Wolfram Alpha's Queries Are One-Quarter Siri-Based

[Anthony Bouchard]

How often do you use Wolfram Alpha with Siri?

Siri is Apple's voice control system brought to a whole new level. It comes with not only voice recognition, but clever responses and dictation which make using Siri a pleasure and a very high demand for people not owning an iPhone 4S yet. With that being said, a Siri port for older iDevices is a highly anticipated event. But, have you ever taken the time to see where the answers Siri gets for you come from? A closer look at the bottom right of the Siri query in the screenshot below will answer that question:



Indeed, Siri uses the Wolfram Alpha knowledge engine to query many of your process-based questions that requires thinking. It's a very useful service that answers questions from Siri such as mathematical calculations, definitions, general knowledge, and more. You can use this service by finding their Web Site from a Google search, or you can just ask Siri to do it for you by asking her a question. As it turns out, Siri has left a very large footprint into Wolfram Alpha's records, showing that Siri users account for just about one quarter of Wolfram Alpha's total queries.

25% may not seem like a huge figure to you, however thinking about the devices that actually run Siri (the iPhone 4S is the only legitimate device) and a handful of ported Apple devices, in comparison to all of the computers in the world that have access to Wolfram Alpha's Web site - well, it's a pretty large chunk. One thing that might be considered in these figures is the fact that most computer owners have probably never heard of Wolfram Alpha, where Siri users are forced to get results from them being that it is the main search engine for information that Siri cannot find on your iDevice.

As more Siri devices are activated each day and more jailbreakers step into the unknown with the Spire Siri port (external servers needed to use Spire), we should see this percentage increase at a steady rate. The iPhone 4S has not been out too long and it has already taken a big bite into many markets.

Sources: 9to5Mac

[KraXik]

I'm a new Spire user and I don't think that much of Wolfram. I asked it the lifespan of a cat and it came up with data available! I mean, thats a pretty simple question. It just doesn't seem to know that much.

The dictation side of Siri is much better

[rabbit_]

I'm a new Spire user and I don't think that much of Wolfram. I asked it the lifespan of a cat and it came up with data available! I mean, thats a pretty simple question. It just doesn't seem to know that much.

The dictation side of Siri is much better

That properly cause its a Siri port not full version of Siri works well for me even with a Scottish accent

[Anthony Bouchard]

That properly cause its a Siri port not full version of Siri works well for me even with a Scottish accent

The Spire Siri port is a direct implementation of Apple's files. They work exactly the same. The only difference is in the Siri-built iPhone 4S hardware versus the non-Siri-built iPhone 4/iPod touch/iPad.

[KraXik]

That properly cause its a Siri port not full version of Siri works well for me even with a Scottish accent

Yeah it works really well, I'm just unsure that Wolfram Alpha is really that good. I haven't used it very much though.

[djdraco]

I love me some wolfram alpha. I've used it quite a bit. Even used it to browse best buys inventory when I needed a new microwave.

[purplemonkeyspank]

"Siri is Apple's voice control system brought to a whole new level. It comes with not only voice recognition, but clever responses and dictation which make using Siri a pleasure and a very high demand for people not owning an iPhone 4S yet"

Ummm...not really. Speak for your self there, matey. Sorry but a gimmick like Siri is no reason to drop half a grand on a phone. Not even a factor for those with common sense.

It's paragraphs like quoted above that really bug me when it comes to people talking about Apple stuff. Get a clue.

On a side note, though: why doesn't the site work properly when leaving comments or showing them? Before clicking on the article it says X amount of comments, but actually on the article's main page only one comment ever shows?

I'm on iPhone 4S by the way.

[Anthony Bouchard]

"Siri is Apple's voice control system brought to a whole new level. It comes with not only voice recognition, but clever responses and dictation which make using Siri a pleasure and a very high demand for people not owning an iPhone 4S yet"

Ummm...not really. Speak for your self there, matey. Sorry but a gimmick like Siri is no reason to drop half a grand on a phone. Not even a factor for those with common sense.

It's paragraphs like quoted above that really bug me when it comes to people talking about Apple stuff. Get a clue.

On a side note, though: why doesn't the site work properly when leaving comments or showing them? Before clicking on the article it says X amount of comments, but actually on the article's main page only one comment ever shows?

I'm on iPhone 4S by the way.

I disagree with you. I think that Siri landed an iPhone 4S in over 50% of the people who upgraded this past year.

[purplemonkeyspank]

50% of those UPGRADING compared to those new to the iPhone and those coming back from, say, android or the like (me for one) is not the whole picture of iPhone users. Maybe you are right, MAYBE for those upgrading Siri may have been a selling point but I highly doubt the majority of iPhone 4S's out there were sold because of an overrated gimmick such as Siri. Or Atleast I hope not because that would be daft!

Siri was interesting for 5 minutes 'till the novelty wore off. Just wish people would stop blowing smoke up Apple's arse and over hyping the simplest of things.

I did like the article though, quite interesting. Just the one paragraph p*ssed me off a bit lol.

[Dranon]

Yeah everyone I know including me with an iphone 4S DID NOT buy it for siri but for the faster processor. Siri is a nice gimmick but I have it turned off because it became annoying. So have most of the people I know with the 4s. They just turn it on for fun or for showing someone how cool it is but do not really use it for practical purposes.

[purplemonkeyspank]

Yeah everyone I know including me with an iphone 4S DID NOT buy it for siri but for the faster processor. Siri is a nice gimmick but I have it turned off because it became annoying. So have most of the people I know with the 4s. They just turn it on for fun or for showing someone how cool it is but do not really use it for practical purposes.

Exactly! The beefed up processor and camera were selling points for me. I could of gotten the iPhone 4 again but ultimately decided to go for the speed increase, a better FASTER safari and HD video recording. NOT Siri. And I bet that's where most off the iPhone 4S's have come from.

[DuRoLuRo]

I'm a new Spire user and I don't think that much of Wolfram. I asked it the lifespan of a cat and it came up with data available! I mean, thats a pretty simple question. It just doesn't seem to know that much.

The dictation side of Siri is much better

Yes. That is a simple question. So what? Does Google get it right every single time, even after 13 years of development?