Posted 11.28.2011 at 6:55 pm
13 Comments
Siri: Start Car
Brandon Fiquett
Developer Brandon Fiquett is one of the first to hack Siri, Apple's new voice command feature that we have previously insisted is for your mom. But maybe not, given what this hack indicates is possible: Siri can be hacked to communicate with just about anything, and in this case has been persuaded to start a car with a simple voice command.
First things first: this is not a hack most people can replicate, not unless you're familiar with a few different types of coding. But it's not nearly the most complex hack we've ever seen--the early Kinect efforts were much trickier--and it's very cool. Using the Siri Proxy, created by a hacker (possibly named Pete?) going by the name @plamoni on Twitter, Fiquett managed to get his Acura to communicate with Siri. The Acura has a Viper Smart Start System, which is designed to work with smartphones--all the easier for facilitating talks with Siri.
Fiquett has a custom PHP script that runs on his home server. Some custom plugins are used to augment Siri so it can recognize and respond in specific ways to specific commands. When one of those is sensed, it sends the command to the home server, which in turn spits it out to be recognized by the Viper. At first, Siri would only recognize some terse commands, specifically worded, like "vehicle start," "vehicle disarm," and "vehicle pop trunk." Now, though, it responds to more conversationally-worded instructions--Siri's real strength--like "start my car" and "pop my trunk."
Fiquett calls this a "proof of concept," and it's definitely impressive that it works--but we're even more excited to see what comes after this. It's similar to the state of the hacked Kinect early on, with the twist that Apple is, to say the least, extraordinarily unlikely to release an SDK for Siri. But we're still really looking forward to saying "Siri! Turn on all the lights in my apartment! Now turn them off! Now on again!" and then giggling.
[Brandon Fiquett via Gizmodo]
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If apple releases an SDK, I will become a lifelong convert . . . But I doubt it. I think it will be mostly hacking by force in any future developments. OR . . . Apple may decide to follow suit and come up with their own to control everyday devices and appliances. Would be nice if industry could come up with a standard interface for voice controlled devices. That would be cool too.
Very satisfying to read. Ever since iPhone 4S was released I have been waiting for the moment when someone would hack Siri. And I agree with menoc. It would be truly wonderful when we can voice command everything. Great job, "Pete"!
CooL!!!!
_________________
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Cool? Yes, but how lazy can people be? All you need to do is push a button on the remote starter. What would be better is to connect the phone to your car. Oh wait, they've already done that. Now if they can locate your misplaced keys, that would be a winner.
nananana batman!
I can't help but think, "MAC-Theft Auto"...lol
I can see Apple filing a lawsuit against this person for hacking their software...its just how they are...freaking crapple
Gewez,that is kinda cool.I would love o hack a car.Not like I'm some kind of car jacker.I just wonder what would happen If I asked the Siri the best way to be awesomer..........................................................................................................................................
We were talking about this topic years ago. Kinda surprising that it's taken this long for someone to actually do it. It's the auto theft way of the future. And just think; there will come a day when the thief just sits at home and steals em and programs the getaway route to the chopshop and gets his payoff via ebanking. Eliminating the human element from the auto theft business altogether. Then it becomes "white collar crime" and so carries no prison time even if the scumbags are stealing a million or so cars a year. It's come to a day in the U.S. where it just doesn't pay to be honest anymore. Honest just means victim now.
My friend got a 4S and i asked him what can Siri do? can she call your mom? shut off wifi? what?
"Nah," he replied, "it just does a google search for you."
and I'm thinking, I had a google app like that 3 years ago.
Hack our way into the future people
Neat, but I can push a button on a remote and start my car. Probably less work than saying "Siri, start my car"
Science always asks "can we," but doesn't seem to ask "should we."
That. is. Awesome.
The power of technology!
heh here is my ignition system - not for ios but for android and not for cars but spudguns ;-) -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Akt3SKhAs
enjoy