probably want to check to make sure the content is correct before sending it off. What do you guys think?
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G Gets Jelly Bean Update, Official Tumblr App On Windows Phone 8 Now Available, 
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Remember when you were in preschool, sitting around in a circle, whispering a message from person to person until it reached the last kid in the chain and was completely different? As part of his “Digital Humor Theory” thesis, Pratt Institute graduate student Michael J. Silber did just that with Siri’s text-to-voice and Google’s voicemail transcription services—50 times in a row. Here’s how he describes the four step process: More »
It’s no secret that late Apple CEO Steve Jobs was keen on bringing the company’s technology to the automotive world. In fact, according to longtime Apple board member Mickey Drexler, “Steve’s dream before he died was to design an iCar.” Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Shiller, echoed those sentiments during the company’s copyright infringement trial against Samsung, saying there had been discussion of Apple making a vehicle. More »
After releasing Siri on the iPhone 4S back in 2011, Apple has finally disclosed how long it keeps all of those commands and hankering questions you have for Siri. The Cupertino-based company says that it keeps all Siri data for two years, but they state that all of the data from Siri that the company collects is completely anonymized.
Wired details the process of which Apple uses to anonymize all Siri data. Essentially, all Siri commands get sent to an Apple data farm, where Apple generates a random number that represents the user and associates the Siri commands with that random number. After six months, your random number is deleted, but the Siri data remains intact until 18 more months have passed, where the data will then get deleted.
Obviously, Siri isn’t two years quite yet, so all the data ever transmitted through Siri is still being stored, but come later this fall, Apple will begin deleting older Siri data. However, privacy advocates still aren’t happy, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) being one of them. They say that Apple’s privacy policy with Siri is still rather vague.
The ACLU says that “what you say to Siri could reveal sensitive things about you, your family, or business,” and they warn Siri-wielding folks that “Siri works for Apple, so make a note to yourself to really think before you speak.” In a day and age where privacy is a big issue, some users can still easily overlook how much data they’re giving away.
[via Wired]
Apple keeps anonymized Siri data for two years is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
You thought that time you asked Siri about the weird mole on your toe was just between the two of you? Wrong. According to Wired, Apple hangs onto your Siri data for two years. More »
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