Iris drops Airpush and learns new tricks, but Jeannie still looks better

When Apple pushed their voice control app as a new invention the Android ecosystem spawned a dozen or more apps to chat with, read your mail, send your texts, and tell you where to find the nearest topless bar.

The best of the lot is Jeannie (built on Voice Actions from Google), which is more accurate than any other talking phone slave assistant, including Siri. But Iris sounds better. The name, that is, because the voice itself is limited by the text-to-speak engine that you have installed on your phone.

Like Siri, Iris can engage in mindless chitchat when you've got nothing better to do. She can fetch info from the web too. And her latest makeover makes her open apps for you, read your mail, write your texts, set your alarm clock, and write calendar entries. Nope, she won't fetch you a beer yet.

I would have totally trashed Iris if she would still be infected by Airpush, because every app developer who uses the most annoying mobile advertising system ever invented deserves to be shot at dawn. Fortunately the makers of Iris have seen the light and scrubbed all traces of Airpush from their daughter.

Too bad that Iris makes me push a button everytime I say something to her, or else she won't listen. Having to touch the screen over and over again is a bad idea for apps that are supposed to keep your hands on the wheel. Don't ask her why she's like that, because she'll reply with utter nonsense.

• Iris

Her friend (or enemy, with girls the distinction is very subtle):

• Jeannie