Talking to Siri: Learning the Language of Apple's Intelligent Assistant

by Erica Sadun, Steve Sande

Sweet-talk Siri(R) for iOS 6 into doing practically anything!In iOS 6 and OS X Mountain Lion, Siri is more amazing than ever--and it's even better when you really know how to talk to it. Now, two top Apple(R) tech experts show how to talk the newest version of Siri into doing more than you ever thought possible! Look up what you want to do, and you'll find tested step-by-step instructions for getting perfect results--including new ways to do everything from checking football scores to posting on Facebook!Teach Siri to recognize requests and take dictation more accuratelyCheck Yelp reviews and place OpenTable restaurant reservationsLaunch apps hands-freeFind out where your friends are right nowChoose a great movie with Rotten Tomatoes reviewsGet up-to-the-minute player stats for baseball, football, or soccerBlog with Siri using email or text messagingTweet updates, complete with location or appointment infoCreate location-based reminders that trigger at destinations like the drugstoreHelp Siri recognize and connect with your family and friendsTransform Siri into your personal media DJFind the nearest store that's selling whatever you wantAnswer math and science problems with Wolfram AlphaMake sure Siri responds only to you, not to an impostorDiscover the silliness Apple engineered into Siri

227 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2011

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, you know all the iPhone 4S commercials where Siri is cheerful and pleasant or the rumors that you can get Siri to respond to a query with a witty quip?

Yeah, I don't have that version of Siri. I have the snotty teenager version that pretends it's listening then freaks when asked to change a reminder.

Perhaps it's just me, that I am having trouble communicating with Siri on a basic level.

Thankfully, Erica Sadun and Steve Sande put out a little book that goes over Siri's high points and limitations (she's not programmed to edit reminders or notes and for some reason won't dictate directly to twitter or facebook at this time - and I don't care if Siri is officially an "it" the US version has a female voice). I also learned how to frame my questions using Wolfram Alpha-type queries.

Siri and I are getting along much better these days. She still won't clean her room, though.

[Andrés · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book adds little information that is not already in the "help" feature that comes with Siri. Even most of the examples are the same. The only exception is on dictation, which I've found quite useful.

[Larea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This information may be available elsewhere but this was a quick, convenient, and entertaining way for me to get up to speed with Siri. I just upgraded my iPhone 4 to iPhone 5 and I am loving it! I may even ditch my voice recorder that I carry for ideas in the car.

[Justin McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty cool. It was informative to learn new things that Siri could do that I wasn't aware of. It was amusing to learn all of the different ways you could have fun with Siri. I would recommend this book for an iPhone 4S or later user that enjoys using technology.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm impressed at what Siri is capable of. I'm just now becoming familiar with Siri and this book shed some light on it for me. Excellent resource for Siri (and 4S) newbies.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just bought the second addition of this book for my Kindle app. The book is very helpful in using Siri more effectively, and I recommend it to anyone who has an eye device.

[Eric Durant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fun material, and some useful material. Not worthwhile if you read the first edition.

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. I found a few useful tips and enjoyed it well enough. But, if you are on the internet and Pinterest regularly, you've already learned all of this and more.