The Apple Discussion Thread

[ramuman]



I didn't see your posts in the car thread.

Walt nails it here. Siri is still a joke.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/12/13251068/walt-mossberg-apple-siri-is-dumb

That article, in typical Swisher and Mossberg fashion, is him being full of himself. Never got how they could get Jobs, Gates, Zuck, Bezos, and Elon for an interview.

Anyhow, the points are valid. Siri full on sucks. In 2012, I would've said just give them some time. Well...

 

[otc]



I didn't see your posts in the car thread.

Walt nails it here. Siri is still a joke.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/12/13251068/walt-mossberg-apple-siri-is-dumb

Google now is fricking awesome. Especially on my moto X which featured some enhancements to google now as well as the always listening mic. Google Assistant should be even better.

Except a lot of times, I still struggle to use it. My company's exchange policy mandates a PIN lock, and probably 90% of the time when I try to say "OK Google" and talk to my phone from across the room , it will say "Say or Type PIN Code".

That's not the end of the world...except it never hears my PIN correctly. It can understand full sentences, but seems compelled to add an extra digit to "1234" every time. Annoying at home...but extra problematic if I was trying to use it while driving or something.

I'm really hoping my Pixel handles this better.

 

[ramuman]



Google now is fricking awesome. Especially on my moto X which featured some enhancements to google now as well as the always listening mic. Google Assistant should be even better.

Except a lot of times, I still struggle to use it. My company's exchange policy mandates a PIN lock, and probably 90% of the time when I try to say "OK Google" and talk to my phone from across the room , it will say "Say or Type PIN Code".

That's not the end of the world...except it never hears my PIN correctly. It can understand full sentences, but seems compelled to add an extra digit to "1234" every time. Annoying at home...but extra problematic if I was trying to use it while driving or something.

I'm really hoping my Pixel handles this better.

While Okay Google cost Brin his marriage and a lot of money, it still works better than Hello Siri.

 

[Jr Mouse]



That article, in typical Swisher and Mossberg fashion, is him being full of himself. Never got how they could get Jobs, Gates, Zuck, Bezos, and Elon for an interview.

Anyhow, the points are valid. Siri full on sucks. In 2012, I would've said just give them some time. Well...

Moss is great. I enjoy his writing and it's fun hearing his industry stories from over the years on his podcast Ctr-Walt-Delt.

His strength is in writing about technology from the user experience angle and how it impacts one's life.

 

[Jr Mouse]

Have you all been following the rumors of the "10th Anniversary" iPhone? Almost all the rumors are pointing towards an edge to edge display. The home button would be gone and touch ID would be built directly into the screen itself.

http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-8/

I have a theory on how this will play out. I don't believe they can or will shrink the current phones down to the size of the screens they have. It's just not possible if they want to keep up and improve on the internal components and specs. They already had to remove the headphone jack to fit in a better camera and haptic engine. Too much volume inside the phone would be lost in removing the bezel for them to achieve this in a single generation.

So what will they do? Use the current phone sizes as a base line and increase screen sizes to fit the whole front. If you look at the regular iPhone it's full body is roughly the same size as the screen on the Plus. So if they stretched the screen out cover the front of a phone around the size of the regular iPhone it would be around 5.5 inches. This means the regular iPhone would have a 5.5 inch screen (and body) moving forward. The same screen size as the current Plus. The Plus model's screen would be a new larger size we haven't seen before and almost become an iPad Mini replacement.

Here's the kicker. There are many people who want a smaller, easier to handle iPhone. It's why Apple released the SE. Well the SE would go away and be replaced with a 4.7 inch model (same as the screen size on the regular iPhone). It's brilliant because it gives those who want an easier to hold, one handed phone, the perfect handset. Larger screen with one handed use.

Tech would scale appropriately and in much the same fashion we have seen with current iPhone line up. The middle one would still be the "normal" iPhone. The Plus would still have the best camera and battery life. The smaller one (mini?) would be a little behind the others in specs due to the smaller physical size of the case and the limitations the lack of space provides. Smaller battery life, not as good camera, etc...

I suspect they won't get much thinner, if at all. No need to. As the design alone of the 2017 models would be enough to wow the public and sell them on it.

I expect full credit here if my pet theory comes true.

 

[GreenFrog]



Have you all been following the rumors of the "10th Anniversary" iPhone? Almost all the rumors are pointing towards an edge to edge display. The home button would be gone and touch ID would be built directly into the screen itself.

http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-8/

I have a theory on how this will play out. I don't believe they can or will shrink the current phones down to the size of the screens they have. It's just not possible if they want to keep up and improve on the internal components and specs. They already had to remove the headphone jack to fit in a better camera and haptic engine. Too much volume inside the phone would be lost in removing the bezel for them to achieve this in a single generation.

So what will they do? Use the current phone sizes as a base line and increase screen sizes to fit the whole front. If you look at the regular iPhone it's full body is roughly the same size as the screen on the Plus. So if they stretched the screen out cover the front of a phone around the size of the regular iPhone it would be around 5.5 inches. This means the regular iPhone would have a 5.5 inch screen (and body) moving forward. The same screen size as the current Plus. The Plus model's screen would be a new larger size we haven't seen before and almost become an iPad Mini replacement.

Here's the kicker. There are many people who want a smaller, easier to handle iPhone. It's why Apple released the SE. Well the SE would go away and be replaced with a 4.7 inch model (same as the screen size on the regular iPhone). It's brilliant because it gives those who want an easier to hold, one handed phone, the perfect handset. Larger screen with one handed use.

Tech would scale appropriately and in much the same fashion we have seen with current iPhone line up. The middle one would still be the "normal" iPhone. The Plus would still have the best camera and battery life. The smaller one (mini?) would be a little behind the others in specs due to the smaller physical size of the case and the limitations the lack of space provides. Smaller battery life, not as good camera, etc...

I suspect they won't get much thinner, if at all. No need to. As the design alone of the 2017 models would be enough to wow the public and sell them on it.

I expect full credit here if my pet theory comes true.

All I took from this is you look forward to a brilliant experience one handing a 4.7 incher.

 

[jcman311]



All I took from this is you look forward to a brilliant experience one handing a 4.7 incher.

 

[ethanm]

That's not the end of the world...except it never hears my PIN correctly. It can understand full sentences, but seems compelled to add an extra digit to "1234" every time. Annoying at home...but extra problematic if I was trying to use it while driving or something.

Maybe you just have a weird accent

The uselessness of Siri is really highlighted when you try to talk to her in Arabic. It's basically impossible unless you're a master in recitation.

 

[ramuman]

Following up on what GF and Jr posted on the Note - "not wanting a paper trail"

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016...xploding-and-everyone-has-a-theory-as-to-why/

 

[otc]



Maybe you just have a weird accent

The uselessness of Siri is really highlighted when you try to talk to her in Arabic. It's basically impossible unless you're a master in recitation. 

What's weird is that my current PIN ends in 77 and it looks like it almost always adds an extra 7 to the end. Sometimes it adds a digit before the PIN.

It usually gets the whole pin correct and just adds the extra 7...somehow it is generating an extra 2 syllables.

 

[ramuman]

Having lived with this thing for a bit - again, it's hardly an issue. Apples own earbuds still suck, but the adapter is perfectly fine if it helps battery life and the thing is tiny.

Edit: Just ordered an Amazon Echo Dot - should be interesting. Google and Apple should have dominated this space, but missed out.

 

[otc]



Edit: Just ordered an Amazon Echo Dot - should be interesting. Google and Apple should have dominated this space, but missed out.

You can buy a Google Home right now for shipping in 2 weeks (and if it is like the phones, may arrive sooner).

Obviously there's no real testing vs Echo right now...but it's a bit early to say Google has missed out. No idea what apple's plans are in the space, but google already has a lot of home control device market share (Nest, Chromecast, Chromecast Audio, etc.), so it will be interesting to see if they can out-play Amazon.

 

[ramuman]



You can buy a Google Home right now for shipping in 2 weeks (and if it is like the phones, may arrive sooner).

Obviously there's no real testing vs Echo right now...but it's a bit early to say Google has missed out. No idea what apple's plans are in the space, but google already has a lot of home control device market share (Nest, Chromecast, Chromecast Audio, etc.), so it will be interesting to see if they can out-play Amazon.

You're correct, let's give them both time. Microsoft as well. The Dot was 50 bucks, so not exactly something nuts.

 

[Jr Mouse]

I'm anxious to see the reviews for Google Home start to come in. The big advantage (besides it's head start) that Echo has is the ability to order from Amazon, but I can't picture myself wanting to use the thing to buy razor blades and toilet paper.

 

[the shah]

It'll be quite interesting when these get hacked from driveby assailants, suddenly your thermostat is up to 100 and echo just ordered you 200 unmentionables with same day delivery as your guests start to arrive for the dinner party via self driving Ubers that all make a right turn simultaneously