It's no secret that China keeps a tight lid on internet freedoms, and it's not about to lighten up today. The government has passed regulations requiring that locals use their real names whenever they sign up for internet- and phone-based services (not just the access itself); while those were already common practices, there's now the real threat of punishment behind them. Anyone who clears those hurdles also has to be more mindful of what they write. If a page or post is deemed "illegal information," service hosts now have to delete its public presence, archive it and pass the content along to authorities. The state unsurprisingly argues that those who already stay on the sunny side of the law have nothing to fear from the new measures (where have we heard that before?), but the reassurances won't be much help to privacy advocates or those challenging corruption.
Everything you need to know about setting up Siri, and commands for phone, launching apps, text or iMessage, calendar, sports, maps, Twitter, Facebook, restaurants, movies, music, email, weather, stocks, find my friends, notes, the web, Wolfram|Alpha, and the Apple Store
Siri is the name of Apple's personal digital assistant. It's basically voice control that talks back to you, that understands relationships and context, and with a personality straight out of Pixar. Ask Siri questions, or ask Siri to do things for you, just like you would ask a real assistant, and Siri will help keep you connected, informed, in the right place, and on time. You can even use Siri's built in Dictation feature to enter text almost everywhere by simply using your voice.
Siri and Dictation are online services, which mean they need a network connection (Wi-Fi or 3G/4G) to work. Siri is also still in beta, so not all features are available in all places or all languages yet. However, with iOS 6, Apple has added even more functionality to Siri, including support for the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPod touch 5, iPad 4, iPad 3, and iPad mini.
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How to set up, configure, secure, and start using Siri
While in most cases you can start using Siri right out of the box, in some cases you may have to enable it first. There are also some settings you can configure, including ways to make Siri more secure. Since Siri can, if you choose, bypass your PIN lock and get to your contacts and other data, you should check out all your options and make sure you pick whatever blend of convenience and security makes the most sense to you.
How to call, message, and email your contacts using Siri
Siri isn't just another voice control system, it remembers context and it can understand relationships. That means, for example, you can tell Siri to call your wife's iPhone, and Siri will know who that is and which phone number to dial. Not only that, Siri can send iMessages or SMS, and even email any of your friends, family, or co-workers. No matter how you like to communicate, Siri makes it incredibly easy to stay in touch.
Siri ties right into the iOS Clock app on your iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad 4, iPad mini, and iPod touch 5, which means if you want to be woken up at 7am, have a timer set for 10 minutes so the cookies don't burn, or find out what the hour is in Australia before you call, Siri can keep you alerted and on time.
How to set reminders and update task and to-do lists with Siri
Siri was designed to help you get things done, and part of that job description is creating and updating your to-dos and lists of to-dos in the Reminders app of your iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPod touch 5, iPad 4, iPad 3, and iPad mini. If you need to be prodded to pick up milk on the way home, order that present in time for the big party, or set up that lunch meeting before the end of the day, Siri's there to help.
How to create, view, update, and cancel calendar events using Siri
Since is meant to be your personal assistant, it only makes sense to have it schedule and manage your meetings and events on your iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPod touch 5, iPad 4, iPad 3, or iPad mini. Asking Siri to create a Calendar event only takes a few seconds and is much faster than creating them manually and entering all the data yourself. Whether you need Siri to schedule a meeting, tell you what's on the agenda for the day, or move an existing meeting to another time to make room for a conference call or a power nap, Siri will help make sure your schedule is set.
Siri can't be your financial advisor or broker -- yet! -- but Siri can look up stock prices and exchange positions for you. Whether you want to find out what's happening with APPL or GOOG, or if the DOW or NASDAQ is up or down, Siri's got you covered. (Just not your positions. Sorry.)
Being a virtual personal assistant, of course Siri can take a note! In fact, Siri can not only take a note, but update them as well. If you need something that's more permanent than a reminder, something more like an idea you don't want to forget, or a draft you want to get down while you're driving, Siri and the Notes app are the perfect combination.
How to check the weather and get forecasts using Siri
Siri not only makes for a great digital assistant but a great weather forecaster as well. With a little help from Siri, you can make sure you're never caught without your umbrella, raincoat, snow shovel, or suntan lotion again.
Siri can help you access your music more easily than ever. With Siri you can play tracks, albums, and entires genres without ever having to open your Music app. If you're in the car, Siri also makes for a safe way to keep your tunes going while keeping your hands on the wheel.
How to search Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Wolfram|Alpha using Siri
If you need information, chances are Siri can help you find it. Apple currently enables Siri to search Google (or Yahoo! or Bing) for general information, and Wolfram|Alpha for computational knowledge. You can use Siri to find anything you would normally type into a web search box, only there's no typing needed. Just ask, and you'll get back everything from the latest celebrity gossip to the answers to that nagging math questions to a listing of the best free apps for your iPhone.
How to find movie locations, showtimes, reviews, ratings, and trailers using Siri
With iOS 6, Siri has become quite the movie buff, able to tell you not only what films are playing at which theaters, but provide you with their ratings and reviews, and even play you their trailers.
How to look up sports scores and schedules, team rosters, and player stats using Siri
Siri in iOS 6 has become a full blown sports fan. Whether you're on the road and desperate for the latest news, or at a bar and just as desperate to win a bet, Siri now has you covered. From current game scores to upcoming schedules, player stats to team rosters and standings, you can query and compare your soccer, football, baseball, basketball and hockey favorites from Italian Seria A, English Premier League, Dutch Eredivisie, Major League Soccer, French Ligue 1, Spanish La Liga, and German Bundesliga, Major League Baseball, NCAA Football, NFL, NCAA Basketball, NBA, WNBA, and the NHL
How to find restaurants, read reviews, and make reservations using Siri
With iOS 6, Siri can now help you find restaurants and even book tables. You will need the OpenTable app from the App Store to complete your reservations, but Siri do a lot of the heavy lifting, including finding places and times, and showing you Yelp-powered reviews and pictures.
With iOS 6, Siri can now launch your apps for you as well. Instead of scouring your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or iPad mini Home screen, or digging through folders, for that app you know you have but just can's find, as long as you remember its name, you can open it with Siri and a word.
Thanks to the latest version of the Apple Store app, you can shop for anything Apple right from your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or iPad mini. Get product info, pricing, and more with the Apple Store app, the press of a button, and the sound of your voice.
Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.
2012, we salute you. All in all, you've been a pretty good year. There's been highs, lows, and lots of inbetweens. Above all else, though, you've been generous in the alternative arena. Whether it's the discovery of certain particles, or activities in space, 2012 had it covered. What better way to finish it off, then, with a disease smelling dog, a plan to catch an asteroid and a growable hangover cure. This is alt-week.
Boombotix is a San Francisco based company who originally started developing portable speakers for urban cyclists as an alternative to headphones. They currently have a Kickstarter project for a new speaker called the Boombot REX. The REX is an ultraportable 2.1 speaker system with a rugged ABS plastic body and a built in noise canceling [...]
If you got a new bicycle for Christmas (or already have one) and like a touch of whimsy, this is the perfect bike accessory for you! This cute bluebird attaches to your handlebars and serves as both a warning bell and a light. The Tweeting Bird Bike Light and Horn from Perpetual Kid has a [...]
From all of us at iMore and Mobile Nations, to all of you and yours, in honor of whatever you choose to celebrate, in the spirit of however you choose to celebrate it, we wish you peace and prosperity, health and happiness, love and longevity, geekery and gadgetry, this year and every year that follows.
Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.
2012, we salute you. All in all, you've been a pretty good year. There's been highs, lows, and lots of inbetweens. Above all else, though, you've been generous in the alternative arena. Whether it's the discovery of certain particles, or activities in space, 2012 had it covered. What better way to finish it off, then, with a disease smelling dog, a plan to catch an asteroid and a growable hangover cure. This is alt-week.
TripAdvisor, the popular travel planning tool, has just launched an app for Windows Phone 7. Just like the mobile website, the app allows you to search for anything travel-related -- from hotels and flights to restaurants and points-of-interest to visit once you reach your destination. Geolocation is supported, which allows TripAdvisor to quickly locate places nearby. But while that's a neat feature, it's also a bit of a downer -- because, really, it's about the only feature TripAdvisor for WP7 brings to the table that its mobile Web app doesn't already offer (its browser-based geolocation doesn't work with WP7 at the moment). While it's nice to see Windows Phone 7 users getting some big-name apps, it'd be even nicer if we saw some packing a bit more swagger. Still, TripAdvisor for WP7 might just be worth installing on your device if you're frequently on the go -- at least until a better browser arrives with the Mango update.
The Apple iWatch smartwatch is the subject of renewed rumor and speculation this morning, with Intel of all companies now being attached to the project. Low power Bluetooth 4.0 is along for the ride as well, of course, so it can instantly pair with an iPhone or iPad, as well as a 1.5-inch display, and a supposed release window pegged at the first half of 2013. In other words, soon. All this according to TGBUS (Google Translated):
Supply chain, said Intel is designed for Apple Bluetooth smart watches, this product is RiTdisplay 1.5-inch OLED screen, other aspects of the supply chain, with a rhenium ocean of OGS encore indium tin oxide transparent conductive (ITO) glass.
The Intel angle here is interesting. While Apple's Mac computer lines currently all still have Intel inside, Apple hasn't done anything significant with Intel on their iOS device line. Likewise, the OLED display rumor, as Apple has thus far eschewed that technology for LED.
Rumors of an iWatch, while not as persistent as iTV television rumors, began picking up speed when Apple announced the square, more iOS-looking 2010 iPod nano and Steve Jobs quipped that board members wanted to wear them as watches. Speculation immediately leapt to a future filled with light, wearable iOS devices, piggy-backing off the more powerful devices in our pockets and bags, passing on Siri instructions and getting back our notifications and other data.
Many watchband accessories and flights of fancy later, the iPod nano finally gained a Bluetooth radio in 2012... just as Apple changed its shape back to a far less watch-friendly rectangle. That could be a sign of Apple moving away from wearable iOS devices, or just shifting the nano away from wearability to leave room for something else. (Also, head fake.)
Apple is increasingly seen by financial markets, and the media, as a hit-driven business, and the moment they announce one new product, questions immediately spring up about "what's next?!". The iPad mini has shipped, so TVs, watches, and all manner of other products are ripe for the research notes and rumor mills alike.
Given the popularity of the nano-as-watch, and of other connected watch-style devices, like the television, it's hard to imagine that Apple doesn't have a project or prototype or several in the labs. Also like the television, that's a far cry from going to market with an final, polished product.
But it does raise the question -- do you want an iWatch from Apple?
Evernote, the popular multi-platform 'digital memory' app, has done some serious re-tooling of its Web interface. In addition to a more polished UI that more closely mirrors the look of Evernote on the desktop, the update brings features like notebook stacks and snippet view to the Web. Auto-saving is now enabled as well, and you can select multiple items by holding down the Cmd or Ctrl key on your Mac or Windows keyboard. If you've got items stored in your notebooks that you want to share with friends or co-workers, Evernote has improved that process, too. You can quickly post an item to Facebook, share it via email, or generate a Web sharing link to paste into an IM conversation or status update. Head over to the Evernote Web login page to try out the new interface.