An ecosystem is emerging around Siri, the intelligent natural language software agent that Apple introduced with its iPhone 4S. In the latest evolutionary news, a version of Siri has been made to run on other Apple devices, there's a comparable app for Android devices, and there's even an app to start your car with Siri voice commands.

One of Siri's many talents is voice dictation, and now a hack known as SiriOus allows for jailbroken iPhones 4 and 3GS, and the iPod Touch fourth generation, to offer that function. Jailbreaking involves getting around Apple's limitations on a device, such as installing non-App Store apps or changing the user interface.

Here Comes Cluzee

Owners of non-4S Apple devices aren't the only ones who might be a little Siri-envious. Now, a new, third-party "intelligent personal assistant" application called Cluzee provides similar features for Android-based devices.

Cluzee, available in the Android Market, also reportedly offers features beyond Siri. Tronton, the company that created Cluzee, has posted a video in which Cluzee answers a question like "what does my schedule look like today?" This not only includes a verbal recitation of one's calendar schedule, but also on-the-fly integration with external data, such as verbal advice to avoid the traffic on certain streets, in order to reach a doctor's appointment.

Tronton said that Cluzee can provide such additional capabilities as personalized recommendations of restaurants based on the user's previous choices, a health planner, a travel planner, notes management, personal radio and more. And, if you want a taxi, just tell Cluzee, "Call taxi."

Siri Controls for Any Machine

But instead of a taxi, you might want to tell your own car to start. A developer named Brandon Fiquett has created a plugin/PHP addition that allows voice commands through Siri to turn a car engine on or off, if the car has the...

2011-11-29 23:53:21