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Siri for Android ... no, not really

Siri knock-offs invade Google Android Market.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer

It would be a cold day in hell before Apple released an Android-compatible Siri voice-control app, but that hasn't stopped unscrupulous Andoid developers from making fake versions of Siri and pushing them into the Android Market.

Several have appeared in the official Google Android Market over the past few days. One, called 'Siri for Android' was developed by someone going by the name of 'Official App' was downloaded over 1,000 times before being pulled from the store.

Another app, also now gone, was 'Fake Siri for Android.' This app copied the Siri interface but did nothing other than offer up pro-Android quotes in a computerized voice.

Another Siri knock-off is called 'Speerit' which claims to be 'REAL Siri for Android' and while for now it is Korean only the developer claims to have plans to support English 'later' and tells us 'don't be sad.'

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Then there's a whole bunch of apps that are trading off the Siri name in one way or another.

My advice is for you to steer clear of such apps. They don't seem to last long in the app store as Google wields the ban hammer, but others seem to follow. I suspect that more will appear over the coming weeks and months and that hackers could use the Siri name as a way to spread malware to Android handsets.

Be careful out there!

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