Everybody, including me, was quite taken by the demonstration of the voice recognition capability of the new iPhone 4S at Apple’s “Let’s talk iPhone” event that took place in Cupertino, California, on Tuesday (October 4).

But confusion reigned when we realized that the Apple Canada Web site did not reference Siri, the name given to the digital assistant application.

A conversation with an Apple representative today (October 5) clarified the situation.

There will not be a Canadian version of Siri when the iPhone 4S is released on October 14.

But that doesn’t mean that Canadians can’t take advantage of the voice-control functionality.

Siri runs as an application on the iPhone 4S, so by changing the settings of that app to U.S. English, UK English, or Australian English, anyone can use the software.

German and French speakers can also use Siri, by choosing the appropriate setting in the application.

The reason that there’s no mention of Siri at the Apple Canada Web site appears to be something of a technicality. Because the software wasn’t specifically localized to Canadian dialects, there are no Canadian English or Canadian French versions of the software.

It’s safe to assume that there will be versions of Siri specifically for Canadians at some point in the near future.

Until then, those of us who are keen to have our iPhones book appointments for us will have to speak like Americans, Aussies, Brits, or Parisians.

Cross-posted at the Georgia Straight

Despite the yearning by technologists, Apple did not reveal the iPhone 5 today (October 4).

But there was lots to talk about at the “Let’s talk iPhone” event held at the Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, including details about the iPhone 4S and its voice recognition feature, which will be available in Canada next week on October 14, the same day it lands in the U.S.

iPhone 4S models come in black or white in one of three configurations. Pricing available is U.S. only, with a two-year contract (Canadian pricing has not yet been announced):

16 GB: US$199

32 GB: US$299

64 GB: US$399

People can pre-order the iPhone 4S (unlocked versions only, starting at $649 in Canada) through Apple beginning this Friday (October 7).

The iPhone 4S looks like an iPhone 4, but sports completely revised hardware, including an Apple-designed A5 chip, the same as in the iPad 2, with a dual-core processor and dual-core graphics.

On stage, Epic Games demonstrated Infinity Blade 2, releasing on December. 1, which president Mike Capps said showed graphics techniques that “aren’t available on home gaming consoles”.

The iPhone 4S is both a GSM and CDMA smartphone, which means the same device will work with any carrier in Canada.

It has an updated wireless system which switches between the two antennas for faster downloads and better connections.

The new camera has an eight-megapixel sensor, wider aperture, and better lens, and 1080p video capability with image stabilization.

But the astounding innovation that comes with the iPhone 4S is the voice recognition capability Apple calls “Siri”, which allows users to ask questions in a multitude of ways.

In the demonstration of the feature, Scott Forstall, senior VP of iOS software, had Siri do the following tasks:

• get directions and provide a weather update

• locate nearby restaurants

• send notes and schedule meetings

• read a message and check the calendar for appointments

• set an alarm

• perform web searches, unit conversions

Siri works with built-in apps, even doing dictation, and performance will improve as it learns the voice of the user. It’s more of an assistant than an application, and had Forstall talking to his iPhone 4S like it was a person.

CEO Tim Cook Cook started the press event by talking about the success of Apple’s retail stores, mentioning the beauty and success of new stores in China. He did not mention the Metrotown location that opened on September 24.

Dressed in black jeans and a navy open-collared shirt with a black tee visible underneath, this was Cook’s first press event since taking over as CEO from Steve Jobs, who resigned on August 24.

Apple’s fall press briefing has, until now, been focused on the company’s iPod gadget, which launched 10 years ago.

Cook name-checked the device, by claiming that iPods account for 70 percent of the portable music player market, and there have been more than 16 billion songs downloaded from the iTunes music store, and announced a revised iPod nano, which now has walking and running fitness features built in.

But today’s event was about the company’s latest iteration of its smartphone. And even though many are disappointed they won’t be holding an iPhone 5 next week, the voice capability of the iPhone 4S is reason enough to take notice.

Cross-posted at the Georgia Straight

The annual Best of Vancouver issue of the Georgia Straight is something special.

It’s a chance for the magazine’s readers to speak out about what they like about the city, and it’s a chance for us writers and editors to call out what we think is, well, best.

This year, for the first time since I started writing on video games for the Straight, are my picks for the best games made in Vancouver since September 2010:

• Captain America: Super Soldier
• Dead Rising 2
• DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue
• FIFA 11
• Hoard
• Lego Battles: Ninjago
• Lil’ Pirates
• Space Pirates and Zombies

Congratulations to all the developers in the city who work so hard, and make such great games.

In last week’s Georgia Straight was my feature preview of Gears of War 3, the rambunctious shooter from Epic Games.

If Cliff Bleszinski had his way, Gears of War 3 would end a lot differently. “At the end of this game, I wanted to blow up the whole planet,” the game designer told the Georgia Straight. “Just blow it all up.”

My review of Vancouver-based Relic Entertainment’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine ran in last week’s Georgia Straight.

You might think, when you first see the hulking soldiers in Space Marine, that the developers at Vancouver’s Relic Entertainment borrowed from the popular Gears of War games. But the truth is that the look of the Ultramarines in the Warhammer 40,000 universe predate the Epic Games shooters. And while the Ultramarines are genetically enhanced, they were conceived in 1987, years before Halo’s Spartans.