When Apple first announced the Siri app, many iOS stalwarts probably thought that Cupertino had finally succeeded in replicating Star Trek-style computers. For those not in the know, Star Trek characters are able to simply utter the word "computer," and the voice of Majel Barrett Roddenberry responds — ready to offer whatever assistance is requested.
The coolest feature to the Star Trek computer is that it's entirely hands-free, 100-percent accurate and understands conversational language. Siri, on the other hand, is far from 100 percent accurate, and although she's pretty good with conversational language, she's not entirely hands-free. Users must still hold down the home button to activate "her." That's where one of the coolest Cydia jailbreak apps we've ever seen comes in.
Cydia Hands-Free Control allows users who have jailbroken their iPhones to activate Siri via a voice trigger. Simply utter the word "Siri" or whatever you feel like setting your keyword to, and your digital assistant will spring to life, ready to cater to your every whim.
You might be thinking that this is so cool and obvious, it's a wonder Apple didn't design Siri this way in the first place. The truth is, Apple probably considered this functionality, but opted against it in the interest of battery life. Cydia Hands-Free Control is an incredibly neat jailbreak tweak, but it's also incredibly battery-intensive. When Cydia Hands-Free Control is active, your iPhone will constantly be listening for the specified keyword. There is an option for the feature to only activate when your phone is plugged into a power source, and given the iPhone 5's already less-than-sterling battery life, we'd recommend it.
