iOS 6 101: How to Get Siri Working For You

iOS 6 is expected to be available in the fall, but Make Tech Easier will take a look at what the software has in store for the users. The first piece of iOS 6 that we will look at today is Siri. The software presented at WWDC now has many improvements in where it is compatible, what it can do, and how it does it. Siri’s new improvements make it a more usable software than before, where it was limited to making calendar events, alarms, and the like. Today, we will take a look at some tips on how Siri can be usable and tricks on how to make Siri work for you.

Booking Restaurants with Siri

Siri can help you out when you are eating out with your significant other or just with friends. You can ask Siri about the closest Italian restaurants near you, or ask Siri according to price, neighborhood, and more. This compatibility is all based on Apple’s partnership with OpenTable for reservations, and Yelp for restaurant information. Instead of relying on maps, Yelp and OpenTable helps you to

“Find Chinese restaurants near Menlo Park” or
“Greek Restaurants with outdoor seating“. or even
“Reservations to [Restaurant] for 7′oclock”.

These are just a few of the possibilities we know Siri has for iOS 6. This is Siri’s way of making sure your dinner goes smoothly, without a hitch.

Checking Movie and Sports Info

Siri isn’t just all about eating out, the software now helps out with catching a movie with friends. With Fandango compatibility, Siri helps you to find movie times and purchase movie tickets near you. This can be done based on the movie,

“What time is The Dictator playing?“, or based on your location,
“Movie times for the theatre near us“.

It wouldn’t be useful to get the movie theatre times if you don’t know which movie to see yet. No worries, Siri helps out with finding the perfect movie for you as well. With Fandango, you now have the ability to choose which movies to watch based on Fandango reviews. If there’s an actor playing that you are trying to get the name of, ask Siri

“Who played in [movie]?“.

Siri will give you a list of actors playing in that specific movie. That’s pretty useful! Aside from movies, Siri can be helpful with a sports day with friends as well. Whether you are in the stadium or watching from home, Siri can give you information on the key players or on the key game itself. Siri can help you stay updated with team scores and even player stats. Who knew Siri was such a sports junkie?

Launching Apps

You are on the phone with a friend and she just told you about the latest tweet sent from one of your favorite actors. All you have to do is press the home screen, say:

“Launch Twitter“

for example and there you go. Maybe you are like me and have a ton of apps on your iPhone. Searching through them all can be pretty undesirable to do, especially if you haven’t launched the application in a while. Chances are, you may have even forgotten which page they are on. Siri can launch the app in a snap.

Siri: More Social

One of my biggest wishes for Siri with iOS 6 was to be able to have compatibility with Facebook and Twitter. Now, that is a possibility. With the device-wide integration, You are now able to share links, photos, and more with Facebook. With Twitter offering such compatibility back with iOS 5, we now see that iPhone 4S and iPad 2/new iPad users can now post to Facebook or Twitter through Siri. Facebook and Twitter not only work in harmony with iOS 6, but also now with Siri.

“Post [status] to Facebook”
“Post ‘My new iPad case just came in the mail’ on Twitter”

Driving Safely with Siri

Voice control settings are now compatible with various car manufacturers for the coming year. This integration will use Siri, allowing you to do all of the Siri commands and questions you would when using Siri on the device itself. You can now make calls, ask about restaurant reservations, hear messages, and just about anything else. Some compatible brands include Toyota, Mercedes, Honda, Land Rover, Audi, and Jaguar. Let’s say you are on your way home and then find out that your parent’s anniversary is in two days. You can then ask Siri:

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