Siri now working completely on other iOS gear

Mobile app writer Steve Troughton-Smith and Cydia developer Grant Paul early Sunday successfully created a fully functional implementation of Siri working on both the iPhone 4 and the fourth-generation iPod touch. The technique brings over files and a validation token from a jailbroken iPhone 4S to trick the voice recognition system into working as it would on its intended platform. Unlike some earlier hacks, both run at the full potential speed and connect properly to the network.

Most of the refinement now involves making it work smoothly. The current tactic involves about 20 steps to get it working, Troughton-Smith said. He also wanted to make sure that the technique isn't breaking other components behind the scenes and is safe to use.

More details were expected to come once the process was cleaned up. Troughton-Smith didn't to put the code in the Cydia jailbreak store himself, since he just wanted the proof of concept. It might also be interpreted as illegal, something he would be keen to avoid.

As shown so far, the hack explains why Apple didn't relay it to the iPod touch, since the microphone isn't powerful enough to accept voice on as consistent level as the iPhone. The iPhone 4 does appear to process tasks as quickly as the 4S, suggesting that Apple either didn't have time or resources to backport Siri or else held off to encourage early sales. [some info via 9to5]

by MacNN Staff