Could iPhone's Siri Speech Recognition Make a Good Assistant?
If you're a technology-minded attorney, you probably anxiously awaited the release of Apple's newest gadget: the iPhone 4S. And one of the biggest "upgrades" to this new phone? The Siri speech recognition software.
Many attorneys may wonder if this new "assistant" is worth it. Certainly, the commercials look pretty awesome.
But how does Siri really stack up?
So far, reviews have been generally positive. Most find the software relatively easy to use.
Using Siri, you can perform a lot of traditionally hands-on actions hand free. You can verbally command the artificial intelligence to send text messages or compose emails. This can help busy professionals, like attorneys, who might find themselves on the road and unable to text someone back.
Of course, Siri also has a multitude of personal uses. You can command Siri to look up the weather for you, and can ask it for recommendations for local restaurants.
All this at the touch of a button. Seems a bit too good, right?
The software does have some drawbacks. You need to speak clearly in order for it to understand you. And there are instances where it will just get things wrong. Plus, sometimes the system will simply have service outages where you can't connect to Siri.
But since it's likely that Apple will only be working on fixing these flaws, Siri seems to offer a lot of potential.
Android users, are you feeling a bit left out? You shouldn't fret. There are actually a variety of alternative voice recognition applications out there if you're feeling some Siri-envy.
Is it a good idea to have something like this on your phone? It's ultimately up to you. But maybe Siri's speech recongition functions are a sign of the future. Plus, it can be downright cool to have.
Related Resources:
- Review: With Siri, iPhone finds its voice (Wired)
- iPad Competition: Will Attorneys Use Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1? (FindLaw's Technologist)
- Apple May Have Lost Another iPhone Prototype (FindLaw's Technologist)
- Livescribe Connect's Smartpen: Attorney Productivity Booster? (FindLaw's Technologist)