[stylist] some Siri commands you may not know about

[Robert Leslie Newman]

7 Siri Tricks You Might Not Know About

Source:
http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/7-uses-for-siri-you-might-not-know-about-15893
07090/+whitsongordon

 

1. Find settings

Siri can not only "turn off Bluetooth" but will also help you find a setting
if you don't know where it's located. Try asking to "change the font size"
or "adjust the screen brightness" or "edit Safari settings," and Siri will
direct you to the right options page, with no need for you to search through
screens yourself. Call up the app if you want to reconfigure your iOS gadget
but aren't sure where the option is (or don't want to go through multiple
taps to find it).

 

2. Passing planes

Ask Siri "what planes are above me right now?" and you'll quickly get the
results back thanks to data pulled from the FAA's database and Siri's
integration with Wolfram Alpha. Unfortunately, it only works in the US for
the time being, but it's a handy option to have if you're wondering where a
passing plane is heading to or coming from.

 

3.  Setting power naps

You can tell Siri to "wake me in 40 minutes" and your iDevice's alarm will
be set accordingly. This is in addition to the standard alarm clock commands
that let you set an alarm for a specific time and date. If you're so
jetlagged that you're not sure what time it is but you know you need an
hour's shut-eye, Siri has you covered.

 

4. Movie reviews and times

Siri pulls in data from the Rotten Tomatoes review site, so you can ask it
"how good is The Dark Knight Rises?" and get a response based on hundreds of
reviews. You might have to pick from a shortlist of potential options if
Siri finds several matches, but the process is still pretty painless. You
can also ask "how long is The Lego Movie?" just before you sit down in your
seat, and get a quick response.

 

5. World Cup data

If soccer isn't high up on your list of priorities, tune out now, but Siri
can tap into all kinds of information about the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in
addition to its prowess at covering other sporting events. Ask "when is
England v Italy?" or "when does the World Cup end?" to find out when the
next match starts or when you can finally escape from the wall-to-wall
coverage. Try "who will win the World Cup?" to get the current state of play
in the tournament.

 

6. Find some food and drink

Not only can you search for restaurants and bars nearby, you can also look
for specific types of food or beverages, whether that's sandwiches, steaks,
coffee or beer. Ask Siri to "find a whiskey" and you'll get back the nearest
bars and restaurants where "whiskey" is mentioned in the description or
reviews. It's a handy feature to have if you've got a hankering for a
particular dish or drink.

 

7. What's Gizmodo saying?

Twitter and iOS are best buddies these days and you can leverage this in all
kinds of useful ways. As well as asking "what's trending on Twitter?" you
can also ask what specific people, accounts and handles are saying right
now. Of course you'll need to give Siri permission to access the Twitter
account on your iOS device if you haven't already done so.