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Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

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Re: Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

#111

Post by Xurinos »

jonknee wrote: post #104
eddieroger wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never considered using Siri this way, which feels strange to me since I've spent a lot of time thinking about the other Accessibility features of iOS (mostly VoiceOver). Have you ever written up your experiences with iPhone accessibility? I'd be interested to read it.

> I never considered using Siri this way In what way? The OP seems to use it in the most basic way possible--dictation and simple searches.

I can't speak for the other two systems compared, but to be clear, OP's examples involve more than "dictation and simple searches"; Siri also controls the device. Without entering the text messaging or email apps, one can tell the virtual secretary to read and write messages and emails. Assuming Siri understands your voice well enough.

Fun specific example at the lock screen after holding down the iPhone's button for a couple seconds: "Read the latest message from my wife to me." Then, still at the lock screen, "Reply to my wife I love you".

Maybe it's just my experience, but I did not care much for Siri until she allowed me greater control over my device. When she first came out, you could not ask her to read the screen; later, the program was able to toggle assisting configuration like VoiceOver by command.

Re: Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

#112

Post by rayiner »

wutbrodo wrote: post #59
rayiner wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't tried cortana. Google now is really awful at being a personal assistant because it doesn't keep much context.

I haven't used Siri in ages; what kind of context does it keep? I know that Google Voice Search will do coreference across consecutive queries (i.e. resolving "it" and "him" accurately).

Just tried this:

Me: "Siri, find me a target."

Me: "Directions."

Siri: "Which target?"

Me: "Third one."

Also:

Me: "Siri, find me restaurants."

Me: "Review for Blue Duck Tavern"

Me: "Other restaurants"

Me: "Reservation for Founding Farmers."

Google Now will do some coreferences, but Siri is almost modal. You can talk to it like an assistant instead of trying to formulate everything as a search query. I had a Nexus 5 almost a year before getting my 6+, and I was always jealous of how much more practically useful Siri was on my wife's iPhone 5.

Re: Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

#113

Post by mark_l_watson »

I think these results were slightly biased because questions seemed to have been chosen to trigger Google search infobox results.

BTW, I worked with Knowledge Graph last year when I consulted at Google. It is an incredibly nice project. The team, who helped me when I needed help, was great - constantly improving the platform.

I am also using the IBM Watson APIs right now while helping another customer, so I feel like I am getting a broad view of what is available.

I expect that Knowledge Box, Cordova, Siri, IBM Watson, etc. are all going to get much, much better in the coming years and will change the way most people use computing devices. Exciting times!

Re: Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

#114

Post by escapologybb »

Xurinos wrote: post #111
jonknee wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I never considered using Siri this way In what way? The OP seems to use it in the most basic way possible--dictation and simple searches.

I can't speak for the other two systems compared, but to be clear, OP's examples involve more than "dictation and simple searches"; Siri also controls the device. Without entering the text messaging or email apps, one can tell the virtual secretary to read and write messages and emails. Assuming Siri understands your voice well enough. Fun specific example at the lock screen after holding down the iPhone's button for…

^This

Siri was essentially a curiosity for me until they allowed me greater control over the device, but I use my iPhone in exactly the way you've just described.

Along with "am I meeting with my physiotherapist today?", and "arrange an appointment with my doctor, physiotherapist and partner" at which point Siri creates the appointment in the calendar and sends an email invite to the parties mentioned. Assuming those people are in your contacts obviously.

Re: Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

#115

Post by rey12rey »

mark_l_watson wrote: post #113

I think these results were slightly biased because questions seemed to have been chosen to trigger Google search infobox results. BTW, I worked with Knowledge Graph last year when I consulted at Google. It is an incredibly nice project. The team, who helped me when I needed help, was great - constantly improving the platform. I am also using the IBM Watson APIs right now while helping another customer, so I feel like…

Cortana?

Re: Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

#116

Post by rayiner »

chetanahuja wrote: post #79

Even though the study (albeit informal) did not include personal assistant functionality, that's where Google Now (as manifested in an Android phone connected to a google account) really shines, in that like a real personal assistant, it brings you relevant information before you even ask . Around this time last year, I used to be startled by a timely reminder on the home screen widget about the next thing I was abou…

Having used a Nexus 5 for a year, I strongly disagree. Pulling stuff from your gmail is a cute trick, but it never happened reliably enough where I would actually trust it. Especially when you're not otherwise bought into the Google ecosystem. So with either, I'm in the mode of dictating things manually. And Siri shines at that. At least for me, voice recognition on my 6+ is much faster than on my Nexus 5. It always feels like Google Now does an internet query even though I've got the local recognition enabled. And Siri is much better at following the context of what you're saying to it.

Re: Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

#117

Post by mmastrac »

As an Android user, I've found that Siri tends to be generally better than Google Now. I don't usually ask my phone for trivia, but rather to do something. Most of the time I'll get routed to a search query when I'm looking to command the phone instead.

This is somewhat frustrating if you don't know the magic incantation to make Google Now do what you are asking it to do. Siri's engineers have done a better job anticipating the various forms of the commands and handling nearly all of them.

Re: Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

#118

Post by emersive »

I recently bought an iPhone 6, and have really started using Siri for the first time. And Siri has actually surprised me in a good way at how well she understands what I say. I don't do anything too crazy with her. Set alarm at x time, remind me to do x when I get home, Call so and so, send text message to x.

I work on a UX team of three. One of our guys has a MotoX, One guy has a Windows Phone, I have an iPhone 6, and based off of what happens at work it seems that Google Now and Siri are slightly more functional.

This is from merely observations, but it seems like Google Now is faster than Siri. And Siri is better at accurately hearing/understanding the words you say.

Re: Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

#119

Post by michaelq »

escapologybb wrote: post #94

Having used both of them, I really couldn't live without Siri to be honest. I'm quadriplegic, and whilst obviously I wouldn't die without Siri my life is immeasurably better with her. Some of the killer features of Siri for me are being able to to write emails, send messages and get quick answers to general questions throughout the day. She is much better at the first two than she is at the last one though, but even…

I completely agree. I commute by running, and it's unsafe to look at a screen. So I frequently issue commands into my headphone mic like "read my texts" and "text I'll be there in five" or "shuffle playlist 180 BPM". Many people dismiss Siri on account of mediocre answers to open ended questions, but it's quite effective at carrying out precise instructions.

Re: Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown

#120

Post by angersock »

escapologybb wrote: post #94

Having used both of them, I really couldn't live without Siri to be honest. I'm quadriplegic, and whilst obviously I wouldn't die without Siri my life is immeasurably better with her. Some of the killer features of Siri for me are being able to to write emails, send messages and get quick answers to general questions throughout the day. She is much better at the first two than she is at the last one though, but even…

I mean this in a very honest way: How are you posting here? Dictation software or something similar?
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