Technology

How to unlock special features on your iPhone to improve voice search

Published

10 months ago

May 2, 2024

How to unlock special features on your iPhone to improve voice search

Technology is not just built for your convenience. If utilized correctly, it can also improve the functions of your daily life. For those who experience mobility challenges, the iPhone’s accessibility features can improve their quality of life. That’s why we appreciate Michael’s question about how to use voice services on his iPhone.

“I am blind. I am looking for an app I can use on my iPhone so I can verbally ask a question to a search engine and get a verbal answer.” — Michael, Manassas, Virginia

Several iPhone features, including Siri, VoiceOver and Spoken Content, are available. These can be used in tandem to help you search the web verbally and get a verbal response without downloading an additional app. If these native features don’t fit the bill, two apps rose to the top for working with voice commands.

Hopefully, you already have the Spoken Content feature set up so that you can read this article aloud. If you don’t already have that set up on your device, here is our article on how to get your phone to read articles aloud for step-by-step guidance.

CLICK TO GET KURT’S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK VIDEO TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TO’S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER

Side button on iPhone (Apple)

How to use Siri to help search the web

Siri is an excellent tool for helping with almost any task you can do manually on the iPhone. Follow the steps below to use Siri to search the web and verbally provide feedback or answers.

For iPhone 8 and older:

Press and hold the Home button (usually located at the bottom middle of your iPhone)
Say something like “Search the web for how to use Siri to search the web.”
Siri will display a list of search results from the web. You can tap on any results to open them in Safari.
If you want Siri to read the search results aloud, you can say “Read it” or “Read it again” after Siri has displayed the search results.

For iPhone X and newer:

Press and hold the Side button (usually located on the right side of your iPhone) or say, “Hey, Siri” to activate Siri.
Say something like, “Search the web for how to use Siri to search the web.”
Siri will display a list of search results from the web. You can tap on any results to open them in Safari.
If you want Siri to read the search results aloud, you can say “Read it” or “Read it again” after Siri has displayed the search results.

If there are many search results and tapping the results proves to require additional help, please check out how to set up “VoiceOver” below. It will announce whatever you tap on your iPhone screen so you can have the Siri results verbalized to you.

MORE: HOW TO USE SIRI WITHOUT SAYING ‘HEY’

How to use VoiceOver to take Siri to the next level

This begs the next question: once Siri presents you with the search results, how do you select and utilize the previously mentioned read-aloud features? This is where another accessibility feature on the iPhone called “VoiceOver” comes into play.

The great function of this feature is that it speaks aloud to the different options on your screen as you move your fingers over them. So, for instance, even if Siri pulls up your search results based on your verbal question, Siri sometimes has difficulty selecting the articles it has pulled up for you to read.

For those who are visually impaired or blind, there is no point in pulling up search results you can’t navigate once you get them. But because “VoiceOver” speaks out loud what you are grazing your finger over, you can hear the article title or other action you want to take on the iPhone. Then, you can double-tap to select the option you want.

How to turn on VoiceOver on an iPhone

Go to your iPhone’s Home Screen
Tap Settings
Scroll down and tap Accessibility
Tap VoiceOver

Steps to turn on VoiceOver on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Tap the toggle to the right of the “VoiceOver” option
Then the grayed-out button should appear green if it has been turned on.

Steps to turn on VoiceOver on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

For example, if you put your finger over the “Accessibility” button or option with VoiceOver on, the iPhone will announce the “Accessibility back button” to let you know that’s the option you are touching. If you then tap twice, it will take you back to the Settings menu.

It takes a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, the iPhone becomes much easier to navigate. Visually impaired users can also blend the voice-activated features with the tactile features.

Woman using VoiceOver on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: 8 GREAT IPHONE ACCESSIBILITY TIPS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER

How to use Alexa to navigate verbally

You can also use the Alexa app and Alexa device to unlock voice-activated support when using your iPhone and other smart devices. To utilize these features, go to the device settings on your Alexa app and enable “Alexa Hands-Free mode.”

Much like Siri on iPhones X or later, Alexa will respond to your voice whenever you say “Alexa” when the app is open and in use. To learn more about Alexa’s features, check out four common things Alexa can do better than you.

MORE: IS ALEXA SECRETLY LISTENING TO YOUR PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS?

How to use Google Assistant to navigate verbally

You can also use the Google Assistant app to unlock voice-activated support when using your iPhone or other smart devices. Once you’ve downloaded and configured the app to your liking and specification, there are three ways to interact with Google Assistant:

1. Tap the microphone icon

2. Type your question or command

3. If enabled, say, “Hey Siri, Hey Google.” When using this feature, Siri will open the Google Assistant app with your request and the Google Assistant will respond.

If you already have a Google account and use many of their apps, Google Assistant will help you navigate them fluidly. However, it is important to note that it is not as deeply integrated into the iOS system as Siri.

MORE: UNFORGETTABLE MOTHER’S DAY GIFTS 2024

Kurt’s key takeaways

Advancements in iPhone features can improve the ability of those with visual impairments and other mobility issues to utilize technology to the fullest. Between Siri’s ability to respond to verbal commands (with a simple click of a button or verbal request) and the accessibility features’ ability to help verbally navigate your phone and Siri’s responses, all users can maximize the power of their iPhones.

What additional features would you like to see in future smartphone updates to improve accessibility? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Engwe Mapfour N1 Pro e-bike review: the new ‘premium’

Published

17 hours ago

February 27, 2025

Press Room

Engwe Mapfour N1 Pro e-bike review: the new ‘premium’

Europe has an electric bike problem. Direct-to-consumer e-bikes from inexpensive Chinese brands like Engwe and countless others can be easily purchased online despite openly flouting EU restrictions. They feature throttles and powerful motors that can be easily unlocked to far exceed the 25km/h (16mph) legal speed limit — no pedaling required.

Here in Amsterdam, cheap Super73-knockoffs ridden at almost twice the legal speed have made the city’s renowned bicycle lanes increasingly chaotic and dangerous. Across the Netherlands, over 10,000 of these electric “fat bikes” were seized in 2024.

Engwe’s new Mapfour lineup is the company’s attempt at going legit by expanding from souped-up electric fat bikes and foldables into “premium commuter” e-bikes. And because they’re the first e-bikes that Engwe has designed exclusively for European roads, the company swears they can’t be unlocked for more speed.

I’ve been riding the new Mapfour N1 Pro model for the last few weeks. It lists for €1,899 (almost $2,000), or €1,799 during the initial launch — a price that brings heightened expectations.

The N1 Pro is slathered in premium capabilities like GPS/GSM tracking for which some bike makers charge subscriptions. The monocoque frame and fork are made from carbon fiber supplied by Toray — “the same high-quality carbon fiber as Trek and Specialized,” claims Engwe. There’s even turn-by-turn navigation built into the full-featured app, a large colorful display integrated into the handlebars, and a built-in mechanical lock in the rear wheel hub that automatically engages when the bike is turned off and stationary.

My review bike was missing a fender bolt, occasionally flashed a strange error code, and the solar-powered rear light won’t turn on. Still, it’s likely the highest quality electric bike Engwe has ever made.

$1714

The Good

Looks and rides sporty
Long list of features for price
Removable battery
Can’t be speed hacked

The Bad

Strange error messages
Servicing parts likely an issue
Doesn’t support height range claimed
Can’t be speed hacked

I have lots of experience with assembling direct-to-consumer e-bikes and the N1 Pro was ready to ride in about an hour, which is typical. Even with a carbon-fiber frame it weighs 20.1kg (44lbs) fully assembled according to my scale, which is heavy for an e-bike — just not Veloretti-heavy.

I had to raise the saddle higher than recommended despite Engwe claiming support for riders much taller than me.

In the box you’ll find a basic toolset that includes everything needed for assembly and instructions written in stellar English unlike some previous Engwe tutorials I’ve read. I had to assemble the pedals, front wheel, kickstand, handlebar, and fenders, and fish out a replacement fender bolt from some spare bicycle parts I had lying around. I then went to adjust the saddle to my height only to discover that I was too tall for the N1 Pro.

The saddle stem has a marked safety line that stops well before the height needed for my 6 foot (183cm) frame, despite being sold in the Netherlands where I’m considered a short king. Nevertheless, exceeding the line by about 2.5cm (one inch) hasn’t made the saddle feel insecure, even when riding over rough cobblestones. Engwe claims the N1 Pro supports riders from 165–190cm, and is considering offering the option for a longer saddle stem at checkout based upon my feedback.

The N1 Pro’s geometry puts the rider into what’s essentially a mountain bike stance: a moderate forward lean with hands spread wide out in front of the body. That wrist and body angle combined with a rather stiff saddle are not ideal for riding long distances, especially in combination with a backpack that’ll put even more weight on the hands and derrière. I do like that fun, sporty posture over short distances, but if you’re looking for a more relaxed ride then Engwe has the upright €1,399 MapFour N1 Air available in both step-over and step-through frames.

The battery can be unlocked and removed.

Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

The smart lock is reminiscent of the VanMoof kick lock. It automatically engages when the bike is turned off and stationary.

Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

The wires are mostly hidden and the lighting is integrated. The light bar can be customized with colors and animations that make it breath, pulse, or flow.

Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

The integrated display (pictured at startup) shows battery remaining, speed, light status, distance travelled, and direction and distance to next turn when using Engwe’s navigation.

Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

The 250W mid-drive Ananda motor on the N1 Pro is nearly silent under the din of road noise, and the integrated torque sensor provides an intuitive pedal-assist at all speeds. It produces up to 80Nm of torque that lets me easily start from a dead stop in fourth gear (of seven) on flat roads, but testing on a hill with a gradient of about 15 percent required a start from first gear. Typically, I only needed to shift to a high gear when I wanted to use my leg power to propel the bike at speeds above the 25km/h motor cutoff.

Despite claiming a range of up to 100km from its modest 360Wh battery, my first test performed over a few weeks yielded just 23km off a full charge in near-freezing conditions. I usually rode in power setting three of five on mostly flat roads. The second test performed on a single warmer day improved the range to 27km with 28 percent charge remaining — or an estimated 36km if I had time to run the battery dry for a below average 10Wh consumed per kilometer travelled. The bike battery seems to suffer from idle battery drain of about 1-2 percent per day when parked inside my house.

Worrisome for a “premium” e-bike: on two occasions I saw an “09” error message flash on the display which Engwe is still diagnosing. Once, while starting the bike after it had been sitting outside in the rain for a few hours. Another time after riding home on a rain-soaked street while switching between the N1 Pro’s regular and high-beam lights. In the first case, a simple reboot cleared it and I was able to ride away fine, but the other time required riding home under my own power before it inexplicably cleared the next morning.

The bike’s integrated display is readable in all lighting, and shows the remaining battery level, speed, power level, and even distance and direction of next turn if using the navigation built into the useful but overwrought Engwe app.
I didn’t find Engwe’s turn-by-turn navigation very useful as the guidance presented on the display wasn’t informative or urgent enough for me to make confident decisions when traversing the dense network of crossroads in Amsterdam.
It has a very loud alarm that can ward off thieves and help locate the e-bike in large parking garages.
The daytime running lights are fun and help with visibility, but also dorky if you choose the animated options.
The solar-powered rear light never worked on my review unit.
Engwe provides a chain guard on shipping units.
The hydraulic disc brakes from an unspecified vendor provide good controlled stops.
Includes a 1-year warranty on electrical components, chassis, and battery.

1/19

Some parts are standard and easy to source.

There was a time when premium e-bikes had list prices around €2,000 / $2,000. Those days are as gone as the free venture capital propping up e-bike startups, pushing premium prices up to a starting price closer to €3,000 / $3,000. The Engwe N1 Pro is therefore priced about right. It’s not a bad e-bike, but it’s also not great despite checking off lots of features on a marketing sheet.

Just remember, servicing a direct-to-consumer e-bike can be a problem as it requires the ready availability of spare parts and the knowledge to replace them. As with any electric bike exposed to the elements and regular road use, the N1 Pro’s motor and any proprietary electronics like the controller, display, battery, lights, buttons, and integrated lock will eventually need servicing. So you’d better be on very good terms with your local bike shop or be handy with a wrench and oscilloscope to prevent your mail-order e-bike from quickly turning into e-waste.

Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

Technology

Elon Musk’s SpaceX prepares for 8th Starship launch, pending FAA approval

Published

18 hours ago

February 27, 2025

Press Room

Elon Musk’s SpaceX prepares for 8th Starship launch, pending FAA approval

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing to launch the eighth flight test of Starship from Boca Chica, Texas, which could blast off as soon as this Friday as long as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gives its approval.

“Starship Flight 8 flies Friday,” Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, said in a post on X Sunday.

For the first time, the upcoming flight has a planned payload deployment and multiple experiments on re-entry geared toward returning the upper stage booster to the launch site to be caught.

The launch will also include the return and catch of the Super Heavy booster that will blast the rocket off the launchpad.

STARSHIP UPPER STAGE LOST ON SEVENTH TEST FLIGHT, DEBRIS SEEN SPEWING IN SKY

Starship Flight 7 launches from Starbase, Texas, before its upper stage was lost. (Associated Press)

During the flight test, Starship will deploy four Starlink simulators, which are about the same size as next-generation Starlink satellites, SpaceX said.

The Starlink simulators will be deployed in the same sub orbit as Starship and are expected to burn up upon re-entry.

While Starship is in space, SpaceX also plans to relight a single Raptor engine.

POWERFUL WEBB TELESCOPE SPIES SPECTACULAR STAR BIRTH CLUSTER BEYOND THE MILKY WAY

Starship Flight 7 launches from Starbase, Texas before its upper stage was lost

Starship Flight 7 launches from Starbase, Texas. (Associated Press)

If all goes as planned, the launch window will open at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The launch comes more than a month after SpaceX launched Starship Flight 7 from the Starbase test site in Boca Chica, which resulted in Starship experiencing a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” nearly 12 minutes into the flight.

The Super Heavy booster descended back to Earth, where it maneuvered to the launch and catch tower arms at Starbase, resulting in the second ever successful catch of Super Heavy.

Starship, however, was not as successful.

MERGER OF MASSIVE BLACK HOLES FROM EARLY UNIVERSE UNCOVERED BY WEBB TELESCOPE, SCIENTISTS SAY

“Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn,” SpaceX said in a statement Jan. 16. “Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.”

SpaceX has investigated what caused Starship to break apart, though the investigation remains open.

For Starship Flight 8 to blast off, the FAA must give its approval, which could come in a few ways.

In 2023, the FAA issued a five-year license to SpaceX for launches from Texas, which is revisited for every launch in case modifications need to be made for things like the trajectory of the rocket. The FAA could grant approval once mission specifics and license modifications are made, the FAA told Fox News Digital.

But also lingering is the open investigation into the Starship Flight 7 mishap. To fly again, the investigation needs to be closed, and the FAA must accept the findings. Specifically, the FAA weighs whether the incident put public safety at risk.

At the time of this writing, the investigation had not been closed, and the FAA had not given approval. Still, it is common for the approval to be issued a day or two before launch, the FAA noted.

SpaceX did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.

Technology

Longer-lasting laptops: the modular hardware you can upgrade and repair yourself

Published

2 days ago

February 26, 2025

Press Room

Longer-lasting laptops: the modular hardware you can upgrade and repair yourself

The goal, Patel says, is to continuously cycle through all of Framework’s actively supported laptops, updating each of them one at a time before looping back around and starting the process over again. Functionality-breaking problems and security fixes will take precedence, while additional features and user requests will be lower-priority.