Siri

One of my biggest gripes with Siri has been fixed thanks to a new jailbreak tweak called PersistentAssistant. The new jailbreak tool allows Siri to keep listening after you ask her a question. This eliminates the need to keep tapping the button every time you want to use Siri, allowing you to have a continuous conversation with the voice assistant.

This is the perfect tweak for impatient people who are always turning Siri on and off before she has time to do her job. It's also great for those drunk nights when you're trying to show her off to your friends because it makes her much easier to use. You can tap Siri a second time or let her automatically shutdown if you only have one question.

Two different iPhone 4S owners sued Apple for "false and misleading" advertising in March, which helped kick off a few different class action lawsuits. David Jones filed a complaint with a U.S. District Court alleging "Apple disseminates false and deceptive representations regarding the functionality of the Siri feature." Other complaints ranged from not being able to recreate Apple's the ‘Rock God’ Siri commercial in real life, and Siri not giving proper directions.

Apple has responded with a motion to dismiss the class-action lawsuits:

"They offer only general descriptions of Apple’s advertisements, incomplete summaries of Apple’s website materials, and vague descriptions of their alleged—and highly individualized—disappointment with Siri. Tellingly, although Plaintiffs claim they became dissatisfied with Siri’s performance “soon after” purchasing their iPhones, they made no attempt to avail themselves of Apple’s 30-day return policy or one-year warranty—which remains in effect. Instead, they seek to take an alleged personal grievance about the purported performance of a popular product and turn it into a nationwide class action under California’s consumer protection statutes. The Complaint does not come close to meeting the heavy burden necessary to sustain such claims."

iOS 6 rumors are heating up now that the WWDC is about a month away. Here is what Apple is expected to unveil or at least preview at the event.

AllThingsD has confirmed an earlier report by 9to5Mac that claimed Apple would ditch Google Maps in favor for a new Maps app.

“Sources tell 9to5Mac that Apple will abandon Google’s mapping backend in the next major iteration of iOS, replacing it with a brand new mapping application powered by Apple technology. We’ve independently confirmed that this is indeed the case. Sources describe the new Maps app as a forthcoming tent-pole feature of iOS that will, in the words of one, 'blow your head off.' " - John Paczkowski from AllThingsD

The number one question I get asked about the iPhone 4S is... "How's Siri?" I never have a good answer, since I hate to deter people from buying the iPhone 4S because she can't comprehend my mumbling. Siri is great when she understands me, but due to my slight lisp and inability to talk clearly, we have a love-hate relationship. I can forget about asking Siri to "skip songs." Too many "ssss" sounds. I can handle asking Siri about the "weather" because it only requires one word. Too bad that I rarely care about the weather. I'm also embarrassed to talk to my iPhone like it's a person in public, especially when I normally have to ask two or three times.

Siri seems great for people who can talk clearly and want to use their iPhone while driving. If you have already pre-programmed their address into your contacts, asking for directions to your friend's house must be a cinch. Even if it's not that easy, at least you're in the comfort of your own car. Asking Siri for directions while walking down a crowded NYC or Philly sidewalk is awkward and never seems to work for me. Trying to keep up with the fast moving traffic of busy people while yelling "directions to so-and-so's house" at my phone seems hazardous to my health. And now, to make things even worse, Apple has made my Siri disability even more embarrassing by releasing two commercials starring Samuel L. Jackson and Zooey Deschanel.

The popular third-party browser Dolphin has been updated with a new voice-control feature. Dolphin Sonar allows users to search the web and navigate websites by using simple voice commands. Downloading version 4.0 adds a familiar looking microphone icon to the bottom left of the browser. Users can can easily access the Dolphin Sonar by tapping the icon or shaking their iPhone. The new voice control system eliminates the need for typing while searching Google or messing around on Facebook. Just tell Dolphin Sonar where you want it to go and it will lead you there.

The Dolphin Browser also features a magazine reader Webzine, one-click sharing for Twitter and Facebook, and Gesture, which allows you to create a personal symbol to access the websites you like the most. Dolphin Browser is compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It requires iOS 4.0 or later.