Is it dessert time? In light of the iPhone 4S, Android’s looking pretty sweet with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Is it worth holding off on the iPhone? Tony and I discuss this week!
Don’t forget to subscribe to us on iTunes with the link below and follow us on Twitter (Derrick at @derrickc82, Tony at @hotmilkgt). Leave a comment and check out the links to the show on the blog post
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When the iPhone 4S was first announced, the response was less than stellar. The iPhone 4S seemed like a minor upgrade from the iPhone 4, far from the next-gen iPhone 5 models so many had predicted. Still, one of the phone’s new features, Siri, marks a potentially major point in technology. Just as “touch” has drastically changed the way we’ve use our devices, Siri’s voice-based interactions may be the first step in a whole new way we interact with technology in our daily lives.
So what’s Siri? Developed back as early as 2007, Siri is a type of software that works upon voice recognition and comprehension. In short, you speak to Siri and “she” responds to you. In the iPhone 4S, this works for several functions, including weather, maps, contacts, etc., where users can ask to access information. Voice activated control has existed before the iPhone 4S. Google itself via Android, as well as several third party apps, allow users to access apps or information based on voice commands. The difference is that Siri takes it an additional step; rather than very succinct language such as “steakhouse, Midtown,” Siri allows for a more “natural” language such as “I’m in the mood for steaks in Midtown today,” simulating a more natural human conversation.
Siri Offers Several Voice Activated Functions
The ability to access several apps and information is also a major difference. Many voice controlled apps only access a handful of apps: contacts, maps, music. Siri can access weather, stocks, calendar, even alarms. Though it sounds minor, voice commands can potentially remove several steps to what currently exists with a touch interface. Rather than opening an app, finding the alarm setting, dialing each hour, minute, and second, etc., all of it can be done in six to ten words. Not only is it a potential time saver, it nearly removes all of the physical interaction with the device.
What is truly amazing about Siri is its potential outside of the iPhone. Apple can easily construct a device, much like an Apple TV/iPad hybrid, made to live in the living room that would replace or augment nearly every item. The television, music player, game console, SmartTV widgets could all be activated by voice, removing the need for the remote control. Microsoft is already leading the way with voice commands with the Kinect, allowing users to watch TV, movies, etc. through the Xbox. Apple can take it a step further with their extensive reach across multiple media and entertainment channels. Imagine being able to swap between TV shows while asking Siri to book movie tickets for the 8:15 showing of the latest blockbuster or asking for the weather for the day while making a Skype video call on the TV.
There’s definitely going to be learnings to be picked up, as natural language tends to skip all rules found in a textbook. The hardest thing for AI to learn is the idiosyncrasies in our day to day speech. Still, we’ve gone a long way, and it could be just a matter of iterations before we see a future not so far off from what we’ve imagined in sci-fi like Star Trek and Demolition Man.
The last few weeks have been a podcasting mess. Fortunately we were able to put together a pretty in-depth show, focusing on Steve Jobs and his legacy as well as our thoughts (and disagreements) on the iPhone 4S. We even dive into our thoughts on the future of voice command/control based on Siri.
iPhone 4S
Still deciding on whether or not to pick up the new iPhone 4S? Hear us out!
Don’t forget to subscribe to us on iTunes with the link below and follow us on Twitter (Derrick at @derrickc82, Tony at Google+). Leave a comment and check out the links to the show on the blog post
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To the disappointment of many, Apple announced the upcoming release of the iPhone 4S, the next iteration of the iPhone line. It wasn’t that people didn’t want a new iPhone. It was that nearly everyone expected the iPhone 5.
Sunny Skies for Apple
Is Apple becoming a victim of its own success? The last few months and weeks have been marked by a frenzy of iPhone 5 rumors and speculations. Without a single word from Apple, the media jumped on screenshots of purported iPhone prototypes, exhibiting everything from new bevels, stretched display screens, and redesigned home buttons. There were rumors of carrier deals, including a last minute $20 billion Sprint-iPhone 5 exclusivity deal that sent blogs and analysts to a fury up until the final minutes leading up to the keynote. And like internet fan fiction, stories have circulated throughout the web on a dream iPhone 5 – replete with NFC, a larger display, and 4G functionality – none of which materialized. As Apple continues to hold the title as the leader in smartphones, the public has come to expect nothing but the very most from the Cupertino giant. It’s challenged the market with leaps and bounds with the initial iPod, iPhone, and even the iPad. Yet to expect groundbreaking changes in each yearly product iteration may be a feat too big for even Apple to tackle.
Still, despite downtrodden consumers taking to the web in protest post-announcement, Tuesday’s “disappointment” is expected to be but a blip on Apple’s continued dominance of the smartphone market. iPhone 4 owners who were hoping to upgrade will simply wait out to what will now be next year’s anticipated iPhone 5. Sprint users and those looking for a new phone will still have a solid option with the iPhone 4S. The real question is, despite the “failure” to deliver the iPhone 5, will Apple truly lose any consumers? No, in fact, their consumer base is expected to continue to grow, especially as the US smartphone penetration is only at around 33% according to a July comScore report. There’s still plenty of new fish for Apple.
So lesson of the year? Rumors are only rumors until it’s official. Despite all the speculations from every analyst, website, and blog out there, nearly all but a few of the rumors ended up true. It seemed like every website, news channel, and blog labeled yesterday as an iPhone 5 event – a pretty big miss on everyone’s part. As it turns out, Apple tends to play things rather conservatively. We saw the iPhone 3G move to the 3GS, now the 4 is followed with the 4S. So we’ll probably see the 5 next year, with some sort of 5″S” model the year after. Molly Wood of CNET actually has a pretty good theory to that pattern – it comes down to carriers. Plus Apple doesn’t need to rush – it’s got the top selling phone in the market.
And so now what? Well, my suggestion, if you have an older iPhone (not iPhone 4) and your contract is up, it might be worthwhile to look into the 4S. It’s still among the best smartphones in the market and the upgrades are still quite substantial (dual-code A5 chip, Siri voice commands, improved camera). For current iPhone 4 users, you might want to wait. It’s pretty likely the iPhone 5 will be released sometime next year, with substantial upgrades to the hardware – you don’t want to lock yourself into a two year contract at this point. And for the rest of us, enjoy the 24-48 hours of rest before the next batch of iPhone rumors start cropping up. Oh wait, too late.
Hate losing that signal when you walk down to take the subway? Good news for smartphone users looking to stream their music or update their Twitter feeds as they wait for the train. NYC has begun rolling out wireless voice and data services in their subway platforms.
The service is powered by AT&T and T-Mobile, providing commutes with access to the mobile network on the subway platforms. While currently installed in only four of the most trafficked areas (14th Street, 23rd Street), the city plans to install the service across the rest of its 271 stations in the next four years.
Subway has begun promoting their Uncharted 3 sweepstakes, offering early access to the multiplayer mode with the purchase of a large 30 oz. drink or a bag of Harvest Cheddar Sunchips.
The sponsorship includes mentions and clips in Subway’s television spots as well, with gameplay footage and actual Nathan Drake Subway call-outs shown in commercials.
Though a fan of Uncharted, even I have to admit that it’s a bit weird seeing Nathan Drake dancing along to the $5 footlong song. Then again, if it gets me early access to the game (along with a cheap lunch), why not?
