Last week, we reported that French developer Applidium had managed to blow the Siri protocol wide open, making it possible for any internet connected device to dial into Apple’s Siri servers and get a response.
Any internet connected device? Pshaw, you might scoff. But one week later, we have the proof: a hacker who has tricked Siri into talking with his internet-connected thermostat!
The developer, known only by his Twitter handle Plamoni, managed this feat by using Applidium’s hack to come up with a Siri proxy server, which he then programmed with custom commands allowing his iPhone 4S to send custom commands to his indoor wireless thermostat, including the ability to report the thermostat’s status, set the temperature and turn the heat on and off.
Since there’s no working iPhone 4S jailbreak yet, needless to say Plamoni’s technique works on a stock iPhone 4S. In fact, if you’ve got the developer smarts, you can even download the source code and get it running locally.
I think what is most interesting to me about this is that it really shows Siri’s already impressive abilities are just the beginning. What Apple ultimately envisions is a way to use our iPhones to intelligently control, manage and maintain our entire lives: from telling your car to warm itself up on a cold winter’s morning while you’re still in bed to telling your AppleTV to start streaming the latest episode of Dexter. If Apple’s smart, they will license Siri to all sorts of device makers over the next few years, allowing you to pair any internet connected device to your iPhone and send it commands. When that happens, get ready for the real voice revolution.
