iPhone For Dummies
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The iPhone 4S has built-in GPS technology that communicates with satellites to pinpoint your location on earth. When paired with the Maps application on the phone, you can use it to ask Siri how to get to where you need to go and find the people you need to see.

Using Siri to find an address

Unlike most GPS units, where you need to type in the state, city, and address of the place you want to go to, your iPhone 4S offers a voice-activated personal assistant to simplify this common task.

  1. Press and hold the Home button.

    Siri will be ready for your instructions after the short chime.

  2. Tell Siri where you want to go by starting with "Take me to" or "Give me directions to," followed by the street address, city, and state.

    You could, for example, say, "Take me to 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California."

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    As you can see, Siri opens up the Maps application, powered by Google, and drops colored pushpins at your location and the final destination.

  3. Tap Start in the upper-right corner to begin the turn-by-turn directions.

In case you're not too familiar with Maps on the iPhone 4S (powered by Google), you can tap to select directions by car, public transit, or on foot, for more accurate directions based on your mode of travel. How are on-foot directions different from in-vehicle directions, you ask? You can walk any direction you like on a one-way street, cross through parks, and so on.

Because the Maps app on the iPhone 4S doesn't have voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, refrain from glancing down at the phone while behind the wheel. Hopefully, future versions of Siri will support audio-based directions so you can use it while driving.

Telling Siri to direct you to someone in your Contacts list

Did you know that you can also ask Siri to take you to a friend or colleague's residence or workplace? You can say, "Take me to Mary Smith's house" or "Show me the way to mom's work." As long as you have the address of the person you’re looking for in your Contacts app on the iPhone 4S, Siri can help out:

  1. Press and hold the Home button.

  2. After you hear the chime, simply tell Siri to take you to someone in your Contacts list.

    For example, say, "Take me to Tore Dietrich's office."

    Siri will find the contact in your address book, find the specific address you requested, and open your Maps app to show you the address.

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  3. When you're ready to go, tap the right-pointing arrow and start your journey.

  4. Follow the directions to get to your destination.

One feature that many iPhone 4S users might not be aware of is the ability to see an address you want to travel to. Sticking with the Apple Inc. headquarters as an example, you can ask Siri to show you what the campus looks like and you'll see it on your screen within seconds. For example, say, "Siri, show me 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California." Siri does what you ask. (Hey, she’s your loyal personal assistant, after all.)

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