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Monday, September 22, 2014

New in iOS 8: Hands-Free Siri and Improved Dictation


Apple's voice activated features have received some new features as part of iOS 8. Siri is a virtual voice activated personal assistant that can answer your questions, call your friends, check the weather, and much more.  Now it can  be activated hands free by saying, "Hey, Siri." Previously, users would have to press and hold the home button to activate Siri.

The new feature will allow people with physical disabilities to easily activate Siri. The hands-free activation feature does have one major caveat: the device must be plugged in and charging. Users who need or want to access this feature on- the- go can purchase a battery case to utilize this feature. It is possible that future iOS devices will not require a power source to use the "Hey, Siri" feature.

In addition, when dictating a question to Siri or dictating text into an app the recognized words appear almost instantly after being spoken. To use dictation bring up the keyboard and then press the microphone icon next to the space key. With words appearing as you speak it is easier to identify mistakes which makes the dictation process faster. Dictation can be a useful feature for people who struggle with spelling and people who have difficulty using a keyboard. These features are available for devices running iOS 8.

2 comments:

  1. I liked the blog about the iOS 8, I am and Android user looking to get an Iphone. I thought the Siri thing was cool, but why do you need to be charging it when your using it. I know that they have cases for that but it's so restricting. Then again you could just do it the old way. Anyway I thought it was a cool blog, keep it up.

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    1. Hi Elena,

      Thanks for the comment. I think the reason for "Hey, Siri" only working when charging is that it would use up too much battery life during every day use. It is still a helpful feature and if you'd like to use it away from a power outlet you can always buy a charger case. I hope you enjoy the blog and I hope you enjoy the transition to iPhone. Apple has added some great accessibility features in iOS 8!

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