Yesterday, this from my cousin’s facebook page:
“Just had a sobering conversation with my Dad who just updated his last will & testament. “Paul…I want them to pull the plug if I ever become a vegetarian.” Classic! lol.”
I told Paul that, in all fairness, if I ever became a vegetarian he had the green light to pull the plug on me too.
Along similar lines, Akemi was trying to use Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant app on her iPhone the other night. She commanded it to bring up her “Line” app, a Japanese version of Skype, with…well…predictable results:
Akemi: Line.
Siri: I don’t understand “I”.
Akemi: Line!
Siri: I don’t know what you mean by “find”.
Akemi: LINE!
Siri: I don’t know what that means. If you like, I can search the web for “lying”.
Akemi: No. Line!
Siri: You don’t have any events on your calendar at 9 a.m. Shall I create it?
Akemi: No. Line!
Siri: I don’t know what you mean by “nine”. Okay, I set up your event for today.
Akemi: (anguished cry as she flops back onto the bed).
I shouldn’t laugh. For some reason and despite my futile attempts to change it, my iPhone has made me someone else from my contact list. Thus, whenever I try to use Siri, the conversation goes something like this:
Me: Time?
Siri: Marolyn, the time is 5:15 p.m.
Me: I’m not Marolyn.
Siri: I don’t know that that means. If you like, I can search the web for “I’m not Marolyn”.
Me: No. I’M not Marolyn.
Siri: I don’t know what you mean by “No I am not Marolyn” How about a web search for it?
Me: Please, stop calling me Marolyn.
Siri: Sorry, Marolyn, I can’t do that. You’re not listening to the Music app.
ME: (anguished cry as I flop back onto the couch)
And Don’t call me Shirley!
That sounded eerily like “Sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
And this is why I hate technology. I’ve even gotten into fights with those automated receptionists, or whatever you call ’em. I have no patience when it comes to stuff like that, not when I remember a time when I instantly got a real person and was instantly switched to the right department.
Sometimes I really miss people. 🙁
das
You sure you`re not talking to HAL`s clone? What about icons on the screen and then clicking/touching them… hard to believe that that’s now the old fashioned way of getting things started.
Thanks for the huge laugh, Marolyn. xoxo 🙂
Maybe you should get a watch instead of relying on HAL.
Heh, that’s funny.
You can change what Siri calls you by just saying “Siri, from now on call me Joe”. She’ll confirm and it should be all done! Unless she’s in an argumentative mood, of course.
sounds like my gps, I call her Jill, and she is forever recalculating…
~~can Akemi make it switch to japanese? love electronics,,,not,,haha. thanks for the giggle..
LOL. Poor Akemi and Marolyn. :p
I am SOOO glad I didn’t go with Siri. But thank you for sharing Akemi and your adventures with that technology. I definitely needed the laugh. Enjoy the rest of the week, and rub the doggies’ bellies for us.
I concur. If I become a vegetarian, pull the plug AND toss me out the window.
i can’t get any automated system to understand me when i get one on the phone (banking, power company & what not) so i’m sure i would have the same issue with that thing.
Ho, I was in Bangkok this week and was trying to do a couple of searches with my Ipad and Siri (which is popular for a women’s name). Well, I will let you think about it…. Oh I forgot the Ipad in the room. I don’t feel so bad.
Siri and auto-complete make me miss my Blackberry.
I wear my iPhone on a belt-clip, and the seat belt keeps hitting the Siri button as I drive. Occasionally I end up hearing a muffled Siri proclaim, “I don’t know ‘The idiot cut me off!’, would you like me to search the web for it?”
In all fairness though, a lot of the new voice recognition software is context based, so they tend to be good at figuring out street addresses or commonly used phrases, but they’re not so good at isolated words. Maybe next time try “Run the Line App”…it gives the context engine more to work with.
@Das and Tam Dixon:
No tow trucks yet! We should have it wrapped up tomorrow night, but I’m beginning to hate interference engines with balance shafts (aka Honda engines). The Corvette engine rebuild is/will be simple in comparison.
Ok, this post makes me question wanting Siri at all, sounds like my dragon dictation and I can’t work that either. Good post!
I hear that if you want to eliminate eye pain, it’s also good to remove the spoon from your coffee cup.
The day that technology actually works properly 100% of the time means that we really have to start worrying. It means that computers now have time on their collective hands to come up with ways to overthrow us.
Patricia
Does Akemi know that she can change the language for Siri? Japanese is an option.
Okay really for you.. .. well actually maybe okay for everyone if anyone near Texas or can pay to transport. A woman i know was living with her best friend, planned to marry after first of this year, he got sick and died. She has to move as it was his house and will be foreclosed, they have dogs. DESPERATE. Don’t you want a Boston or 2? I told her I could vouch for you as spectacular. Or if anyone on the list can help. I do not want these dogs going through craigs list and used by puppymills as 2 are not spay/neutered. Don’t you need a new dog who really needs a home?
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/pet/3581303376.html
Boston Terriers looking to rehome. Due to unfortunate circumstances I have to relocate and am unable to bring any with me. Two belonged to me and two my fiance who passed away about a month ago. 1 male, 3 females. Please serious inquiries only and they need homes that will take very good care of them and understand they are in mourning themselves and will need a period of adjustment. Babe (M) 6 years old not neutered. Pudge (F) 6 years old is neutred. Cammie (F) 8 or 9 not neutered. Beanie (F) 9 or 10 mot neutered and is the mom of Babe and Pudge (younger two dogs). I am not sure of the exact DOB of Beanie or Cammie. I can be reached at 214-681-9583 with any inquiries on personalities, likes/dislikes, etc. I need to find them homes ASAP and will let you know all their good and bad habits (potential issues you might face). If anyone is willing to take 2 I would like to keep Babe and Pudge together as they are litter mates and make their transition easier.
Hahaha…
Hahaha…good stuff!
Long live my Android…
I like my phones like I like my men: stupid.
I haven’t tested all the voice interactive programs but I’ve watched several friends argue with them. The voice tech just doesn’t seem up to snuff yet. However, remember when we were kids? I don’t remember anyone having a cell phone or computer. Most of the video games involved a little dot that we would hit with a line. There is no telling how far things will progress when my 17 yr old son is older. I’m hoping programmable cars will be common to drive me when I get old.
JeffW: I bet you ARE sick of working on that Honda. Just think how much money you are saving your daughter though.
Did you find a pet sitter yet? How did you find Christine? Maybe she knows someone. Or you could fly PBmom up there. I heard she’s a good pet sitter 😉 .
I was laughing about Cookie’s movie review yesterday. Cookie needs a standardized movie rating scale! Is a rat turd better or worse than a hamster turd? I’m confused.
The weather has been unusually warm for January (70F/21C) and I’ve been getting some yard work done before all hell breaks loose. As I was explaining to a recent resident (from up North), warm in January isn’t a good thing here. It means tornados are a coming and a string went through last night. We were lucky but I think it hit Nashville hard.
Okay…I just had to give you this video clip. It highlights just what Akemi went through…www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAz_UvnUeuU.
Actually, I LIKE Siri. She always seems to understand me. In fact, she seems to be the only woman that understands me. 🙁
lol, I don’t understand that with such amazing Tech that we have today, Why oh why?! Why must all Cells and Vehicle systems not understand language? lol It’s like they are programed to do that. lol Someone that helped in designing and making the systems work, must’ve been ticked at the companies and thought hmmmm I’ll get’em back! They just didn’t think it through.
I’ve never understood Vegitarianism. They must know that plants are alive too!
This is some crazy weather! Yesterday 70F/21C and tornadoes. Middle Tennessee and Georgia got slammed with tornadoes. Today it’s 50F/10C and sleeting. Alisa Russell: Did that line of storms hit you?
Debra: Good luck with the dogs! Do they have a Boston Terrier rescue there? They might sponsor Beanie/Cammie.
@Tam Dixon:
You can say that again! I’ve been spoiled by working on my truck and our Corvette; both are relatively easy to work on. But when we lived in England, we had an F-Reg (1988) Rover 214, which was essentially a 1.4L Honda Civic (Honda and Rover had a partnership then). I used to joke that that car had the worst of all worlds; Japanese maintainability coupled with English reliability! I once tried to remove the air intake but found it was secured to the engine intake by two large philips head screws facing the firewall with only 1/2″ clearance. I had to take the carburetor off to get the air intake off.
I’m reliving those kind of maintenance issues with the Honda now! 😉
And my daughter and son-in-law are very appreciative; so much so that they will be watching their younger siblings (and our dog, fish and rats) while Barb and I are in Vancouver in two weeks.
Well off to wrap this thing up; tonight we just have to adjust the rocker arms, install the timing chain cover, engine mount, valve cover, spark pugs, and serpentine belt, and then fill with oil and coolant and start it up. I’m hoping to be done before midnight.
I have those same issues and just deactivated Siri. We’re definitely not up to Star Trek computer standards yet!
Crap, crap, crappity, crap, crap, CRAP!
I just realized Joe’s loose and skulking around Facebook. 😛
*runs to change privacy settings on FB page*
das
LOL. I don’t have an iphone, but my RAZR can’t understand what I say at all. I tried the speech texting thing when I first got it, but it was just useless. I’ve got SIRI on my ipod, though, and what little I’ve fiddled with it seems to work better.
I’m working my way backwards in this. Who needs a pet sitter? I’m cheap, have a Pay Pal Here attachment for my IPhone and have been known to spend twice as long with the dogs and cats than I should. January has been just dead but I am getting a head start on doing e preliminary stuff for my taxes just in case I owe for 2012 because that is due April 15. If someone wants to fly me somewhere to watch fur-kids, that would rock. However you would need to be a non smoker. I had a very violent reaction to someone’s house over Christmas. Such a shame because the dog was super sweet.
Boo, I posted this long Siri note and now I can’t find it. Will try tomorrow when I’m on my regular PC