“Siri” was all the rage when it hit the world market in 2011, but it has proved to be more fancy than functional among BYU-Hawaii students.Seven out of the 10 BYUH students interviewed said they don’t use Siri because they either don’t have an iPhone or they don’t find it beneficial. According to Apple, “Siri is the intelligent personal assistant that helps you get things done by asking.” In an article entitled “Snide, sassy Siri has plenty to say,” found on CNN, Siri users find unique ways to use the tool. “For iPhone owners presented with the sci-fi dream of a computer that talks back in a robotic female voice, the temptation to test the app’s more random -- and existential -- sides has been pretty overwhelming, too.”The three students who use Siri said they never asked Siri comical questions. Although, Lisa Thompson, a senior from Texas majoring in English, said, “Occasionally, my Dad calls and shares what he asks Siri, ’Are you my friend?’ and Siri responds and says that ‘I can’t provide an answer for that.’” “When I say I’m hungry, restaurants pop up,” said Emily Smithson, a senior majoring in history from California. Smithson continued, “The other day a car drove by me and splashed my phone. I could still use Siri even when my screen blacked out.”Other students want to use the feature, but can’t because of the poor voice recognition. “It’s very convenient, but a lot of times it does not recognize my voice,” said Rachel Raynor, a senior in exercise science from California. Raynor also said she uses Siri, “when I want to find a restaurant, directions, and research projects.”All three recognized the usefulness for directions, but Thompson said, “I don’t see the point of using it when there are multiple people in the car” and “it’s difficult to use with Hawaiian names.” Apple states “You can ask Siri to make a call, find a business and get directions, schedule reminders and meetings, search the web, and more. You can even ask Siri “What can you do for me?” For more information, visit www.apple.com.
Writer: Tucker Grimshaw~Multimedia Journalist
