First, Siri was hacked by the folks at Applidium, who figured out the format it uses to communicate with Apple’s servers. Then, jailbreak iPhone developer Pete Lamonica developed SiriProxy, a proxy server that poses as Apple’s Siri server and intercepts its communications. Using it, developers can create plugins to control virtually any network-connected device in the world through Siri.
The first example was demonstrated by Lamonica himself, who programmed Siri to effortlessly control his house’s thermostat. Then, developer Brandon Fiquett used SiriProxy to hook the virtual assistant up to his car, so Siri could lock or unlock it, turn on the alarm or even start it.
Now, we have several more examples of developers having created plugins that allow Siri to control everything from the stuff you watch on your TV to the lights and curtains in your room. Check out the videos below and marvel at the possibilities of Apple’s AI-powered assistant (which, we have to remind you, is currently only in beta).
Siri in Your TV
Plex is a free media centre application that allows you to organise your entire collection of movies, music, TV shows and videos from online sources into one neat library, which is then accessible through apps for various set-top boxes and connected TVs, mobile devices and computers.
As 9to5Mac reports, Iceland-based developer Hjalti Jakobsson has fashioned a plugin for SiriProxy that allows him to control Plex through Siri, so he can command it to start playing the latest episode of any TV show in his library or request for a specific one from the archives. It works smoothly and quickly, almost as if it was an officially supported feature by Apple itself. Take a look:
Siri in Your Mac
With the largest display in the house conquered, it was now the computer’s turn. According to iDownloadBlog, Ian McDowell configured Siri to interact with apps on his computer and send a text message to contacts using Google Voice.
Controlling Google Voice is only the trailer though—for the full movie, watch the video below:
We are a little underwhelmed by the robotic commands, but that’s just the way the developer chose to program it, and can easily be switched out for more natural, Siri-like sentences in future. What’s amazing is just how well the whole setup works. It’s not too far-fetched to dream that we’ll all eventually be controlling our computers this way.
Siri in Your Room
This last one (for today) is straight out of a science fiction movie! In the video below, the developer—who goes by the handle ‘phildman14’ on YouTube—demonstrates how Siri can be used to close the curtains, turn on the fan and turn off the lights in his room. Just hit Play, won’t you?
Amazed yet? Imagine the possibilities, if only Apple were to officially open this technology up to third-party developers. Right now, they are all using a hacked server and cannot really distribute their modifications to the public, but if Apple gives them the nod, a Jarvis-like Siri may become a reality yet.


















I don't understand, too, why everyone admires Siri so much. My opinion is, it is just weird. I'd prefer to talk to my friends and not to my phone. Even if it is an iPhone. iPhone 4S: the most amazing phone or the greatest disappointment? http://k-selezneva.blogspot.com/2011/10/iphone-4s-most-amazing-phone-or.html
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LikeSorry, but what a bunch of crap. All SiriProxy does, if I didn't misunderstand, is use the TTS feature to enable voice commands. The beauty of Siri is her AI and the widgets (like the time counter) which make it very usable.
I don't understand all the fuss about this "OMG it can do everything" when it has no AI and its basically what you could do with Android, without any hacks whatsoever (you can use Google's TTS for free, its part of the API and it works just as well but with many more languages). This is NOT what's groundbreaking about Siri.
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LikePablo Llopis You’re right, yes, these are just voice commands and do not have anything to do with Siri’s AI, but even just the voice commands are something that wasn’t available out of the box. Our emphasis is on the fact that developers are taking matters into their own hands to add these cool abilities to Siri. That’s what we find fascinating.
As for the AI, while my knowledge on that front is very limited, I think if Apple were to give an official API for it, where developers could specify which command could be used to do what with Siri—for example, “Siri, start the car”—it could then use the AI to figure out what the user meant even if he said “get the car started” or “turn on the car”.
Finally, Android’s having this feature has nothing to do with anything. Although I do find it strange that developers are so excited about the feature when it is unsupported and difficult to implement on iOS, and yet practically no one has heard of Android’s ability to do this, even though, as you say, it has official support for it.
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LikePablo Llopis _ i totally agree with you, siri can't do anything of the things claimed in the headlines - it's just an interface to the scripts who actually perform. it's like praising a keyboard for what it can accomplish instead of the computer that does the actual work.
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LikeConversation from Twitter
Snafflepuss Thanks for the Siri post. Interesting stuff and wonder what are Apple's plans. They would be mad to stop the proxys.
jastilley It's the next stage of evolution. Exciting, yet frightening.
guy1067 Recognise Japanese accents http:\/\/t.co\/UOyGSgua :-)
ReidTFSM Hey Reid!!
HectorGDiaz hey hector! whats up man? How are things going for ya at the end of the year?
Siddharth_IN hey its awsome man
rspruijt There's a lot it cannot do....for example easy things as setting an alarm for the day after tomorrow or understanding dutch.
scrumptiousmke http:\/\/t.co\/VuJX5ExQ does all the work what siri does, voice input is enabled but has benefit of socializing!
Thanks Elliot! RT gadgetyogi http:\/\/t.co\/wk7zGEcB does all the work what siri does, voice input is enabled but has benefit of socializing!
tastytruth Pretty effin' crazy! I want to see how much of an impact it'll have on SEO, too.
rbarona By the way, when's the apple tv 2 jailbreak coming?
Antonio_Silva77 http:\/\/t.co\/9X8jvqpZ
inspiredannette hey! could u please go vote for me at http:\/\/t.co\/98YsQWqo ?? It would mean the world to me! :)
jrantillon Thanks Jayson! How are you sweetheart? How's your little furry baby doing? :-)
RockTique she's angry with me for letting the adopted outside kids inside cause it was cold http:\/\/t.co\/0L2j1C4g
jrantillon That is too sweet!! You have a heart of gold, honored to be your friend :) xox
RockTique my brat begging for tummy rubs! http:\/\/t.co\/fFqimwZW
RockTique I dunno why the heck my twitter keeps Unfollowing you *&$!^?!
jrantillon Btw, I just saw that you followed me & I clicked & saw I was no longer following you. What happened there?! Twitter screw up?
jrantillon Just saw this tweet so answers my previous tweet. A lot of ppl r having same issue, frustrating! twitter stop the unfollowing!
RockTique yeah! Dumb twitter!
jeremybrook - sheesh. that was fast. ;)
Conversation from Facebook
I don't have to imagine, all I have to do is look at all the different problems which occur in the android market. Yes, I want half-developed, crashing apps able to be downloaded on my phone without any quality-control.
This technology already exists..... Apple doesn't make scientific research about it (only bought a well done product) and the open source version is already ready in Android and usable in domotics. We just have to wait a bit for that to come in our houses.
Apple anyway will probably be out of all that, exactly because of its closeness, if and only if it will keep on closing (without Steve Jobs it's not a sure thing, I think).
if it landed on the wrong hands, this could be a major problem but if not then this is absolutely big news.
But they won't that's why they bought the company, it to keep their devices one step ahead of the competition, it is a shame, but some one will get it it going no doubt!