In what could be labeled as this year’s biggest non shocker, Apple is claiming that Samsung is violating Siri patents with Mountain View’s Google Now software. U.S. patents 8,086,604 and 6,846,959 cover technology related to Siri, a “universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system.” 

Apple is grouping these violations together with the case that is already taking place apparently, but what has us scratching our heads is how this is Samsung’s problem. It is Google that controls Google Now, not Samsung. In addition, the Galaxy S4 is also being thrown into the mix, as Apple claims Samsung’s newest device infringes on five patents.

For the time being, Google Now users won’t have to worry about a thing, as the slowly-moving court system goes through its process. This is justice.

Via: FOSS Patents

Apple Sets Eyes on Galaxy S4 and Google Now in Newest Patent Infringements Claim is a post from: Droid Life

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Our inbox indicates that many of you are aware that Google released Google Now to iOS this morning. This comes as no surprise, nor does it interest us one bit. Good for iOS users. Welcome to the fun that is Google Now! Well, sort of. The Google Now for iOS will never be as powerful as the version on Android because Apple won’t allow it to be.

For now though, you can open up the iOS Google Search app and find some cards for flights or restaurants or routes home from work and even track packages and flight info from Gmail. But from what we can tell, it may not be able to update in the background at full capacity like the Android version does, which means no ongoing notifications for card updates. You’ll have to consciously open up the app to get Now goodies rather than have it dictate your life for you. You also can’t access Google Now through a shortcut like swiping up or long-pressing navigation buttons. You’ll have to open the Search app and then swipe up the Now cards to view them.

It’s really just an add-on to Google Search, not really the semi-stand-alone, ultra-powerful service that it is on Android. Well, until Google makes it that way – take the iOS Gmail app for example.

But again, enjoy, iOS users.

So…Umm…Google Now was Released to iOS Today…Yep. is a post from: Droid Life

Google Now is great at putting certain pieces of information in front of you before you realize you need it. A traffic report for your drive home is there just before you leave work. You’re notified about a package’s location after you’re emailed about it. Recent searches appear to remind you about your bad decision to try and understand what happened in the Clone Saga.

Google wants to continue to empower our cell phones and turn them into truly useful person assistants. I believe Google Now is the best way to do that, but I also believe Google Now needs to get a lot better. In particular, Now needs improve its use of contextual information, have more of a personality, and display information better. 

Context

Google is pretty good at guessing what I want to see, but it doesn’t know things I haven’t told Google about and it certainly doesn’t always know all of my contextual information. Google Now knows to show me appointment information before I need to leave to meet someone or to show me local attractions, but I’m not always trying to explore something and sometimes I want to be reminded of my schedule more in advance.

Location context can be tremendously powerful. For example, imagine when you walk in to your local coffee shop a card appears to pay with Google Wallet. After you pay, a card appears with a book recommendation from Google Play or your favorite playlist to throw on while you work on some homework. Maybe when you arrive at your parents place Google Now presents you with a card that initiates a photo slide show of the vacation you took last week. Maybe when you arrive at work or school it provides a card for your schedule for the rest of your day so you know what to expect as you walk in.

One context that Google can’t anticipate is my conversation (unless you opt in to let Google Now listen to everything you say). I might have just finished a meeting and want to add another appointment to my calendar. With Apple’s Siri I can tell her to add an appointment to my calendar on the drive home, but Google Now is severely limited in the voice input it can receive. For example with Google Now I can initiate a phone call or a text message, but there is no audible feedback and with a text message I’m then prompted to use a keyboard. Siri, on the other hand, requires voice input and can do nothing with text. Google Now has fantastic voice recognition (unlike Siri’s “voice recognition,” which I believe Apple borrowed from Google Voice), but it’s really only good for initiating tasks, not completing them. Google would be wise to allow users to ask Now questions regarding their personal information (like calendar information) and complete tasks with their voice.

Personality

Google has a lot of personality. From Google Doodles to April Fools’ Day, Google regularly shows off its sense of humor. Google Now makes no effort to feel human. Siri, on the other hand, tells jokes, sings songs, delights in tales of robots dominating humanity, and breaks the fourth wall like your favorite merc with a mouth. As a result, Siri really does feel like a personal assistant with personality and quirks.

Adding little bits of personality throughout Now that aren’t user initiated would also make Now feel even more responsive and human. Granted, Siri was presented from the ground up as a personal assistant, but it wouldn’t take much to build a persona around Now. Siri tells you a joke when you ask her, but imagine Now pulling up a grumpy cat meme when you do a search for something cat related.

Adding personality to Google Now wouldn’t add a lot of functionality, but it would encourage users to play with the app more and feel more connected with the service. I love the idea of Now messing with people on April Fools’ Day with a light-hearted prank, giving a sarcastic response before following a command, or responding conversationally. I also love the idea of the Now app having sliders to choose how sarcastic or biting Now can be in response to you (just in case you’re a bit more sensitive or don’t like the idea of robots talking back to you).

Layout

Google Now is easy to launch from the lock screen of a stock device, but from your home screen it is less obvious. Tapping on the search bar at the top of the screen is fine, but it implies searching, now Now.  I think leaving Google Now as a replacement for the Google Search app makes it feel foreign to Android even though Google Now only appears on the mobile operating system. I think Google should borrow a design cue from Motorola and integrate Google Now into the home screen. A swipe to the right from your main screen should throw you into Google Now.

In addition to home screen integration, I think Google could do a better job at showing more information in Now. As I mentioned in my Windows Phone 8 review, in a lot of ways Live Tiles feel like Google Now. I don’t think Google should adopt the Live Tiles UI, but I do think they could present cards better.

Scrolling through cards is nice, but at first you can only see one and a quarter cards. I’m assuming Google did that to encourage users to scroll through Google Now, but from a UX perspective it makes Google Now far less powerful. Cards could be folded and then unfolded with a tap to show more or less information without dismissing it, flipped to show more information, or even stacked together (to borrow an idea from webOS).

The Beginning of Now

Google Now is really powerful and super useful, but Google definitely hasn’t tapped into its full potential. Once you get past the initial creepy feeling when Google predicts the information you want without asking for it, Now feels amazing. It has the potential to blow assistants like Siri out of the water because it does what any good assistant should: do things without you having to say so. I can’t wait to see what Google does to build out Now as a platform that can be integrated into smart watches, Google Glass, smart cars, refrigerators, mirrors, and so much more. This is just the beginning of Now.

Improving Google Now [Opinion] is a post from: Droid Life

Making the rounds today is an interesting story, given that it could have greatly affected the way we think about our smartphones and the competitors in the smartphone race. In 2009, before the Siri startup was purchased by  Apple, Verizon made their own bid in an effort to have the software installed on every DROID-branded device they sold. Verizon was so far into the deal that even commercials were filmed to tout DROID’s newest halo feature. 

Sometime soon after this, Steve Jobs had a meeting with the co-founder of Siri and shortly thereafter, Siri was Apple’s. Siri now ships on every new iPhone, still being marketed as one of the main selling features. Plus, she can even tell you jokes after failing to do simple web searches. It’s a win-win.

Now, I wanted to go back to how I said it would have changed the way we think about the smartphone race. For example, if Siri was in fact bought by Verizon instead and installed on all of their Android devices, we as Android users would be the ones defending this software. Down the road, and say Apple created Google Now Apple Now, we would be the frustrated Siri users who would dream of something like that coming our way. If you ask me, we all dodged a bullet. Shout out to Steve Jobs for sparing all of us.

Via: The Verge

Before Apple Took Interest, Verizon Was To Install Siri On Every Droid Device is a post from: Droid Life

Utter!, a voice actions Android app that we covered months ago, went into beta today, and then entered the Google Play store. While we normally roll our eyes at the never-ending string of Siri knock-off style apps that have come to our favorite mobile platform, Utter! is quite different. It’s creator had one focus – to make Utter! “super functional and fast.” 

After playing with it for a few minutes, the “super functional” part has clearly been nailed. There are more voice actions that can be completed with Utter! than any other app I’ve seen thus far. And trust me, we see them all, even the apps that have paid PR teams to help promote the 6 actions that their app can barely complete.

Utter! has literally hundreds of actions, will address you in a manner that you choose (ex: “Yo, Kellen!”), and has an exhaustive list of “coming soon” features that will surely grab your attention.

To get a feel for Utter!’s power, take a look at the video below.

Play Link

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cheers @tomgillotti!

Beta Version of Utter! Released to Play Store, Most Powerful Voice Actions App to Date? is a post from: Droid Life

Google’s Voice Search is batting 1.000 against Apple’s Siri in a new video of the two going head to head. While I still think it’s unreasonable to compare the two (one is just simply more advanced), it is fun to watch others have fun with Google’s new Voice Search and get a laugh at Siri’s expense.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cheers everyone who sent this in!

Video: Another Landslide Victory for Google Voice Search Over Siri is a post from: Droid Life

At the Google I/O keynote from day 1 (watch it here at the 20:00 minute mark), the Android team took the wraps off a new product called Google Now that was powered by a new version of Voice Search (our hands-on). During the demo of it, we were all impressed by the beautiful new UI, answer cards with relevant info, and accuracy. To call this a giant step forward in voice searching, might even be an understatement.

Naturally, people were quick to compare this to Apple’s Siri since it gets all of the play these days in the voice search category. We argued that Siri isn’t even on the same level since Google Now actually predicts your life rather than forcing you to ask things of it all of the time, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t interested in a good battle between the two. So speaking of battles, who wants to see one? 

Our friends at TechnoBuffalo happen to have both an iPhone and Galaxy Nexus, giving them the opportunity to put Siri and the new Voice Search to the test. I don’t mean to spoil anything, but as an Android fan, you will walk away from this with your head held high.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via:  TechnoBuffalo

Cheers Nick!

Video: Siri vs. New Google Voice Search is a post from: Droid Life

There is no shortage of Siri wannabes in the Play Store, but it is a change to see one that has great ratings and actually works as intended. With Skyvi, you can handle the main tasks that one would usually use Siri for – such as checking local weather, texting friends, and getting directions. The app was pushed to Play sometime earlier this year and we’re bummed that we are only just now hearing about it. For folks who are still looking for their very own Android personal assistant that talks to you in a sexy computerized voice, give Skyvi a go and let us know how you think it compares to other Siri competitors for Android. 

Play Link

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cheers Justin!

Skyvi for Android, Another Siri Knock Off that Actually Works Properly? is a post from: Droid Life

Once running under the codename “Majel,” Google has reportedly settled on an official name for their Siri-like competitor. That name is Assistant. Most of the dirty details surrounding this service are a mystery, however, TechCrunch believes it to be more of a “Do Engine” that would help you achieve real-life goals rather than something that will simply return search results.

According to their sources, the Android team has taken this project on with search engineer Amit Singhal to attempt to gather the world’s knowledge into a format that a computer can understand. They also want to make the service adhere to your personal life more, potentially using services like Google+ and +1 to help understand how people interact socially.

Unlike Siri though, Google will provide developers with the opportunity to tie in their products to Assistant, a move that could make the service unlike any other. Siri will always be bound to Apple’s vision, while Assistant could grow thanks to outside influences and innovators.

Google big wigs are look at a Q4 2012 unveiling of the product. While that seems so far off in the distance, remember that Google I/O with an additional 3rd day is happening in June. If Assistant is indeed launching this year, you have to imagine that we will see some sort of preview during that week. Also, Q4 is when we will likely see Jelly Bean or Android 5.0.

Via:  TechCrunch

Google’s Siri Competitor Officially Dubbed “Assistant”? is a post from: Droid Life

Google is reportedly working on a big new feature for Google TV. According to a report and leaked images from Patently Apple, the search giant is looking to command the living room. The software, when released, will allow users to speak queries into a specially designed application that will then relay commands to your TV. As seen in the picture above, you can simply ask when your favorite shows are on and receive a full layout of expected airing times of the questioned programs. 

Another key feature for Google’s new software, is the ability to control your TV even when you are not home. Here is an explanation of the feature taken straight from the filing:

The provision of the query to the television may occur when the user is within a set distance of his home also (e.g., by determining with GPS functionality on the smartphone that he is within 1/4 mile of the home), and the television may be turned on automatically as he approaches the home, with the television tuned to a channel that is determined to be most relevant to the query…

So the question for some may be, “When can I have it?” Well, don’t start throwing your money at the monitor yet, because so far, there are no reports on when we could see this implemented into Google TV. But, is this something we could see as useful? Would you use it? There are plenty of iPhone users who completely turn Siri off, so would we do the same with this or is this different? Sound off down below.

Via: BGR, Patently Apple

Google Submits Patent Application For Siri-Like Interface On Google TV is a post from: Droid Life

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We have put spotlights on a couple apps that try to replicate the usefulness that iPhone users receive with Siri. None of them have really been able to fully grasp the everyday handiness exactly like Siri, but then again, that’s what makes it Siri. Enter a new player called Utter! The app doesn’t just message people and make calendar events, but can control many aspects of your smartphone that we once thought would be not possible.

What if you could ask your phone how much battery it had left? What if you told your device to reboot into the bootloader or even tell it what to have your processor clocked at? Utter! is in an early beta stage and is not available for download yet, but let’s hope we see it make a great debut sometime soon. Watch the full video and see what all the hype on Utter! is.

Via: Reddit, Android Police

Video: Utter! Not Just Another Siri For Android is a post from: Droid Life

Last night, the latest Siri wannabe was introduced to Android under the name Evi. It’s voice-inspired, can answer almost any question you ask it, and even learns on the go after receiving feedback directly from you. This actually is a decent attempt at being Android’s Siri, except for one problem which you will quickly find in the market:  they have like 1 or 2 servers trying to power the service for thousands of new users and simply cannot keep up with traffic.

At this point, if you jump into the app and search for something, you will see this: “I’m waiting for a network connection before trying this one.” It’s frustrating, especially after using it last night and finding pretty favorable results for the most part. In fact, it’s built-in map feature works well, however, we would have liked to have seen some way to launch navigation out of it. It returns simple, yet detailed results pages, beautifully laid out business or location pages, and even answered many of our off-the-wall questions. Again, this service actually isn’t bad and is probably the best attempt yet. Now, let’s hope we see a legitimate server infrastructure in the next day or so or it may be a short life for ol’ Evi.  

Click here to view the embedded video.

Market Link

Via:  TechCrunch

Today’s Wannabe Siri for Android: Say Hello to Evi, A Decent Option When It Isn’t Having Server Issues is a post from: Droid Life

According to our pals over at Android and Me, Google has spent much of the year putting in work on a newly revamped Voice Actions software, which they have codenamed Majel. You could consider this their answer to Apple’s Siri and will go far beyond what the current crop of Android Voice Actions can accomplish. The limits of specific commands (navigate to, listen to, etc.) will soon be gone and the times of speaking in natural language may be upon us.

Confused by the codename? The word Majel comes from the name of the woman who acted as the voice of the Federation Computer on Star Trek for years. And it just so happens that Matias Duarte (the ICS architect) mentioned Star Trek back in October around the time that Android 4.0 was unveiled. He was quoted as saying that their approach to voice actions “is more like Star Trek, right, starship Enterprise; every piece of computing surface, everything is voice-aware. It’s not that there’s a personality, it doesn’t have a name, it’s just Computer.” Fitting.

It’s anyone’s guess as to when we might see this new voice activated software, but there is a chance it could be out within the next couple of months. If Google wants to step into the voice actions game in a real way, it would be in their best interest to not wait around while Apple works to take Siri out of beta.

Is everyone ready to start talking to your phone like it’s your best friend?

Via:  Android and Me

Is the Android Team Building a Siri Competitor Codenamed Majel? is a post from: Droid Life

Cluzee is Android’s next attempt at having a personal assistant service like Apple’s Siri, yet as with all other apps in this line, it falls short in some way or another. It can work through most of the recommended or sample task list that is provided upon first starting up the app, but once you start shouting out your own versions of tasks for Cluzee to complete, it struggles. I was able to pull up the weather here in Portland on Friday, find a nearby coffee shop, and even find out how many days until X-mas. It works, at times.

So, props to Cluzee for making a big PR splash this morning. You are now in the spotlight – let’s hope you can improve on what appears to be a pretty solid base, and create an app that people can use as a daily driver. For now though, please stop making comparisons of this app to Siri.

Oh and by the way, this may or may not work on your phone. According to the market comments and our own tests, it’s pretty hit or miss when it comes to compatibility. 

Market Link

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cluzee Released as a Personal Assistant App for Android, Do We Have to Compare it to Siri? is a post from: Droid Life

When the iPhone 4S was revealed last month most, if not all consumers felt a little bit let down. It wasn’t the much hyped redesigned iPhone 5, it didn’t even feature 4G connectivity. The one feature that it did include was Apple’s new voice assistant, Siri an addition that many didn’t see as a reason to upgrade. Nonetheless, the Apple fanboys were out in full on release day, making the iPhone 4S the best selling iPhone.

Apple has been hard at work keeping Siri under-wraps and attempting to prevent hackers from enabling the feature on older iPhone devices. However, it seems as if even Apple cannot stop the dev community as Paris-based firm, Applidium has cracked Siri’s code and revealed it to the world. Any developer now has the ability to write an application and integrate Siri’s functionality into it.

Applidium has written a lengthy blog post about the process on their website, if you are a developer or just a little curious then you should definitely check it out. Anyone else interested to see some Siri action on Android, or should i*phone software stay off of our operating system?

Via: Forbes.

Cheers Joe and PeacedOut!

Hackers Reverse Engineer Apple’s Siri, Coming To An Android Device Near You? is a post from: Droid Life