Apple disabling unauthorized Siri ports on non-iPhone 4S devices
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In an attempt to halt the unauthorized use of its digital assistant on devices not intended to run the software, Apple covertly instituted a "SetActivationToken" property list file which effectively disables any attempts to communicate with Siri's servers, according to Apple blog Redmond Pie.
To get the voice-recognition software to work on other iOS devices, the so-called jailbreak community came up with a basic program called Spire which installs the required on-device files to communicate with the Siri servers. Spire's developers, the prolific hacker "chpwn" and Ryan Petrich, allege that the program is a completely legal port.
The software has caveats, however, as it is only available to jailbroken devices, requires a proxy Siri server and an iPhone 4S certificate.
Despite the troublesome task of installing and troubleshooting the workaround, the demand from users who don't have an iPhone 4S yet want a taste of Siri has been enough to warrant a response from Apple.
Since Siri was announced in October 2011 as the standout feature of Apple's iPhone 4S, users of other iOS devices like the iPhone 4 and 3GS have questioned the company's decision to keep the software locked to the newest generation handset.
Apple has not officially responded outside of saying that the hardware on the 4S makes Siri possible, though previous anecdotal reports have claimed that the exclusivity may stem from a modified proximity sensor or integrated noise reduction tech from EarSmart.
The feature has been seen as a driving force for sales of the newest iPhone, and Apple may be pushing users to upgrade rather than rely on an untested, unauthorized piece of software.
The jailbreak community is already claiming that a simple "solution" to the "SetActivationToken" addition is to simply delete the entirety of a certain .plist information bundle, however the technique hasn't been fully vetted.
This latest attempt to free an iOS feature from Apple's "walled garden" is but one of a myriad jailbreak attempts by users who want interface with their devices in ways frowned upon by the company.
54 Comments
Good. Screw the jailbreak community. Regardless of what anybody claims or says, I still believe that the majority of them are simple cheapskates and thieves.
And the few people who claim that they are not, well they should just go out and buy an Android phone if tinkering and wasting time playing around with their phones gives them hard ons.
Good. Screw the jailbreak community. Regardless of what anybody claims or says, I still believe that the majority of them are simple cheapskates and thieves.
And the few people who claim that they are not, well they should just go out and buy an Android phone if tinkering and wasting time playing around with their phones gives them hard ons.
What about the people who like to vent on forums to get hard-ons?
I have no problem with this as Siri's usefulness is usefulness is directly affected by the system load but I suspect they will going back and forth with the hackers until the iPhone 4S is the one of the oldest iPhone on the market.
I do hope that hackers aren't clever enough to figure out how to access Siri on non-iOS-based devices. Having Android users to use Siri because their service in unintuitive could be devastating to all Siri users.
I have noticed that Siri is more responsive and perhaps even more intelligent since it first debuted. I hope we get some info about Siri updates at the next event.
This is great news for consumers. Siri doesn't work well on older devices that's why Apple was forced to make the very difficult decision not to offer the technology to 3GS and 4 owners.
Apple is always about protecting the user experience. That's why I love them.
What about the people who like to vent on forums to get hard-ons?
What about them? Are you suggesting that I go out and buy an Android phone too?
I can afford to buy all of my apps. I have so many apps, that they all don't even fit on my current iPad.
Jailbreakers have the mentality of a Fandroid, and that's what they should be using, an Android device.