Control Siri across the room: Iris 9000 turns iPhone 4S into your own personal HAL 9000

Siri, open the pod. I mean, do I need an umbrella today?

It looks like HAL 9000, it’s named similar to the famous antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke’s science fiction Space Odyssey saga and is the first accessory for Siri, the iPhone 4S’s artificial intelligence-powered digital secretary. Introducing the Iris 9000, a voice control module from ThinkGeek that lets you control Apple’s Siri voice assistant from across the room. Just place your iPhone 4S into the Iris 9000 cradle and tap the included micro remote control once to trigger Siri. The accessory features a built-in microphone that picks up your voice from up to 50 feet away and the embedded speaker amplifies Siri’s spoken responses.

And, you can also make and receive phone calls using the Iris 9000 like a standard speakerphone. Plus, the glowing eye that flickers with Siri’s voice completes the effect. Now, if only we could replace Siri’s voice with a soft and conversational (but yet a tad menacing) HAL 9000 voice, which was played in the Space Odyssey saga by actor Douglas Rain. You can register your interest for the Iris 9000 with ThinkGeek today. The accessory will go on sale in Spring 2012 for $59.99. Check out the cool presentation video included right below and go past the fold for the specs.

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Iris 9000 by ThinkGeek

• Control your iPhone 4S and Siri from across the room
• Classic Sci-fi styling. Aluminum accents.
• Included micro remote triggers Siri with a single button press
• Built-in mic picks up your voice at a distance
• Embedded speaker amplifies Siri’s responses
• Use as a standard speakerphone to make and receive calls
• Glowing LED eye flickers along with Siri’s voice
• Powered by included 120-240V AC adapter
• ONLY COMPATIBLE WITH iPhone 4S