Remember the ‘I’m a Mac, I’m a PC’ ads from a few years ago that had Justin Long doing his best to convince the world that he was an aspirational figure? Reaction was mixed at best, and Apple wisely moved away from celebrity endorsements for a while. But now enough time’s passed for us to be impressed when someone with a recognisable face appears on our living room glow-boxes, so it’s at it again. And now Apple’s Siri’s got some A-List friends. Read more
Google is evil. That’s the thrust of a bunch of articles whizzing around the web. But has the biggest name in tech got a newly mean streak, or is the bloggosphere missing the point? Gizmodo claims Google’s relegation of search in favour of its other business properties could mark its downfall.
Ex-Googler James Whittaker says the Big G just isn’t the same since it became obsessed with Social. But for all the Google-bashing, there’s something they’re missing… Read more
Siri, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Siri, can you defend yourself in a court of law? We hope so; a man in New York has taken an intense disliking to the iPhone 4S’ ‘humble voice assistant’, cuing up a lawsuit against Apple on the grounds that ads for the iPhone 4S make it look far better than it actually is. Read more
What’s in store for the future of Android? A lot, if Google’s top UI designer is to be believed. Android’s User Experience Director Matias Duarte has popped up in an official Google video from MWC 2012, declaring the all-knowing, all-seeing and all-listening future of the mobile operating system. Watch out Siri… Read more
Mobile World Congress is an event all about mobile phones and tablets, right? Then why has Ford rocked up with a couple of new cars? Partly to be the first car company ever to grace the show, and partly to launch its new B-Max with SYNC, a Siri-style voice-control tech that will make the B-Max “among the most technologically advanced small cars you can buy at any price.” Read more
iPhone 4S owners are always keen to show off some Siri tricks, but what if the humble voice assistant stopped being so humble and went all SkyNet on us? That’s the idea behind this technically impressive short film, which depicts the voice searching tool as a possessive murderer.
Android’s Google Voice Actions is hardly the Siri rival that it should be, but a new service in Germany, launched by Deutsche Telekom, has teamed up with Wikipedia to provide a voice tool with more in the way of instant answers. Read more
Another day, another cheeky Android promo video takes a swipe at the iPhone 4S. This time it’s an ad for the Motorola Razr, which pits Apple’s Siri against Google Voice Actions for Android in a fight. A bit of a skewed fight, at that… Read more
