Chapter 4: siri, What is siri, 39 what is siri – Apple iPhone iOS 5.1 User Manual
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Siri
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What is Siri?
Siri is the intelligent personal assistant that helps you get things done just by talking. Siri
understands natural speech, so you don’t have to learn specific commands or remember keywords.
You can ask things in different ways. For example, you can say “Set the alarm for 6:30 a.m.” or “Wake
me at 6:30 in the morning.” Either way, Siri gets it.
Siri lets you write and send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, get directions, set a
reminder, search the web—and much much more!—simply by talking naturally. Siri understands
what you say and knows what you mean. Siri speaks back to let you know what it heard you
say, and asks a question if it needs clarification or more information. It’s very much like having a
conversation with a person.
For example, ask “Any good burger joints around here?” and Siri may reply “I found a number of
burger restaurants near you.” If you say “Hmm. How about tacos,” Siri remembers that you just
asked about restaurants and then looks for Mexican restaurants in the neighborhood.
In addition to the internal processing power of iPhone, Siri uses Apple’s data centers to
understand what you say and quickly return a response. Siri also uses information from your
contacts, music library, calendars, reminders, and so forth to know what you’re talking about.
Siri works with most of the built-in apps on iPhone 4S, and is smart enough to figure out which
app to use for a request. Siri also uses Search and Location Services to help you with your requests.
There’s so many things you can say to Siri! Here’s a few more examples, for starters:
Call Joe
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Set the timer for 30 minutes
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How far to the nearest Apple store?
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Is it going to rain tomorrow?
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Note: Siri is available only on iPhone 4S, and it requires Internet access via a cellular or Wi-Fi
connection. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area.
Cellular data charges may apply.
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