We understand Siri commands and teach her new ones. SIRI: what is it and how to use it

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The role of smartphones in the lives of each of us is becoming much more noticeable. We spend most of our time with portable mobile devices, and therefore, one might say, we are constantly in touch as in mobile network, and on various social platforms, like Twitter and Facebook.

But what’s remarkable is that smartphones have become our assistants, organizing our workday, helping us set and achieve goals, and controlling our behavior (to some extent). One of the tools that makes a user's life easier is Siri. We will tell you in this article how to enable this “assistant” on your phone, what it is and how it works.

Siri technology

So, let's start with the fact that the technology on which the Siri system operates is, in fact, the experience of many years of development by a huge group of scientists. If you believe official information, then about 40 years ago developers worked to create a prototype of artificial intelligence that could collect, analyze and respond to information coming from environment. Siri, based on these technologies, has essentially absorbed these developments. And Apple, which introduced the platform to the market as an addition to its product, became one of the pioneers of the era of artificial intelligence in smartphones. And, in fact, thanks to the work of many scientists, today the user can work with Siri. What this is - we will tell you in more detail below.

Siri on iPhone

On an Apple smartphone - iPhone (from the 4S model to the latest - Siri is presented as simple application. It can be installed from the program catalog for devices working with operating system iOS, and launch with a simple click of a button.

Besides the possibility additional loading Siri, iPhone has this program as one of the basic ones. Thus, even if the user does not know about the existence of the Appstore, he can use this “assistant” after purchasing the phone.

Although Siri works on the principle of detecting speech requests, this does not limit users from most countries in terms of language integration. This is achieved by the development company due to the fact that the program has up to 20 versions that work with different languages. Of course, there is also Siri in Russian, which is available in the Russian Federation.

Siri features

A user who has not yet encountered this application experiences logical question: what exactly is included in Siri features? Actually, how can this program help the phone owner, and why is it needed?

The answer is simple: the application acts as a personal assistant. Its “responsibilities” (to use this word correctly in relation to the application) include recognizing user commands, processing them and, of course, reacting appropriately. This is how the main function of the application can be characterized.

As for the specific tasks that Siri works with, these are, in fact, the same tasks that your smartphone performs. Considering the iPhone, we can say that this application allows you to contact the phone with various requests and wait for it to complete the task.

Features of the program

Of course, technologies that would allow your iPhone to absolutely accurately “understand” you solely by your voice do not yet exist. Siri is just an attempt to create such a universal and working solution, but it’s not ideal either. Therefore, you need to know on the iPhone 5 (as, indeed, on any other model). In particular, you need to try to make the most correct requests (for example, “Call mom,” “Open a card,” and so on). You should not make calls to your smartphone in any form (especially if we're talking about not about English language, which Siri recognizes best).

Another feature, of course, is the clarity of speech and, in particular, the words you speak to Siri. What kind of phrases these will be and how clearly you will pronounce them is up to you. But remember that the degree to which the program recognizes your voice depends on this. For example, if you give a command in a noisy environment, the “assistant” will most likely “not understand” you.

Available languages

You may ask, what languages are available in Siri? We answer: these are English, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Russian, Italian, French, Spanish, Cantonese, Danish, Chinese, Korean, German, Thai, Turkish and Japanese. Availability of language in this list means that people can make a request to the program on it, and it will “understand” what the user wants.

One thing to note is that each of these languages is not available on all versions of iOS. About half were added relatively recently, starting with modification 8.3.

How to work with Siri?

In this part of the article we will describe the procedure for what is needed to start working with Siri (how to enable the application, in fact). So, let's consider two possible options: if you have preset program(which comes immediately with the new device), then in this case there is no need to take any special actions. The program is launched, as mentioned above, by long pressing on Home button. If you do not use this function and do not want to call the “assistant” in this way, you can disable it in the settings.

Another option is when you, for some reason, don't have Siri and would like to install it from scratch. This is easy to do: just go to the Appstore and install it like other programs. Then you can access Siri from the desktop, launching it in normal mode.

No activation or additional registration the program does not require it. This is the beauty of this development - with all the breadth of its capabilities, Apple presented it in the most simplified form. The interface ended up being simple and clear.

How to use?

And using Siri (what it is and how it works, in general, I think we figured it out) is very simple. Once you launch the application, you will see a new window showing a line (like in voice recorders). Besides, launch Siri is also accompanied by a characteristic sound (a specific “double” signal), after which the phrase “Hello, how can i help you?” is pronounced. in English (or “How can I help you?” in Russian). After that, you can say a phrase indicating the command you need: “Siri, show me the nearest restaurants,” for example.

After your speech has been recorded, the program will give another signal, followed immediately by a response.

Prospects and opportunities

In fact, all information about this application is general. We know how Siri helps. That this is a product that in the future will be able to “learn” to fulfill all our requirements without exception (and then it will become truly convenient).

I wonder if this development can somehow be applied in other areas?

Experts say that behind such software solutions, like Siri, the future of humanity. Perhaps someday artificial intelligence will be able to solve the most complex problems for us, make incredible calculations, answer those questions for which we, humans, could not find answers.

There is also a theory that Siri is just a useless Apple gimmick that also doesn't recognize speech at the required level.

Be that as it may, in English (in the USA, in particular), people really use this application more actively than in all other countries. Here Siri is integrated into many other user online services released by Yahoo, Google, Yandex, Facebook and many others. The task of each of them is to make sure that a user working with his iPhone can perform any action “hands-free”, simply by issuing commands verbally. Perhaps such developments will actually lead to something interesting on the market.

Analogs on other platforms

Another thing to note is that Siri technology is not original or new to the market. mobile devices. In order to understand this, it is enough to take some advanced Samsung and find the function Yes, on devices of the Korean company such applications work less accurately than on smartphones with iOS; however, it is quite possible that one day Apple moment will give up its leadership position to a technologically advanced company.

In addition, there are a number of lesser-known developments that exist in the form of small startups and are also working on voice recognition. So far, of course, there have not been any “high-profile” breakthroughs in this area, but it is also impossible to say that it is standing still. Using your voice, for example, you can already control the multimedia system in your car, which helps reduce the level of danger on the roads. A similar mechanism can be applied even in the most different areas- and it can really help improve our lives.

In the meantime, even the fact that your iPhone has its own “assistant” is encouraging. After all, two words are enough to call a loved one. Or maybe Siri was even able to save someone’s life?!

Summer at the exhibition WWDC 2011 Apple showed off iOS 5, presenting most of the new features, with the exception of one, the presentation of which was postponed for several months...

In October 2011 another presentation Apple has already conducts not Steve Jobs , and the new head of the company Tim Cook. At this event, the iPhone 4S is shown, and at the very end of the event, the floor is given Scott Forstall- Apple's senior vice president of iOS at that time. And exactly Scott Forstall introduced to the world a beta version of the intelligent voice assistant Siri, which became not only a key innovation of iOS 5, but also exclusive to the iPhone 4S.

The jubilation of the crowd, the criticism of observers and journalists... How much holivar has generated Siri on the Internet? Why is Siri making so much noise?

Who created Siri?

Who created Siri? SRI International, a division of DARPA(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), began work on Siri in 2007, not Apple, as many assume.

An interesting fact is that Siri is the result of research that has accumulated over forty years. The original developers of Siri were Doug Kitlauss, Tom Grueber, Norman Winarski and Adam Chainer. The CEO of Siri was Doug Kitlaus, but after Siri was bought by Apple, Doug resigned from his post, which is quite logical.

Imagine how large-scale the background to the creation of Siri was, or rather the amount of work of researchers in the field of voice recognition and processing. Research groups from:

Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts State University
University of Rocherster, Stanford University
University of Southern California
Institute for Human Rights and Machine Cognition
Oregon State University

...worked for many years and accumulated information before DARPA decided to get serious about developing a computer voice assistant.

Siri on iPhone 4S

And so on October 4, 2011, on iPhone presentations 4S features Siri. This is what Apple is focusing on when promoting the next iPhone: Siri integrated into iPhone 4S, interacts with the main iOS applications, answers difficult questions - all this is incredibly impressive to all those who have personally worked with Siri.

Of course, there were some accusations and criticism. IN Apple address accusations of trying to extradite Siri for something new and incredible. According to some, to others mobile platforms something similar has already happened a long time ago, and Apple again did not invent anything new...

However, this is not quite true. Once you try Siri at work, this opinion changes dramatically. Famous critic Eldar Murtazin, remained skeptical about the new product, but only until the iPhone 4S fell into his hands.

So what's so special about Siri?

What's so special about Siri? is probably the most common question. The fact is that Siri conducts a full-fledged conversation with the user. At the moment iPhone announcement 4S Siri was still in beta, but this is not so important, because Siri is constantly being improved and refined, and all this happens remotely.

In addition, Siri uses advanced human speech recognition technology developed by Nuance Communications. Siri adapts individually to each user: listens and studies its owner, analyzing his preferences. It is amazing…

How does Siri work?

Everything here is very interesting. If other voice assistants previously worked simply with a search engine, Siri works with a variety of services, which allows you to accurately answer a variety of questions, including very complex ones.

Having asked a question, he is poisoned by Apple servers(Siri), where it is processed and sent to the appropriate service. And it’s not just search giants Google and Bing… For example, for business questions, OpenTable, André Gayot, Citysearch, BooRah, Yelp Inc, Yahoo Local, ReserveTravel and Localeze are used. Siri turns to Eventful, StubHub, and LiveKick to find event information. When you ask Siri about movies, it responds using information from MovieTickets.com, Rotten Tomatoes, and The New York Times... So Apple's voice assistant can handle most everyday issues, But key feature is that Siri works with WolframAlpha.

WolframAlpha allows Siri give answers to the most difficult questions, since this is not search system. WolframAlpha positions itself as computational knowledge engine(translation: knowledge base and set of computational algorithms).

Thanks to all of the above, Siri manages to understand a person’s speech and his questions, which he asks in a fairly free form, and not specific commands. At the presentation, the following question was given as an example: “ Should I take an umbrella today?». Siri analyzes the question and understands what she needs to answer - what weather is expected in this area.

Of course, Siri is not yet perfect, but the very fact that such a solution appeared in mobile phones cannot help but talk about the promising future of speech recognition and computer technology voice assistants.

And finally, I suggest you look at a small selection.

If you haven’t found an answer to your question or something didn’t work out for you, and there is no suitable solution in the comments below, ask a question through ours. It's fast, simple, convenient and doesn't require registration. You will find answers to your and other questions in the section.

Since the appearance on devices with the apple logo Siri app, many developers are haunted by the idea of creating Siri on Android. This application is really very useful and in demand among users. Millions of people no longer imagine how to cope without such an assistant. The program can answer any question, remind you of an important meeting, or send important message at the appointed time. And this is not the entire list of its capabilities.

Some assistants for Android devices are poorly thought out, while others have very impressive capabilities. Given the many nuances, it is necessary to consider each application and find out their features.

Assistant

Perhaps this is the most successful analogue of Siri. This program has it all necessary functions. At the same time, the assistant does not freeze and works very smoothly, which indicates good optimization. The program's interface is quite simple, but the list of features is simply amazing.

The assistant will always remind you important events, will tell you about the weather, inform you about exchange rates, send necessary messages and will do a lot more things, saving the user’s time. A special feature of the application is pleasant jokes during a conversation, this creates a special atmosphere and lifts your spirits.

wide range of possibilities;
well-designed interface;
high speed;
the ability to choose a voice, as well as the name of the assistant.

The full version of this utility is paid. Can be used free version, but it lacks some functions.

EVA Free - Voice Assistant

Another Siri prototype for the Android system. It has a more modest set of functions compared to the previous application. This utility cope with reading and sending messages, including voice messages. If necessary, he will take notes and will not allow you to forget about important matters. At first glance, everything is very good, but there are two significant drawbacks:

After graduation trial period you will have to purchase the full version.
The program does not always correctly understand the Russian language.

Dragon Mobile Assistant

This application does not cause any particular complaints, except for the most important thing: the lack of Russian language. As for the functionality, it is implemented in high level. The application can easily handle receiving and sending messages Email, SMS or social networks. The user will never forget to congratulate colleagues on their birthday or miss a business meeting. In addition, the assistant will find all the information on the Internet. necessary information, and will also keep you up to date with the latest developments.

Assistant Dusya

This app is from Russian developers, which has a series characteristic differences and features. Immediately after its appearance, this utility won a large audience. First of all, this is due to the fact that the program is entirely in Russian.

The application can work offline. This feature is both a plus and a minus. Naturally, without an Internet connection, the application's capabilities are limited. Among the main features of the Dusi assistant are: dialing a phone number, typing text and sending SMS by voice, managing navigation, searching for transport, notes, searching for a location, working with VKontakte, creating notes, translating texts, managing settings, the ability to create your own functions and much more other.

Robin

Russian-speaking assistant with a good sense of humor. Main feature Robin's ability to tell jokes is great. Therefore, the application can be called not only useful, but also very positive.

The program has a limited number of features, but they are quite sufficient to perform the most popular tasks. Robin can make calls, send messages, check the weather and much more. At the same time, the utility has quite low system requirements and does not take up much space in the smartphone’s memory.

All of these applications are available in the official play market; the installation process will not take much time and will not cause problems. As for setting up assistants, in most cases it comes down only to choosing the most pleasant voice. Therefore, you should definitely try installing one of the proposed options and, perhaps, an analogue of Siri for your Android device will become yours an indispensable assistant on every day.

IN this review I decided to combine everything necessary knowledge about Siri. From the article you will learn how to set up Siri, how to use it, what it can do and why it is needed at all.

Who is Siri? What is Siri?

Siri (English: Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface) - personal assistant and a question and answer system designed for iOS. Siri uses natural speech processing to answer questions and make recommendations. Siri adapts to each user individually, learning their preferences over time.

Siri's history begins in 2010, when voice application hits the App Store from Siri Inc. On April 28, 2010, Siri was acquired by Apple.

Siri is available on the following devices.

iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, 6, 6 Plus
iPad Mini 1, 2, 3, iPad 3, 4, Air, Air 2
iPod Touch
Apple Watch

Siri in English first appeared in iOS 5. Siri in Russian was released with iOS 8.3.

How to turn Siri on/off?

Siri has not yet been selected in Settings separate section. So let's go to Settings->General->Siri. Turn on the Siri checkbox if it is not enabled.

After this, a message appears in the center of the screen, which warns the user that requests for Siri are being sent to Apple servers. Click “Enable Siri”

Below we see Siri settings(we'll come back to them later). We are interested in the item Language. Select "Russian".

Now press the Home button on the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch and hold it without lifting your finger for a couple of seconds. The Siri start window appears on your iPad.

We ask our questions and receive answers or some actions from the system.

Siri Settings

Settings->General->Siri. Let's go through the specific options.

Allow "Hey Siri"— by enabling this option you can activate Siri if the phone is charging. To do this, I must say, you will never guess... “Hey Siri.”

Language- choice Siri language. Yes, you can talk to Siri in any language you know. Moreover, for some languages there are dialects to choose from.

You need to understand that phrases for Siri are spoken by a living person (announcer). This requires resources: that is why Siri still speaks Russian in only a female voice.

Audio review— the essence of this setting: make Siri silent if the phone is in silent mode. By default, Siri will always speak.

My details— this item allows you to select yourself from the Contacts program. Siri will address you as specified in the Nickname field (if available) or by name.

Let me add that Siri can understand human language and she is constantly learning. That is, she understands human phrases like “How are you?” and responds accordingly. Chat with Siri. :)

Siri also provides the most extensive capabilities in English. In Russian there are many additional options Not yet. In particular, the English Siri supports the WolframAlpha system. Translation into Russian is underway, but there is no exact time frame for the appearance of WolframAlpha support in our Siri.

Siri is built into CarPlay. CarPlay is modern way iPhone control in a car, when the most required applications, adapted for the driver.