Siri gains improved weather and time functions in Canada

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014


Updates to Apple's Siri voice assistant service have improved functionality for Canadian users, with the changes allowing better location recognition of weather and time queries.



As part of Apple's ongoing work to bring Siri out of Beta and into the mainstream, the company has rolled out improvements regarding location data over the past weeks that expand the virtual assistant's ability to answer certain Canada-specific questions, reports Canadian blog iPhoneinCanada.ca



Since Apple launched its voice-recognition service alongside the iPhone 4S in October, Canadian users were limited in what questions Siri could field. For example, some users had to rephrase questions like "what time is it" to "what time is it in Vancouver" as the service would not recognize certain locations in Canada.



Although the changes were unannounced, it looks as though Apple has expanded or tweaked its Canadian geo-location data as users are now receiving accurate answers to broad questions.



The newly-supported queries are available on iPhone 4S handsets running either iOS 5.1 or 5.0.1, meaning that the upgrades were made on the service's backend.





Screenshots showing improved Canadian time and weather compatibility. | Source: iPhoneinCanada.ca







The reported list of newly updated questions:



What time is it?

What is the weather today?

What will be the high/low temperature today?

Is it going to rain/snow today?




Canadians are still waiting for comprehensive geo-location capabilities to come to Siri, however, as directions and map integration have yet to gain support in the country.



[ View article on AppleInsider ]

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 78
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    It's about fucking time. But Siri is still abysmal in Canada. Not sure why it's taking them so long to add the basic functionality.
  • Reply 2 of 78
    timbittimbit Posts: 331member
    Lets get a move on it Apple! We are attached to the USA, and still don't have many Siri functions. Don't neglect your northern neighbours!
  • Reply 3 of 78
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Timbit View Post


    Lets get a move on it Apple! We are attached to the USA, and still don't have many Siri functions. Don't neglect your northern neighbours!



    I heard from a reliable source that it takes 3000 lines of code to get Siri to say 'a-boot' instead of 'about'.
  • Reply 4 of 78
    wurm5150wurm5150 Posts: 763member
    [racist post removed]
  • Reply 5 of 78
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I heard from a reliable source that it takes 3000 lines of code to get Siri to say 'a-boot' instead of 'about'.



    I don't know anyone outside of Newfoundland who actually says "a-boot" instead of "about."



    I'm not sure why Americans believe Canadians all say that but it's about the same as assuming everyone in the US says "axe" instead of "ask."
  • Reply 6 of 78
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wurm5150 View Post


    Who cares?! It's Canada. They don't count for anything..



    Yeah what do we matter... guess we will need a multi trillion dollar debt, shitty economy and limited energy resources before we are something eh ?
  • Reply 7 of 78
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Updates to Apple's Siri voice assistant service have improved functionality for Canadian users, with the changes allowing better location recognition of weather and time queries. ...



    I don't know about the highs and lows but we have always been able to ask Siri what the weather is in Canada and whether it will rain etc.



    This is just not new at all.



    Also, WTF does "better time queries" even mean. The time is the time. You ask Siri what time it is and it tells you.



    What would be really valuable (and almost the entire utility of Siri), is being able to ask it about the world around you like where the nearest pizza place is or where a store is etc. Without being aware of the maps it's almost useless.
  • Reply 8 of 78
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I heard from a reliable source that it takes 3000 lines of code to get Siri to say 'a-boot' instead of 'about'.



  • Reply 9 of 78
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    I don't know anyone outside of Newfoundland who actually says "a-boot" instead of "about."



    I'm not sure why Americans believe Canadians all say that but it's about the same as assuming everyone in the US says "axe" instead of "ask."



    It was a joke but I have plenty of Canadian friends who say that and they are from all over.
  • Reply 10 of 78
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Market_Player View Post


    Yeah what do we matter... guess we will need a multi trillion dollar debt, shitty economy and limited energy resources before we are something eh ?



    "Siri, where is the nearest Tim Horton's?"



    "Tim Horton's? Sure, thanks for asking, how are you doing?....Sure, you betcha, well anyways there are two Tim Horton's within two miles of your current location."
  • Reply 11 of 78
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I heard from a reliable source that it takes 3000 lines of code to get Siri to say 'a-boot' instead of 'about'.



    Does Siri handle the word 'ruf' instead of 'roof'?
  • Reply 12 of 78
    5GB per 30 days is $35.00 on Bell, Rogers & Telus !!



    iPads sold here work on any of the big three's LTE networks and on AT&T in the US.
  • Reply 13 of 78
    joelsaltjoelsalt Posts: 827member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I heard from a reliable source that it takes 3000 lines of code to get Siri to say 'a-boot' instead of 'about'.



    I figured the delay was due to Siri not being able to understand sentance-final "eh"s



    Also, the weather app doesn't need to be improved for Canada. It only needs two responses.



    (Nov-Mar): Siri what is the weather?

    Siri: Shit.



    (April-Oct): Siri what is the weather?

    Siri: Not quite as shit.
  • Reply 14 of 78
    joelsaltjoelsalt Posts: 827member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    It was a joke but I have plenty of Canadian friends who say that and they are from all over.



    No you don't.
  • Reply 15 of 78
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by joelsalt View Post


    I figured the delay was due to Siri not being able to understand sentance-final "eh"s



    They had to add support for y'all first I think
  • Reply 16 of 78
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Market_Player View Post


    Yeah what do we matter... guess we will need a multi trillion dollar debt, shitty economy and limited energy resources before we are something eh ?



    Just because you're a Don Cherry fan doesn't mean you need to be sour grapes eh?
  • Reply 17 of 78
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by auxio View Post


    Just because you're a Don Cherry fan doesn't mean you need to be sour grapes eh?



    You are right; I was a little harsh, it does have to suck being China's bitch... I am sorry USA, Canada will be here for you.
  • Reply 18 of 78
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by auxio View Post


    Just because you're a Don Cherry fan doesn't mean you need to be sour grapes eh?



    Sour Grapes would be thanks to RIMs declining market share not Don Cherry
  • Reply 19 of 78
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wurm5150 View Post


    Who cares?! It's Canada. They don't count for anything..



    What are you, 12?
  • Reply 20 of 78
    myapplelovemyapplelove Posts: 1,515member
    So now Siri can say the weather and the time, boy what a breakthrough in technology...



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I heard from a reliable source that it takes 3000 lines of code to get Siri to say 'a-boot' instead of 'about'.



    How embarrassing to resort to poorly executed, minsformed and bigoted sarcasm just to sugarcoat that Siri is a hardly a functional piece of software.
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