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A5 Mystery Solved (Why Siri Won't Run On iPhone 4)
Hugh Pickens writes "Anna Leach reports that Siri support has been a contentious issue for owners of earlier iPhones, but a recent filing from Audience shows that Siri won't run on the iPhone 4 because the phone's chip can't handle it. Linley Gwennap of the Linley Group cracked one of the secrets of the new iPhone's A5 chip after working out that it packs some serious audio cleaning power not available on the iPhone 4's A4 chip. Audience has developed technology that removes most or all of the background noise when someone places a cell-phone call from a restaurant, airport, or other noisy location. The iPhone 4S integrates Audience's 'EarSmart' technology directly into the A5 processor, improving its technology to handle 'far-field speech,' which means holding the device at arm's length rather than directly in front of the mouth. Apple has also licensed the Audience technology for a 'new generation of processor IP,' which may mean that the forthcoming A6 processor will appear in the iPad 3 and iPhone 5. 'Why Apple has not simply purchased Audience is unclear. An acquisition would prevent Audience's other major customer, Samsung, from using the technology to compete with Apple,' says Gwennap. 'The company may be hedging its bets, as it could switch to Qualcomm's Fluence noise-reduction technology in the future.'"
Or at least not the whole story. It has been shown already that a jailbroken iPhone 4 can run Siri just fine.
Large print giveth, and the small print taketh away
improving its technology to handle 'far-field speech,' which means holding the device at arm's length rather than directly in front of the mouth
I thought cell phone users were annoying enough when they constantly raised their voice as if the other end were deaf; now people are going to be yelling at their phones from across the room.
Orwell: "In a Time of Universal Deceit, telling the Truth is a Revolutionary Act"
I have tried Siri on a jailbroken iPhone 4 and it works just as well, I did not notice any difference.
I doubt this is a major reason for not enabling this on the iPhone 4, especially when taking into account how little difference "just" the improved camera and a dual core processor is to most users.
I would think the improved hardware sensor played a major role, but again, Siri worked just as well for me on an iPhone 4.
Also, I'm surprised that they advertise as "removing most or all of the background noise", while Siri did a fairly good job of knowing who was talking to her, it gets confused too often, which means that it won't work very well if other people in the room are talking.
I always assumed the answer was something to the effect of:
boolean siriEnabled() {
return (system.cpu.version >= 5.0);
}
Is anything else really needed? They don't want to support it on older models so you have to buy the new one. Conversely, if you really want the feature, buy the latest phone. Personally I find Siri an overhyped piece of junk. I have a 4S and I disabled it because it kept getting activated randomly and rarely understood my commands. Plus for the basic stuff like weather, I can just open the app. The anecdotal crap like "Will I need an umbrella today?" is just a dumb gimmick to me. But anyway, the fact is that the 4S is really an incremental improvement over the 4, and Siri is the one feature Apple can point to on the 4S as a differentiator, so they enforce that differentiation.
rooooar
Possibly true: Siri uses a unique feature of the iPhone 4S.
False: Siri won't run on the iPhone 4
Siri runs just fine on jailbroken a iPhone 4, and it ran just fine on an iPhone 4 Before apple removed it. Kudos to the authors for enhancing Siri to use new features of the A5 chip. Good job to the researcher who figured this out. But shame on anyone who uses this as FUD to make Apple look like they didn't cripple their own product to force people to upgrade.
I am using Spire to enable Siri on my i4 and it seems to work fine. I can use it fine while it is sitting in the dock in my truck about 4 feet from my mouth with tire, engine, and heater noise going. Not sure if it works better on a 4S but there are quite a few people using Siri on jailbroken i4's without problems.
It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
But the iPhone 4 use to run Siri. Apple removed it from the App Store, broke everyones existing copy by blocking it from the servers and then made it a 4S exclusive.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Siri is interesting, and probably a good start, but the noise filtering routines need work. When I try to use Siri in my noisy, diesel powered Jeep, well let me just say that the results can be quite amusing. I wonder, to improve the routines does the chip have to be redone?
The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
Is this audio cleanup technology on for "normal" use I.e. making phone calls? Can it be switched on or off in Apps so that, for example, a program like Skype could use it? Maybe Apple should provide an API for it (I assume they haven't already).
Is it (the algorithms) very processor intensive? Would that preclude a software only version of it running as a background process on a jail broken phone? Will the (rumored) upcoming quad core chips be able to run it without dedicated silicon?
By the way, I recently had the pleasure of going up in a small private plane and, in the cockpit, wore some headsets which remarkably cut out the background noise but recognized whenever we spoke. Is that what this technology does?
There is already a dozen comments or so about how the article is wrong because Siri works on a jailbroken iPhone 4. That was never the point of the article. We know that it will work because of the jailbreaks. The question is why Apple didn't allow it to work on the 4. The article suggests a hardware limitation in that while the A4 chip can run Siri it lacks the much better audio processing the A5 has to remove background noise. Design wise this means that the Siri was meant to be used at a distance instead of always next to user's mouth. Also this means the 4S should be able to handle noise better. This is speculation but a reasonable one as I can see Apple not releasing a feature for quality reasons even if people disagree it is really a valid reason for them.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
"'Why Apple has not simply purchased Audience is unclear."
Perhaps it's because Audience doesn't want to be bought? Even without Siri, it sounds like that tech would be useful in EVERY SINGLE PHONE - would make conversations a bit easier in noisy locations.
Audience probably figures that by broadly licensing the tech to every phone company in the world, they'll make MORE MONEY that Apple would be willing to offer them. At least, they might be betting on it.
A moment's more reflection, and not only does the tech sound useful for every phone - sounds useful for any device with a microphone - video cameras, sound boards, computers, public address systems, teleconferencing systems, voice control systems in cars, voice control systems for customer support call-center use, etc.
It sounds like one of those rare instances of a technology which has almost universal applications.
The Android update model's been working great for me. My Samsung Epic shipped with Eclair and has since been updated to Froyo, and Gingerbread. Samsung is working on another update to the phone right now, 17 months after the phone's initial release.
Fully functional and stable CM7 and CM9 builds for the Epic are also available from the community.
Come to think of it, you don't even need an Android phone for the Android update model to work for you. I was running Android on my Touch Pro 2 before I got the Epic!
I don't always use unix-like operating systems; but when I do, I prefer FreeBSD.
Hold on, so there's a cell phone of a particular OS which appears to have different capabilities and thus can't run the same software as its immediate predecessor. And both of them are on the market at the same time, you say?
Wait, wait... there's... somewhere in my mind... I'm remembering something... there's a word there I remember from long ago... it... it starts with an 'F'... F... F... Fra... Frag... FragmentatiALL GLORY AND HONOR TO THE ALMIGHTY SAINT JOBS AS IT WAS WRITTEN AT JANUARY 1, 1904 AND SHALL BE UNTIL HIS GLORIOUS SECOND COMING! ALL GLORY TO HIS AVATAR, DOGCOW! ALL GLORY! SOSUMI! SOSUMI!
Woah, sorry, guys. Don't know what just hit me. Anyway, as I was about to say, the... um... word... it... oh, forget it. I've got to get in line for the iPad 3! I heard that before his ascension into... before his death, Jobs himself sweated over the first batch of plastic cases! Oh boy!
And lulz are had by all! :D
The Android update model:
1) Flash the latest CyanogenMod
2) Update it when the update comes out
Not too hard (at least on the newer phones, some older ones need exploits)
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
http://www.ifixit.com/blog/2011/05/17/unveiled-audience-powers-iphone-4s-impressive-noise-cancellation/
There's been an Audience chip included in the iPhone 4 since June 2010. When iFixit tore down the iPhone 4S and noticed the chip wasn't there, it was assumed that the chip was either integrated into the A5 design or that Apple opted to do noise-cancellation without the need of an Audience chip.
It's true that the A4 chip doesn't have an Audience subprocessor in it but it doesn't mean that the iPhone 4 doesn't have the chip included somewhere else on its motherboard. The conclusion that the iPhone 4 can't do Siri is absolute garbage. The conclusion that the iPhone 4 can't do Siri technically because of this kind audio subprocessor is not being included in the iPhone 4's design needs to have their head examined and start doing some research. This entire thing is hogwash.
boolean siriEnabled() { return (system.cpu.version >= 6.0); }
Don't forget the 3S
-- Adam McCormick
Don't you remember the Nextel craze?
People's phones would chirp and scream at them and they would press a button, it would chirp at them again and they would scream right back.
Some people would have extended conversations this way. In the middle of a room of annoyed people.
Maddening.
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
So to get updates on Android, you firstly have to remove the software which the manufacturer intended for that device? Is that because the manufacturer generally no longer gives a shit once they've taken your money? And on older phones, you need to use exploits in order to get updates? Wow, I really want an Android phone now.
Or if you have a reference phone:
1) Wait for the updates to come to your phone automatically
2) Start flashing Cyanogenmod the day the phone comes out of support, with a single command needed for the bootloader unlock.
Still does not explain why siri will not work on my ipad 2.
iPhone
iPhone 3G
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4
iPhone 4S = 5th iPhone
Maybe Samsung has contracts with Audience that prevent dropping Samsung while Samsung phones depend on Audience. Or maybe Samsung has some other methods of protecting itself from being screwed that way. They seem obviously necessary to mitigate the risk of depending on a small company like Audience. One might as well wonder why Samsung hasn't screwed Apple this same way, with the same speculative answers.
The whole approach is completely anticompetitive, and neither Samsung nor Apple are likely to be vulnerable to such an obvious risk. Gwennap is superficial for asking without looking into the likely answers. And pretty scummy for looking to such anticompetitive practices for advantages.
--
make install -not war
Who stated that goal? Some capitalist's PR flack?
The stated goal of capitalism is to gain more valuable property. Any other goal is either a means to that end, or an end for which capitalism is merely the means, or just not capitalism - or some combination.
In fact the goal of most capitalists is to ignore quality while driving profits up for purchasing more property. Stated or otherwise. Capitalists don't want competition; they want monopoly. It's only when other capitalists must compete with them that there is competition.
--
make install -not war
No different than buying a computer that comes with Windows.
Android isn't perfect, but its the best there is. Your choices in the smartphone world are:
1) iOS, you know the one with draconian app approval process only 1 form factor, and planned obsolescence.
2) Android, not that great of a UI, but lots of apps, a multitude of form factors, but semi-official community updates give you a long life. Consider the G1 (HTC Dream) the first Android phone, it can run (unofficially) the latest release (Ice Cream Sandwich) although it is a bit slow. But the phone is usable with Gingerbread, the main release.
3) Windows Phone 7, too new to really say much about it, I think that 2012 will be the year of make it or break it when it comes to Windows Phone 7, its certainly interesting and might be promising.
4) All other smaller OSes (WebOS, Meego, Maemo, Symbian, etc.) have some good ideas but ultimately crippled by either lackluster support, lackluster hardware, lack of apps or lack of actually getting your phone out to customers (I'm looking at you Nokia).
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
Given how server- and bandwidth-intensive Siri is, Apple may also have wanted to restrict it to the 4S simply to limit the number of people using it.
Q: What does the "B." in Benoit B. Mandelbrot stand for? A: Benoit B. Mandelbrot
The fact that the A5 processor incorporates some fancy noise cancellation technology goes beyond enhancing Siri voice recognition, and explains the startling difference in speakerphone and handset call quality I have noticed after upgrading from the iPhone 4. The 4S is easily one of the best sounding smartphones I have used in recent memory.
Not that iPhone 4 call quality is terrible, it's just that the 4S is that much better.
I did, and Siri doesn't run on my Android either.
Learn to love Alaska
Where "semi-official" = not official at all and unsupported by the hardware manufacturer.
I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
Not to cut into the OMG-MY-FREEDOM rant, but Siri is in beta and can barely keep up with current network demands of iPhone 4S users. If it saw general release across multiple devices, it would be a clusterfuck on the level of MobileMe.
Besides, the premise is a bit silly, as the alternatives to Apple cut off support for your phone mere months after it's released, like the Galaxy S that won't get Android 4.0, because the business model is based on making you buy new hardware after half a year. I'll take Apple's software dictation over most of the Android carriers, all things considered. I'm just a guy using a phone, not a freedom fighter.
You just reminded me of this skit from Trigger Happy TV.
Apple obviously wants Siri to be judged on it's best performance. They have a reputation for quality to maintain.
So you're saying Apple doesn't consider Siri to be "true Siri" unless it's running on a 4S?
No true Scotsman would believe that!
Set your phasers on "funky"!
I still have it installed on my iPhone 3G... and yeah, they took the server offline so that they could claim the 4S version is all "new" and stuff. Here's a link to a Gizmodo article from February 5, 2010 announcing the downloadable app: http://gizmodo.com/5464877/siri-iphone-app-uses-speech+recognition-technology-to-organize-your-social-life
I remember trying it out. It didn't work that great but to say it won't/can't run etc is not the case.
Who stated that goal? Some capitalist's PR flack?
Go read Adam Smith (you can think of him as the father of modern economics). He explains how the capitalist system can be morally justified. He explains how rational, personal greed can lead to the accumulation wealth of the society. As for monopoly, Adam Smith was strongly opposed to monopolies, as they caused his ideal capitalist system to break down (in a sort of singularity).
Of course, as a disclaimer for the cynical you, his views have been misinterpreted by many, and among them are the so called "capitalists" today that exploit "bugs" in the capitalist system for their own gain and nobody else's.
Don't quote me on this.
2) Android, not that great of a UI
Which one? I'll agree that stock is a little bare, but Sense? Go Launcher? ADW? Regina 3D? SPB Mobile? The new ICS UI? The point of Android is you have the choice. You can choose to have it look like an iPhone, or Windows 7, or your favourite Anime, or a plate of spaghetti. It's up to you.
Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
Why is there no option to downgrade/flag horrible stories. I'd love to see the Seattle Times run something this stupid, like "Why our mayor won't stop digging pot-holes" ...
I'm pretty sure everyone on slashdot is already well aware that there's hardly an ounce of truth in this article/troll. It's too bad the author couldn't be bothered to do any research, even a cursory peak at wikipedia would have made a substantial improvement in the quality of the article.
Next up, the internet will no longer be available to non-iPhone-5's because they lack quad core processors and thus the ability to render pages in a sufficiently timely manner. Apple's a company that has shown time and time again that they do not believe in supporting legacy equipment.
Siri'ously, if you don't like getting screwed by Apple on a regular basis, stop buying their over-priced, over-hyped, crap.
- tensions in our lives that are attacking our minds, unite themselves together to make our consciousness blind - op'ivy
From the "official version of Android" perspective, considering it is open source, CyanogenMod is technically no less official than Samsung's spin on Android, except that one is from Samsung and the other isn't. From the "official Samsung product" perspective, all they did was hack a third party piece of code (Android) to work on their phone; that's about as official as the version of Windows that shipped with my old Dell. Is the Dell hardware any less supported on Linux? No. You just need to run Windows on it to prove its a hardware error if they don't have Linux tests developed for it.
- Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)
I have read (many parts of) Smith's _Wealth of Nations_. Smith's capitalist arguments are apologias: arguments for capitalism, "moral justifications" as you say. Capitalism was already rolling by the time Smith systematically explained it. He stated some goals for it. But like practically all economists, Smith was in no position to state a goal for any macroeconomics. All he could do is portray an economic system, and state goals he might hope others would achieve.
Smith was a philosopher, and in a day when economics and philosophy weren't compartmentalized as they generally are today. So he made statements about human nature, and society behavior, that weren't governed by the economics itself. So it's really a gloss of capitalism.
In actual practice, after centuries of having Smith's writings on the shelf, capitalism is dedicated to collecting property, and to the means of collecting more (including political power that sometimes conflicts with direct economics). Monopoly is the holy grail of every capitalist. Smith's descriptions stated somewhat different goals. But reality has proved him wrong in many ways.
So while capitalism's godfather stated goals like those invoked in the comment to which I replied, they've been empty words for centuries. The benefits to people other than the richest capitalists are minor features compared to the abuses capitalism features. Smith's stated goals are far more effective when invoked by capitalists' PR flacks than practiced by actual capitalists. Yet the economics of the property collection are very much as Smith said they should be.
--
make install -not war
Whoops. Guess they have a bit of work to do on that build.
It's only been public for a couple of weeks though.
CM7 is solid.
I don't always use unix-like operating systems; but when I do, I prefer FreeBSD.