problems

Update at 1:40 p.m. PT: Siri's working again on multiple devices here, and users reporting the feature as functional following the earlier outage.

Apple's Siri service, the voice assistant feature that's an exclusive to the recently launched iPhone 4S, is experiencing downtime once again, according to numerous users.

At approximately 11 a.m. PT, users began posting to Twitter that they were experiencing problems getting Siri to respond to voice commands. Affected users reported that the feature activated correctly, but was not connecting to process voice commands. Tests on several iPhone 4S devices owned by … Read more

The other day I encountered a serious problem with my iTunes account that seemed to require major surgery, so I figured I'd stop in at my local Apple Store and mosey up to the Genius Bar downstairs to see if there was a less draconian fix than the one I'd read about online.

Since I was there during Happy Hour, I figured I'd go for the two-for-one special and also ask why the battery on my new iPhone 4S was puttering out in about 12 hours (with only minimal use), well short of what I was getting with my old 3GS.

For the uninitiated, the Genius Bar is the place where you take your Apple problems. You actually need to make an appointment, and like the doctor's office, the knowledgeable Apple reps who help fix your problems don't necessarily see you right away, especially if you make an appointment at 5:50 p.m. when the place is a madhouse. At least in Manhattan, anyway. … Read more

Having initially pointed out customer complaints about subpar battery life in the iPhone 4S, the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper has followed up with a report about a possible culprit and a possible temporary fix.

The Guardian said yesterday that some 4S users who had griped on Apple's support Web site about the power drain were being contacted by the company and sent diagnostic files that could be sent back to Apple for analysis. Numerous users have been saying their phones are lasting just a few hours, even with minimal use, the Guardian said.

Now the paper reports that … Read more

Antuan catches hell for his review of the Mustang Boss 302, we tell you where to get Satellite Radio 2.0, and we ponder potential problems with direct injection engines.

• Are there problems with direct injection?

• The CNET review of the Mustang Boss 302 that's dividing drivers

• Satellite radio 2.0 features

• CNET's LOLCars gallery!

Three days after the launch of the iPhone 4S, some users are still running into problems gettings its Siri voice assistant feature to work.

Numerous users on Twitter continue to report that the feature is experiencing connection errors when commands are issued. As before, affected users are saying that the problems are occurring even while they're connected to Wi-Fi, or have 3G coverage, suggesting the issue may lie on Apple's end.

Siri is an iPhone 4S exclusive feature, giving users the capability to talk into their phone to do things like check the weather, set alarms, and search the Web. The feature requires the use of a Wi-Fi or 3G network since it taps into Apple's servers to process and return the commands as soon as they're issued.

The service began experiencing problems on launch day last Friday, with users saying the feature could not connect. Tests on CNET's own iPhone 4S unit could not reproduce the problem, however CNET readers noted in comments on our original story that they too were having issues. Additionally, a now 10-page Apple support forum thread has users experiencing hiccups throughout the weekend. … Read more

Despite getting off to a smooth start, some users are experiencing problems upgrading to Apple's latest version of iOS.

Numerous users on Twitter and Apple's support forums are now reporting issues downloading the new version of the iOS software. The Next Web notes that most users with problems are getting a 3200 error, with the message that an "internal error" occurred, and that the upgrade process has been canceled as a result.

Other users--including at least one CNET editor--have run into problems after successfully downloading the update, with iTunes spitting out an error message as the … Read more

History repeated itself this morning, with the iPhone 4S preordering process getting off to what can only be described as a bumpy start in the U.S.

Despite the promise of a 12:01 a.m. PT starting time for preorder sales from Apple and its carrier partners, Apple's store experienced intermittent errors shortly after that deadline. Its online doors opened about 45 minutes after that to let people order the company's new top-end smartphone.

AT&T took even longer to begin offering preorders, and some would-be Sprint customers reported delays of two hours trying to place … Read more

I admit it. I enjoy a good firmware upgrade.

There's nothing like a software fix to make you feel better about your device, especially if it adds new features while eliminating bugs. But not every firmware upgrade is good. Sometimes things go horribly wrong. Which is what happened recently when I updated Jawbone's little Jambox Bluetooth speaker to version 2.0.

The update gave me something called LiveAudio, a "technological breakthrough" that would let me experience my music, games, video "like never before"--as if I was, "on stage, in the action, hearing it live." Furthermore, this immersive, three-dimensional listening experience brought "incredible depth, detail, and unprecedented spatial realism to everything from mp3s to special binaural recordings."

Based on the promo material, I expected a lot; I wanted in on the 2.0 LiveAudio action. Wanted it bad. … Read more

The rap on AOL used to be that it was "the Internet on training wheels," yet many solid Netizens cut their i-teeth on its superfriendly apps. AOL Computer Checkup Lite continues AOL's tradition of making things as easy as possible for inexperienced users, with an ultrasimple interface asking simple questions about your PC experience. Not to worry; it doesn't actually do anything but make recommendations about your system's health. That's when you should start to worry.

AOL's interface consists of four check boxes and a Scan button. The boxes are associated with questions, … Read more