Have you ever thought to yourself, “I could really use a personal assistant” ? Apple’s aiming to fill that gap for you with Siri, the voice recognition and navigation feature in the new iPhone. I hear you, Android users. You’re saying, “Well, my phone already does that.” And that’s true — Android phones have the capability to transcribe text messages, give directions, play music, make calls, send e-mails, navigate the Web and more. But what sets Siri apart is the way it recognizes natural speech and the way it syncs with your calendar and clock. Read full article > >

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iPhone 4S: Siri, your personal assistant

Facebook is forming a political action committee, strengthening ties of the social networking giant with Washington politicians as the company also faces growing questions about how it handles users’ privacy. Facebook’s PAC “will give our employees a way to make their voice heard in the political process by supporting candidates who share our goals of promoting the value of innovation to our economy while giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected,” spokesman Andrew Noyes said in a e-mailed statement. Read full article > >

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Facebook forms PAC for political donations

R-O-C-K-S-T-A-R, is what I thought when I first saw Sheikh Hamza Yusuf speak at a Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) conference in Chicago. I was in awe, not just of his words, but by size of the crowd. This was not your average local halaqah (gathering) – this was a crowd of thousands who had traveled from all over the United States to attend the conference and to see Yusuf. They were there to catch a glimpse of the face behind the voice from lectures played on car stereos on their way to school or work. They were there because his calm demeanor and smooth rhetoric inspired them to be better Muslims and better Americans. After the lecture they were there to stand in line to ask him to autograph their copy of his book and maybe, if they were lucky to get a photo with him. We were in the presence of an all-American rockstar imam.

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The Rise of the American ‘Rockstar’ Imams

An average of 12.5 million people caught Wednesday night’s unveiling of Simon Cowell’s “The X Factor.” That’s only about 700,000 more viewers than watched the unveiling of NBC’s singing competition, “The Voice,” back in April. True, “The Voice” — which featured mentor-judges Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Gnarls Barkley’s Cee Lo Green and Maroon 5 ’s Adam Levine — did not launch during the ultra-competitive Premiere Week. Read full article > >

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TV column: ‘X Factor’ debut can’t steal spotlight from ‘Modern Family’

Over the weekend, the Washington Post’s ombudsman — essentially the voice of readers within the walls of the organization — questioned whether Texas Rep. Ron Paul was getting coverage commensurate with his standing in the 2012 presidential race . His conclusion? “I think The Post could have done much better on Ron Paul.” Paul campaign manager Jesse Benton agrees. “Dr. Paul has emerged as a top-tier candidate in this race and deserves coverage befitting that status,” he wrote in an email to The Fix. Read full article > >

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Is Ron Paul being ignored?

Duran Duran cancel the remaining dates on their UK tour after singer Simon Le Bon is told to rest his voice while his laryngeal problems are treated.

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Duran Duran cancel remaining tour

He may be gone, but his voice still commands attention. In a newly released audio tape, Osama bin Laden is heard rejoicing in the string of uprisings in the Arab world, which have toppled autocratic rulers from Tunisia to Egypt. According to al Qaeda,…

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New bin Laden Tape Surfaces

At the Metropolitan Opera this month, the bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, a singer acclaimed particularly for his comic flair, is singing the role of Wotan, a ne plus ultra for his voice type. On Friday night, James Morris, a world-renowned Wotan, made his Washington National Opera debut in his first-ever outing in the comic title role of Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale.” You might say it’s an unusual switch, effectively casting both men against type. Having seen both performances now, I heartily wish they would switch back. Read full article > >

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Washington National Opera closes season with a lackluster ‘Don Pasquale’

One half of the Muslim contingent in Congress paused, his voice high and breaking. He tugged at his glasses. He held up a finger and gathered himself.

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Rep. Peter King’s Muslim hearing: Plenty of drama, less substance

Three performances of King Lear starring Sir Derek Jacobi at a Llandudno theatre have had to be cancelled because the actor has lost his voice.

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Jacobi’s lost voice cancels play

I’ve been getting a lot of mail about the honey badger video I posted a few days ago (if you haven’t seen it, watch now ). Some of my interlocutors are asking whether I posted the video because the honey badger is a metaphor for some aspect or another of life in the Middle East. The answer is no; I posted the video because the honey badger is a bad-ass little crazy dude. Also because the voice-over is so hysterical. Some of you wrote to ask whether it is possible that the honey badger could actually  survive a bite from a King Cobra. After extensive research conducted by Christopher Orr, the Atlantic’s senior editor in charge of our small rabid animal coverage, I can report with surety that the honey badger can indeed survive a bite from a King Cobra. Humans can’t, even elephants can’t. Which is yet another reason why the honey badger is a bad-ass. Here is National Geographic on the honey badger’s immunity to snake venom (including puff adder venom): Snakes make high-yield meals, and honey badgers track them relentlessly. Wherever snakes try to hide–up trees, in dense brush, or underground–badgers follow and attack. A 13-minute treetop battle with a venomous Cape cobra earned this female badger a pound and a half of meat for herself and her cub. In summer, when snakes are most active, they provide more than half the total food badgers consume. Even lethal puff adders are on the menu.   One night we saw a young male collapse. He’d been struck in the face by a puff adder just before he bit its head off. We expected that he would die. But after two hours he woke up, groggily finished his meal, and later trotted off into the sunrise. We witnessed other encounters in which honey badgers appeared resistant to even the most potent venoms, though we don’t yet understand the physiology that protects them.  

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About That Honey Badger Who Does Not Give a Shit…

She’s the voice of the subways, but she prefers to take a cab.

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City Room: Announcing the Subway Announcement Lady

An English teacher who suffered permanent damage after being forced to raise her voice to be heard in class is awarded a £156,000 payout.

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Payout for voice damage teacher

Kinect, by Microsoft, takes its commands from your voice and even your movements.

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Video Game Review: A Home System Leaves Hand Controls in the Dust

Republicans rode a tide of voter discontent to take control of the House of Representatives and expand their voice in the Senate in elections Tuesday.

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G.O.P. Captures House, but Not Senate