iPhone 4 voice control – alternatives to Siri

If like me you’ve been looking at Siri voice control enviously, but can’t justify the upgrade price from an iPhone 4, then these alternative apps might be what you are after. Neither is perfect, neither of them have the same level of integration that Siri has, and they’re not available from the home button, but they aren’t bad.

I still want an iPhone 4S though…

Vlingo [app store]

Dragon Go! [app store] – unfortunately this is not available on the UK store, I got it from the US app store. It’s easy enough to sign up for a second account though, and it works fine, even with local results.

RIP Steve

It’s amazing to see the outpouring of tributes for him on twitter. Whatever side of the technology fence people sit on, everyone seems to recognise his genius and vision. It’s not often we get a world changer among us, it happens once or twice in a generation. Steve Jobs was a world changer.

I think part of what bought people to Apple products was Steve’s passion. He sucked people in. We were mesmerised in a way; people called it the “Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field”. The first bit of Apple gear I bought was a Mac Mini in 2005, after seeing Steve announce OS X 10.4 Tiger. Technical aspects aside, what Steve seemed to be saying was: “that bit of frustrating technology you are wrestling with now? It doesn’t have to be this way. It can work for you, it can make your life easier, not just different.”

I often come across as anti capitalist. I’m not really, I’m just anti not making the world a better place. Anti doing something you are not passionate about. It’s great to see someone actually get to live that. And that’s why it’s so very sad to lose him.

Steve’s thoughts on death start at 9:10, but the whole thing is very worth watching.

Stay hungry, stay foolish. Think different.

Recent tech stuff

Apple stuff this week

iPhones being rickrolled
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8349905.stm
OMG ALL iPHONES EVER HAVE TEH VIRUS, LOL APPLE SUCKS
It’s true, apple have succumbed to an exploit, one that you are only open to if you have 1) hacked your phone to run unofficial 3rd party software, 2) installed SSH 3) not changed the password. Can we say non news? Why are the BBC reporting this? If you are jailbroken I guess you should change the password.

O2 customers, you can now unlock your iPhone to work with Orange, Vodafone, 3 or T-Mobile, or any overseas GSM mobile provider. If you’re a contract customer this is a free service, PAYG customers need to pay £15. How very nice of o2, now I can use Vodafone without being open to the rickrolling exploit above. Almost nice enough for me to not point out that they are still claiming exclusivity, and touting 3.0, not 3.2.1 as the lastest software available.
http://shop.o2.co.uk/update/unlockmyiphone.html

Snow Leopard, 10.6.2 is out, I can’t see anything life changing, but it’s probably a good idea to install, personally I’m holding off till my favourite Safari extension, Saft is updated to be compatible with the new Safari Build. But there’s some important security updates in there too, so you probably shouldn’t wait.

New iMacs.
Wow, just wow, these things are huge, and fast. So nice it’s almost tempting me away from my Macbook Pro. Almost. What’s that? It comes bundled with the nice new wireless keyboard and magic mouse? Curse you Steve Jobs! I can’t afford new shiny!
http://www.apple.com/uk/imac/

Not apple but still geek news

OpenOffice.Org, the office suitethat you should all be using, being a free powerful replacement for Microsoft’s office, has never been known for being pretty, going for function over form, but in a move that seems directly aimed at apple’s sleek minimalism, they have released this monstrosity

Sure, it might be functional, but at what cost? I’m sure this will appeal to some people, but you can count me out of this one.
http://openofficemouse.com/pr110609.html