Google's Schmidt Calls Apple Siri a "Significant" Threat

[wiyosaya]

[citation][nom]cadder[/nom]My daughter got the new phone. We played with it all weekend and never got a single valid answer out of Siri. There is a lot of hype but so far it seems to be pretty ineffective.[/citation]Personally, I am not surprised at this. Language is a pattern. For a first "public" release, I would be surprised if all the patterns that spoken language can take are covered; therefore, the inconsistent / poor results. I am sure they will improve the pattern matching over time.


[citation][nom]cadder[/nom]As for cloud computing- I started with computers back in the days of mainframes that we used through terminals. With a mainframe you get to use the computer when someone else decides that you can use the computer, it isn't up to you. With a PC it belongs to you and you control it. Cloud computing is just another form of mainframes, and you get to use the cloud when someone else decides that they will let you use the cloud, it isn't up to you. I prefer using my own PC over using the cloud.[/citation]
Agreed. The cloud is a non-localized resource which general users cannot control. I also prefer my own PC / networked PCs to the cloud. IMHO, my data is far more secure on my own PC.

 

[caparc]

Up to now we have to memorize exact squences of commands to do things on computers, typing or speech. It doesn't have to be that way. A natural language bot can learn what we mean by casual statements, ask for clarification when necessary, and learn like any other personal assistant. "Siri, I want to send a text message to my sister Jane" Siiri answers, "Sir, there are two Janes in your contact list. Is your sister Jane Jones or Jane Smith." You answer "Jane Smith". Siri opens a text message box for her and remembers which jane is your sister. "Siri, about a month ago I looked at a web page with a discussion a perpetual motion machine. Can you help me find that and display it for me?" Siri answers, "Is this what you are looking for sir?" Then you might say, "Siri, Please stop calling me Sir, I prefer Charlie." Siri answers, "Okay Charlie". Or you may say, "During work hours call me sir, at other times call me Charlie."

Ask for the same things 10 different ways and Siri will do the right task, the same as a human personal assistant. There can be simulated personalities, they can have human like progressive intonations to avoid sounding robotic, they can make intelligent small talk, let you know about sports scores, stock market quotes, birthdays. All that can be done now by finding apps and pressing keys. If users could get those services with fuzzy language speech commands, typed or spoken, they'd use it. Users would become very attached to their personal assistants once well trained. It could be a very good business.

 

[wiyosaya]

[citation][nom]watcha[/nom]When you compare the time to open up a browser, navigate to google, type in your search, find the right link, click it, and read it, vs just saying 'What is the weather today?' - Siri is much quicker.[/citation]Assuming, of course, Siri finds the correct answer. My understanding is that Siri does not always find the correct answer on the first try, and that you must either repeat or rephrase if it does not. In cases such as these, the time spent could possibly exceed that of the conventional methods you describe.

As I said above, Siri does pattern matching, and not all patterns are covered, however, I imagine that the covered patterns will increase as Siri ages.

 

[wiyosaya]

[citation][nom]caparc[/nom]Up to now we have to memorize exact squences of commands to do things on computers, typing or speech. It doesn't have to be that way. A natural language bot can learn what we mean by casual statements, ask for clarification when necessary, and learn like any other personal assistant. "Siri, I want to send a text message to my sister Jane" Siiri answers, "Sir, there are two Janes in your contact list. Is your sister Jane Jones or Jane Smith." You answer "Jane Smith". Siri opens a text message box for her and remembers which jane is your sister. "Siri, about a month ago I looked at a web page with a discussion a perpetual motion machine. Can you help me find that and display it for me?" Siri answers, "Is this what you are looking for sir?" Then you might say, "Siri, Please stop calling me Sir, I prefer Charlie." Siri answers, "Okay Charlie". Or you may say, "During work hours call me sir, at other times call me Charlie." Ask for the same things 10 different ways and Siri will do the right task, the same as a human personal assistant. There can be simulated personalities, they can have human like progressive intonations to avoid sounding robotic, they can make intelligent small talk, let you know about sports scores, stock market quotes, birthdays. All that can be done now by finding apps and pressing keys. If users could get those services with fuzzy language speech commands, typed or spoken, they'd use it. Users would become very attached to their personal assistants once well trained. It could be a very good business.[/citation]
From my understanding, Siri is presently not as good as you suggest. Since people tend to stick with what they find works, I would not be surprised if on the failure of a first attempt at getting Siri to understand, people at least attempt to find the correct phrase that Siri does understand. I would also expect that people, being creatures of habit, will stick to what works or minor variations of it once they find it. IMHO, that is a process for the human that essentially amounts to the memorization of commands. While some of the process may be easier than typing, IMHO, it still amounts to memorization of commands.

 

[willwayne]

[citation][nom]Goldengoose[/nom]use your brain - he's referring to the fact that if apple's server's go down, then siri goes down.[/citation]

No - I think he was referring to this part of his post:

[citation][nom]cadder[/nom]My daughter got the new phone. We played with it all weekend and never got a single valid answer out of Siri. There is a lot of hype but so far it seems to be pretty ineffective.[/citation]

 

[lathe26]

Bill Gates wrote ~1994 in his book that in 2000 computers will finally be able to handle natural language. I'm not convinced that Siri is fully baked but it is a step in the right direction... in 2011.

 

[sundragon]

[citation][nom]xerroz[/nom]It's Apple, of course it goes back to them. They then sell that data to the highest bidders. A bunch of weasels like always just like Papa Stevie wanted[/citation]

Hey, lets make stuff up! because we don't like a company! Yay!

 

[beayn]

All of the voice recognition programs I've used work without being "trained", however they work MUCH better if you do train them. Does Siri offer that option?

Oh, and those of you arguing with watcha, ignore him. He's just a hardcore apple fanboi who trolls all the apple articles he can find so that he can defend his Lord Apple in every aspect of what they do, say and produce.

 

[eddieroolz]

So Google still sees it as a threat, as much as it seems to be rather useless.

 

[watcha]

[citation][nom]beayn[/nom]All of the voice recognition programs I've used work without being "trained", however they work MUCH better if you do train them. Does Siri offer that option? Oh, and those of you arguing with watcha, ignore him. He's just a hardcore apple fanboi who trolls all the apple articles he can find so that he can defend his Lord Apple in every aspect of what they do, say and produce.[/citation]

Are you annoyed because reasonable normal people were able to have a logical discussion with me? Don't try and turn basic discussion into a fanboy flame war, that's immature.

As for 'training' - yes Apple says that Siri learns your voice as you go along, but also is intended to work out of the box.

 

[beayn]

[citation][nom]watcha[/nom]Are you annoyed because reasonable normal people were able to have a logical discussion with me? Don't try and turn basic discussion into a fanboy flame war, that's immature.As for 'training' - yes Apple says that Siri learns your voice as you go along, but also is intended to work out of the box.[/citation]

All I see is you arguing with multiple people again, staunchly defending your beloved company, no matter what anyone says. You were even telling someone that their opinion was wrong.......that's not a discussion. I also see your comments getting voted down multiple times because nobody wants to hear it.

 

[watcha]

[citation][nom]beayn[/nom]All I see is you arguing with multiple people again, staunchly defending your beloved company, no matter what anyone says. You were even telling someone that their opinion was wrong.......that's not a discussion. I also see your comments getting voted down multiple times because nobody wants to hear it.[/citation]

I think you're posting this in the wrong thread. Feel free to browse up through the comments on this thread and find anything which is anything other than impartial, sensible, logic.

I haven't told anybody in this thread that they are wrong yet, either. Except now you, because you're so blatantly wrong and making yourself look like a fool that you being a fool is now a fact.

Please, please grow up and learn to respond to the discussion instead of feeling so threatened that you don't even try to debate ;-)

 

[beayn]

[citation][nom]watcha[/nom]I think you're posting this in the wrong thread. Feel free to browse up through the comments on this thread and find anything which is anything other than impartial, sensible, logic. I haven't told anybody in this thread that they are wrong yet, either. Except now you, because you're so blatantly wrong and making yourself look like a fool that you being a fool is now a fact.Please, please grow up and learn to respond to the discussion instead of feeling so threatened that you don't even try to debate ;-)[/citation]

Scroll up, one of your messages has a -7. The other thread has far more. It's always the same from you. Trying to have an intelligent conversation with you is like trying to have a conversation with a chimp. You don't "debate" you make shit up, anything you can to support your "argument". Everything you spout is nonsense, and the best part is, you don't even realize it... like right now, you don't even realize you're spouting more meaningless crap.

 

[watcha]

[citation][nom]beayn[/nom]Scroll up, one of your messages has a -7. The other thread has far more. It's always the same from you. Trying to have an intelligent conversation with you is like trying to have a conversation with a chimp. You don't "debate" you make shit up, anything you can to support your "argument". Everything you spout is nonsense, and the best part is, you don't even realize it... like right now, you don't even realize you're spouting more meaningless crap.[/citation]

You didn't state that one of my messages had -7, you stated other things, for example that I told someone he was 'wrong'. Please would you care to paste a comment in this thread where I did that?

The bottom line, is you got it wrong - and yet again, as is always the case with you, you aren't man enough to say 'sorry I meant in the other thread' (which is my point in the first place).

I've not made anything up, you have offered absolutely nothing whatsoever which contradicts any of the facts or opinions I have stated. All you are doing is saying 'that's meaningless crap' - well guess what my illogical friend, that is not an argument.

You're unable to logically discuss anything I've said because you know I'm right, you just don't like it.