Siri Works Outside iPhone 4S? Crackers Say Yes

One of the highlight of the revoultionary Iphone 4S was its new voice recognition software called Siri. But Apple just after the release, declared that Siri will not be offered for any of it previous models. But now, Crackers have reverse-engineereed the  Siri Protocol, to extend Apple's voice recognition service to any device, at least on the sly.


A team of Paris-based developers has reverse-engineered the protocol that powers Siri, the voice recognition system incorporated by Apple into its latest iPhone 4S smartphone, introduced last month. By cracking the protocol, the developers said that Siri could conceivably be extended to work on virtually any device, including older iPhones, the iPad, and even Android smartphones.


Siri is the much-lauded voice recognition system that serves as a natural language frontend for various services on an iPhone 4S--from dictating notes and creating new calendar entries to retrieving weather forecasts or restaurant recommendations. To date, however, the technology only officially works on the iPhone 4S.

So developers at Applidium--a Paris-based application development shop that's probably best known for developing the official Paris Metro mobile app--decided to see if they could change that. After studying HTTPS calls that Siri makes to an Apple server--"guzzoni.apple.com"--the developers found that they could use their own digital certificate to fake out the HTTPS server's validation check, by creating a fake domain name server and having it sign their application as being valid. Thanks to having the digital certificate, "you can add your own 'root certificate,' which lets you mark any certificate you want as valid," they said. "And it worked: Siri was sending commands to your own HTTPS sever."


With that code in hand, developing Siri-using applications wouldn't require that a developer own an iPhone or be part of the Apple developer program. "You don't need to execute any special binary code on the iPhone, so you don't have to be an Apple developer," said the developers.
Now, the developers have challenged others to take what they've done and run with it. "Let's see what fun application you guys get to build with it! And let's see how long it'll take Apple to change their security scheme!"

Can IRIS take on SIRI?

The Google Android is having another faceoff with Apple; and its not for the number of apps. Google Android has given the SIRI in Apple Iphone 4S a new, infact unexpected competitor. As a matter of fact, the crew from Dexetra.com has surpirsied the world with there new app IRIS, which they claim, to be made in only 8 hours.

Iris has been developed in record time by the folks over at Dexetra.com during a hackathon, which is a pretty commendable achievement on its own. The folks there are continually working at making it better, almost as good as Siri. Iris is available on Android Marketplace for users to download and install in their smartphones.


Since Iris is still in its nascent stages of development, it is not as smart and as quick as Siri. In fact, it is more like a voice activated search engine than a personal Assistant. Iris is the perfect software for people who want to run a search on Google but are too lazy to type a cue.


Iris understands simple commands that are spoken clearly and slowly. Even then, it misinterprets a few words sometimes. It recognises words individually and in a combination that makes up a sentence, but it still has a tough time interpreting a slightly complicated sentence. Even though its developers have spent time and effort to get it to answer philosophical questions with a sarcastic twist, it is as yet unable to match Siri.


What sets Siri apart from Iris is its intelligence and quick wit. Within the time it takes a user to blink, Siri runs a search and gets back with a quick witted answer. This is especially true for any philosophical questions that may be put to it. Siri as an interactive platform doesn't have any trouble interpreting sentences spoken as they are in everyday life.


Above all, Siri addresses the user by his/her first name, truly personalising a conversation. The reason for Siri's success is the fact that Apple has taken the pains to integrate it into the OS of the iPhone 4S;


Iris will be able to take on Siri if it smartens up, develops a sense of humour and starts enjoying personal conversations. Till then, Android users will just have to be content with a copycat.


But, that does not rule out Iris, which may turn out to be a threat for Siri in near future. The Dexetra.com team is still working on it so as to make it a tough competitor for Siri.

Is it gonna be Amazon Kindle Fire vs Ipad 2 ?

It was on this Setember 28, Amazon unveiled its much awaited Kindle Fire tablet, with a shipping date of November 15. The online retail giant has incorporated key features to attract consumers, including a new browser -- Amazon Silk - and it also offers a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime that allows access to streaming of Amazon's multimedia library of movies and TV shows. Amazon is investing heavily in Prime by bringing new content from CBS, NBCUniversal, and Twentieth Century Fox.

However, the key attraction to the tablet is its cost at $199. Techies predict Kindle Fire as an iPad killer due to its ecosystem and content similarities to Apple's tablet. In addition, Amazon's Kindle e-reader has a huge following.


A recent survey shows that there is a strong demand for Kindle Fire, even surpassing the pre-launch demand for iPad when it was first released in 2010.Survey data showing strong pent-up demand for Amazon's pending Kindle Fire tablet may offer near-term headline risk for Apple. Surveys have shown that 5 percent of 2,600 respondents have already pre-ordered or very likely to buy the Kindle Fire, exceeding pre-launch iPad buying intentions. In February 2010, the same survey showed that 4 percent of 3,200 respondents were very likely to Apple's iPad.


Also the price factor affets significantly as the kindle is only $199 against $499 of the iPad2.
Other tablet contenders such as Xoom, Galaxy Tab, PlayBook, etc, have failed to gain appreciable traction against iPad's est. 67 percent share, and iPad 2 should be a popular holiday purchase. However, strong early Fire uptake seems likely, raising speculation Apple now faces a real tablet contender.

Amazon's cheaper tablet is expected to do all the basic functions that one normally does on a tablet such as email, surfing Web and watching videos. So, if the tablet manages to do well on these fronts, then it could be an excellent alternative to iPad for price-conscious consumers.


However, iPad 2 has its own advantages. Apple's ecosystem has over 600K apps (100K iPad apps), more than 225 million iTunes accounts and facilitates multi-device tie in. iPad could be used as a "post-PC" device with 10-inch display and 3G. Kindle Fire comes only with Wi-Fi and lacks a camera, which may disappoint photo geeks and also takes away the feature of video calling, a must-have feature in today's tablets. The iPad2 has a VGA camera on the front and a 720p camera on the back for video calling.


iPad is supported by a global distribution via retailers, carriers and online in 90 countries while Kindle Fire is available only through online.However, Kindle Fire's near-term impact may be stronger and may hurt Apple's iPad sales if some iPad 2 potential buyers hold off their purchase to try the Kindle Fire.


Following is a comparison of iPad 2 and Kindle Fire:

Specifications	Apple iPad 2	Amazon Kindle     Fire
OS	iOS 5	Customized Android
Display	9.7" 1024x768, 132 ppi pixel density, capacitive touch screen	7" Multi-touch 1024x600 display with 169 ppi
Dimensions	241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8 mm	190 x 120 x 11.4 mm
Processor	A5 dual-core processor 1GHz	1GHz TI OMAP 4 dual-core processor
Storage	16/32/64GB, 512 MB RAM	8GB
Expandable Storage	No	No
Camera	VGA camera front; 720p camera back	No
3G	Yes	No
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Browser	Mobile Safari	Amazon Silk
Apps Available	About 500,000 (90,000 for iPad)	About 16,000
Battery	25 watt-hour battery that lasts up to 10 hours	Up to 8.0 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off.
Weight	1.3 Pounds	0.91 Pounds

Its Apple Vs. Samsung

It was on April 2011 that Apple Inc. filed a petition againt there 'arch-rival, the Korean Company,Samsung;, the latest in a long line of IP lawsuits against Android device manufacturers. ( Apple v. HTC, Apple v. Motorola, Microsoft v. Motorola, Microsoft v. Barnes & Noble.) The case is remarkable for several reasons, not least because Samsung is one of Apple's critical component suppliers: the Korean giant manufactures everything from DRAM and SSDs for MacBook Pros to the A4 and A5 processors in the iPhone, iPod touch, Apple TV, and iPad. That relationship doesn't seem to have softened Apple's tone; the company's complaint bluntly says "Instead of pursuing independent product development, Samsung has chosen to slavishly copy Apple’s innovative technology, distinctive user interfaces, and elegant and distinctive product and packaging design, in violation of Apple’s valuable intellectual property rights."


The immediate takeaway is exactly as Florian Mueller tweeted: Apple isn't afraid to sue anyone when it comes to protecting its IP. You might also surmise that Apple demanded Samsung stop infringing its IP or pay a royalty and Samsung refused; a filed complaint is generally just evidence that more cordial negotiations failed. But that's the easy reaction to the simple fact of Apple suing Samsung. The real dirt is in the complaint itself, which was filed on the 15th and made public today. It's actually quite interesting, both because of the claims themselves and their structure — this lawsuit is as much about TouchWiz and Samsung's penchant for lifting design elements as it is about the core of Android. We've got a copy, which you can download right here — grab it and follow along after the break.


BACKGROUND


The background section of Apple's complaint has a couple interesting nuggets in it: Apple's sold "over 60 million" iPod touches as of March 2011, which is the first time a specific number has ever been broken out for that device, and we're also told that 108m iPhones and 19m iPads have been sold. What's more, Apple spent more than $2 billion advertising the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad during its fiscal years 2007 to 2010.


It's in this section that Apple also lays out what it considers to be its protectable intellectual property: seven utility patents, three design patents, trademarks on several iOS system app icons, and a host of trade dress registrations on the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and the packaging that each comes in. (Yes, the packaging — companies spend millions designing gadget boxes, after all.)


Its also told that Apple views the Samsung Captivate, Continuum, Vibrant, Galaxy S 4G, Epic 4G, Indulge, Mesmerize, Showcase, Fascinate, Nexus S, Gem, Transform, Intercept, and Acclaim phones as infringing its various IP, as well as the Galaxy Tab. It's also clear Apple has particular scorn for TouchWiz'd Galaxy S devices, saying "The copying is so pervasive, that [they] appear to be actual Apple products." The rest of the background section is really just the foundation for Apple's actual claims.

THE CLAIMS


Here I am going to take the claims one-by-one, but structurally it's notable that trade dress is the first listed claim, as claims are traditionally ordered by some combination of perceived strength and importance. Apple was forced to focus on deeply-technical underlying Android system patents when it sued HTC and Motorola because Sense and Blur are highly differentiated from iOS and the actual products have unique hardware and packaging designs, but Samsung all but invited these additional and somewhat more subjective claims by hewing so closely to Apple's conventions. And at this stage of the game, more claims generally means more liability.


First claim: Trade dress infringement under 15 U.S.C. § 1125


You're probably familiar with patents, copyrights, and trademarks, the three main types of intellectual property. Trade dress is the wonky red-headed step-cousin of the family that fills the gaps between the three; you might think of it as a trademark on design elements that trigger consumer recognition. (That's a vastly simplified explanation, but it's good enough for our purposes.) Trademarks and trade dress are all about protecting consumers from being deceived in the marketplace — the idea is to clearly indicate the source of a product or service.


Think of it this way: the trademark "iPhone" is a made up word that consumers recognize, so Samsung can't call its phones the "Galaxy iPhone" because that would confuse consumers about the source of the product. Similarly, Apple's claim is that the iPhone's box and design scream "Apple" to consumers just as strongly as the word "iPhone."


Second claim: Federal trade dress infringement under 15 U.S.C. § 1114


This second trade dress claim is the more simple and direct of the two, because it deals with three specific iPhone trade dress elements Apple's registered with the US Patent and Trademark office. That means Apple's already convinced the USPTO these elements are distinctive and protectable; with the first claim Apple will have to start from scratch.


Third claim: Federal trademark infringement under 15 U.S.C. § 1114


This one's pretty simple, and on its face it looks like the strongest claim of them all: Apple's registered trademarks on several iOS system icons, and TouchWiz includes six icons that look almost exactly the same. The facts here literally line right up — we'll put the iOS icon on the left and the TouchWiz icon on the right.


It's going to be far harder for Samsung to argue out of some of these — in some cases, like the phone icon, the similarities are impossible to ignore. You might argue that the design of the phone icon is ridiculously trivial and obvious, but consider the flipside: Apple can argue just as persuasively that Samsung had a million options for a phone icon and instead chose a white handset resting at an angle on a green gradient background. Samsung's lawyers are going to have get creative with this one.


Fourth claim: common law trademark infringement


This one's a catch-all — it's there to pick up the pieces from the federal trademark claims and to strengthen the claim on the iTunes icon, which is still pending registration.


Fifth claim: Unfair business practices under the California Business and Professions Code


This is a state-level version of the trade dress and trademark claims - it's there to pick up the pieces in case the federal claims somehow don't pass muster. I'm not a California lawyer, so I'm not too familiar with these statutes — let me know if I missed something important here.


Sixth claim: Unjust enrichment


Yet another state-level claim that feels like a catch-all in case everything else fails — Apple's arguing that whether or not Samsung's conduct rose to actual infringement its trade dress, trademarks, and patents, Samsung still unfairly profited by copying Apple's work.


Let's skip ahead here and deal with the design patents now as well, since they're of the same theme — you might as well call this bundle the Galaxy / TouchWiz claims, since they're all to do with Samsung-specific hardware and software.


Claims fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen: infringement of design patents


Just when you were getting your head around trade dress, we're throwing design patents into the mix. There's actually a pretty simple relationship between the two — if trade dress is all about the product design's relationship to the consumer, a design patent is all about the design of the product itself. Think about it like this: if you designed a new phone with a novel design, you could get a design patent. Once you started selling it and your customers started associating that design with your products, you'd be protected by trade dress. (Again, a gross simplification, but we're aiming for broad contours here.) And design patents expire just like every other patent, while trade dress lasts as long as the item is in commerce. 


The rule for design patent infringement is relatively simple: if the two designs are substantially similar enough to trick an ordinary person into thinking they're the same, it's probably an infringement.  


WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?


So that's the rundown — the sixteen specific claims Apple's making against Samsung, as well as what it's asking the court to do. Taken as a group, it feels like a remarkably solid case — Samsung can't just up and countersue Apple with its own patents and hope to walk away with a handshake and a cross-license because of the various trademark, trade dress, and design patent claims. How the company decides to deal with those issues remains to be seen; there's no question in my mind that Samsung designed TouchWiz to look and feel as much like iOS as possible, and then marketed it as such.


In that context, Apple's Android-specific patent claims almost seem like a foundation on which to build the case against TouchWiz, not the indirect swipe at Android itself that I've come to expect from these lawsuits. Depending on the strength of Samsung's promised reply and countersuit, the guess is that Apple might be willing to eventually settle the patent claims but will push the trademark and trade dress claims as far as it can — if Apple loses those it's open season on the iOS aesthetic. You can bet Steve Jobs and Tim Cook aren't about to let that happen.


Compared to the almost standard patent-vs-patent rocket-docket-plus-ITC lawsuits we've been seeing across the industry, this case is definitely a novelty.

Less Known Facts About Steve Jobs

Below are some of the interesting facets of Steve Jobs' life that very few of his admirers know.


The Reality Distortion Field


It was Apple's engineer Burrell Smith who coined the term "Reality Distortion Field." The reason behind the term was to explain Jobs' charismatic nature and his ability to convince his listeners. Smith used the term in the context of working with Jobs, but it is now extensively used to portray his charming personality, in general, especially on stage.




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According to former Apple employee Mike Evangelist, Jobs' keynote addresses were extremely well prepared months in advance. They were a proper blending of delicate humor, suspense and exact timing.


"What really gets you is the way he talks. There's something about the rhythm of his speech and the incredible enthusiasm he conveys for whatever it is he's talking about that is just infectious," said journalist Alan Deutschman.


"We", Not "I"


Another significant thing about Jobs' public performance and interviews was his use of the pronoun "we." Almost every time Jobs spoke, he never said "I", but he means "I" using a "We." During an interview at D5, Walt Mossberg curiously asked him, "who's 'we'?" Jobs replied, "Well, ME!" His biological sister Mona Simpson wrote in her novel about her brother that this habit of Jobs was true in private conversation also.


A Devout Vegan


Jobs had been a dedicated vegan ever since his teenage years. At the age of 19, in Reed College, Jobs explored strange diets which, according to him, would let him get rid of all mucus and hence the need to shower. At one point of time, Jobs started eating only fruits. He also started a habit of fasting that he kept for a long time. One of his favorite foods was known to be raw carrot.


He Made People Cry


A title of one of the press articles written about Jobs' difficult character was "The Trouble with Steve Jobs." According to Robert Sutton, Stanford management science professor and author of best-seller "The No Asshole Rule," "The degree to which people in Silicon Valley are afraid of Jobs is unbelievable. He made people feel terrible; he made people cry."


It was during his early years at Apple that Jobs earned this reputation. In 1981, Macintosh project founder Jef Raskin complained to then-Apple president Mike Scott about Jobs' temper. There are a number of occasions of Jobs getting angry at employees and firing them for trivial reasons.


The Inspiration for Many Got Inspired by Many


Jobs is undoubtedly a source of inspiration for many people who dream and want to experience their dreams. But the gadget wizard himself got inspired by a few people and father figures. He always praised folk singer Bob Dylan. He played his music and sang his songs all day in his youth.


Another inspiration was Kobun Chino Otogowa, NeXT's official spiritual adviser. In 1970s, he was Jobs' zen guru from the Los Altos Zen Center. Otogowa was the one credited for convincing Jobs to start Apple rather than becoming a Zen vicar.


Other names that served as sources of inspiration for Jobs included American photographer Ansel Adams, Sony co-founder Akio Morita, inventor/entrepreneur, Thomas Edison, American industrialist Henry Ford, and the founder of Atari and Jobs' first (and only) employer, Nolan Bushnell.


He Thought of Becoming a Monk


In his youth, Jobs studied Zen Buddhism. He used to say that he wanted to become a monk in a monastery in Japan instead of starting Apple. But his guru Kobun Chino Otogowa later made him think otherwise.


He Thought of Running for California Governor


Using his wife's name, Jobs funded the Democratic Party for each election. After he left Apple in 1985, he thought of running for the office of governor of California. However, he later gave up the decision.


Photography


Jobs loved photography. For a long time, he decorated his home only with big black-and-white photographs of cultural icons like Einstein, or the California landscape, mostly taken by Ansel Adams. He also put Adams prints in his NeXT office.


The Apple Museum


The Apple Museum in the Stanford University contains the famed collection of Apple memorabilia that Jobs donated after he came back to Apple. The museum includes exclusive documents and pictures from Apple's first 20 years (1976-1996).


More and more 'liitle known' fats about jobs are only being revealed lately.  Do share yours if you too have any.