Technology
Your iPhone has TEN Harry Potter spells that really work with Siri
ORDINARY muggles can cast spells from the Harry Potter universe provided they have an iPhone.
Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, responds to close to a dozen magical commands taken straight from JK Rowling’s megahit books.
You can cast Harry Potter spells using your iPhone
With just a couple of words, you can cast all sorts of jinxes from your mobile just like the “boy who lived” and his supernatural pals.
For instance, fans will remember the spell “Lumos” – which in the Harry Potter universe lights the end of a witch or wizards wand.
It allows characters to see in the dark and was used by Potter himself in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”.
You can cast the spell yourself back in the world of muggles by activating Siri on an iPhone and saying “Lumos” to turn your gadget’s flashlight on.
Lumos is not the only spell that works on iPhone.
Activating Siri and saying “Nox”, the wand-extinguishing charm, will turn the torch off.
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And you can even cast “Accio”, the spell used by Potter and chums to summon an object towards the caster.
After waking Siri, saying “Accio” followed by an app name will open the chosen application.
You can add more Harry Potter spells to your arsenal by digging around in your iPhone settings.
To do that, you’ll need to program spells into Siri using the Shortcuts app.
First, make sure Hey Siri is enabled. Go to Settings > Siri & Search, then toggle on “Listen for ‘Hey Siri.’”
Hey Siri, Lumos Maxima – Add the “Set Flashlight” action, set it to turn “On,” and max out the “Brightness” slider.Hey Siri, Silencio – Add the “Set Focus” action, set it to turn “On” the “Do Not Disturb” mode until “Turned Off.”Hey Siri, Sonorus – Add the “Set Volume” action, set it to “100%.”Hey Siri, Quietus – Add the “Set Volume” action, set it to “50%”.Hey Siri, Point Me – Add the “Open App” action and choose “Compass” as the app.Hey Siri, Sternius – Add the “File” action and select an audio file of someone sneezing. Add the “Play Sound” action.Hey Siri, Muffliato – Add the “Set Volume” action and change it to a low amount.
The first Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, was published in 1997, and Rowling is today worth £795million.
That’s in no small part thanks to the phenomenal success of the subsequent film franchise, which debuted in 2001.
The stars of the flicks were reunited earlier this month in an hour-long special, “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts”.
The reunion brought back a lot of memories for fans and the cast alike.
Viewers also got an insight into some behind-the-scenes romances as Emma Watson, who starred as Hermione Granger in the films, admitted her teenage crush on co-star Tom Felton, who played her nemesis Draco Malfoy.
The actress said she “fell in love” with Tom as a youngster, adding: “I used to come in every day and look for his number on the call sheet, it was number seven, and if his name was on the call sheet, it was an extra exciting day.
“He was three years above me and so for him he was like, you’re like my little sister.”
GettySiri is Apple’s voice-activated virtual assistant[/caption]
In other news, personalised smart guns, which can be fired only by verified users, may finally become available to U.S. consumers this year.
Scientists are embarking on a mission to unravel the mystery behind dozens of grisly child mummies buried in an underground tomb in Sicily.
Police have caught an Italian mafia henchman who’d be on the run for 20 years after spotting the fugitive on Google Maps.
And, one of the best-preserved fossils ever found has confirmed that young dinosaurs burst from their shells just like baby birds.
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