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Tag - Siri
Living with: iOS 9
We're weeks away from the public beta of iOS 10, and months from the proper one that will roll out to iPhones and iPads in the fall. Yet the instant the new version was mentioned, suddenly iOS 9 seemed old; even old-fashioned. Before it passes into history for approximately 90 percent of us within a week of iOS 10's release, let me give a tip of the hat to 2015/16's iPhone and iPad operating system.
One More Thing 043: WWDC: The Oooh and Ow Show
You already know what was announced at this year's WWDC. True, if you didn't watch the keynote or read our analysis then there's likely to be a lot you didn't catch but overall, you know. So this week's One More Thing laboriously details everything all over again. Oh, yes. We'll read out every one of Apple's slides. That'll be good.
WWDC: New macOS Sierra brings Siri, Apple Pay
Announced today at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, the Macintosh operating system will no longer be called OS X. Instead, it will be renamed macOS and the next version is specifically macOS Sierra. Highlights of the new system include the long-awaited addition of Siri to the Mac plus Apple Pay on the web, a Universal Clipboard for copying and pasting across all your devices, plus some potentially controversial changes to how your documents are stored.
Report claims Apple may upgrade Siri with VocalIQ technology soon
Siri could be getting a major upgrade to the way it handles queries, if a report's suggestion is accurate. It is believed an acquisition made by Apple last year to acquire VocalIQ before the company could release its smartphone app will be making a considerable change to Apple's digital assistant, with a report claiming the VocalIQ team was largely kept intact after the purchase, and was left to work on integrating their software into Siri itself.
Rumor Roundup: everything new is old again
We're another week along with the latest twist and turns of the rumor mill, but we seem to have come full circle this time: "new" and "leaked" schematics for the "iPhone 7" and the "7 Plus" larger model are back to the original ideas: that apart from the camera and slightly-rearranged antenna bands, the next iPhones will look almost exactly like the ones they replaced. Worse, we're now hearing reports that the alleged home Siri device will actually be ... another new Apple TV model, just as Apple said it would be a year ago.
Apple to roll out Siri SDK at WWDC, working on Amazon Echo challenger
Apple is planning to roll out a long-requested Siri SDK for developers at WWDC 16, reports The Information. The software package will finally allow developers to take advantage of Siri's natural speech recognition technology within their apps for the first time. Additionally, Apple is said to be looking to take Siri into the house, by building a speaker system that would compete with devices like Amazon's Echo. With Siri for Mac expected to debut at WWDC16, Siri looks to becoming increasingly pivotal in Apple's plans moving forward.
Hands On: Awa 1.2 (OS X)
It's not fair to expect greatness from a $1 app. However, all this one manages to do is make you wish even more that Apple would bring Siri to the the Mac -- and maybe wonder if there are reasons why it hasn't. For Awa 1.2 aims to be the kind of voice control that Siri is for iOS, and as yet is not for OS X. It aims to be this, and it feels like the start of something that may grow and improve, but right now it just doesn't work.
One More Thing episode 038: Viv la Difference
For once, though, one of them actually convinces the other about something. We know: impossible. There's no such thing as proper conversation, certainly not on podcasts or the telly, there is just one person talking and the other waiting for them to shut up. In this case, though, minds and opinions are changed. See if you get turned around about Spotify's television plans too.
New Apple ad features 'Hey Siri,' Neil Patrick Harris
Apple has produced another ad in its growing series of TV spots featuring the Siri vocal assistant feature found in iOS products. The latest is titled "Thank You Speech," and features How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris in a 30-second ad that shows off the "Hey Siri" feature -- in this case having Harris ask for a specific note, containing his thank-you award speech, to be read aloud. He then follows along with the recitation, holding a suit brush as a stand-in for the award he presumes he will get.
One More Thing Episode 035: In the Pink
Can we just mention that we were right last week? We said, we actually said that if you go down to an Apple Store and wait for an hour, you might get a new MacBook. Okay, we didn't phrase it quite so specifically and actually we may possibly have meant iMacs rather than MacBooks but the principle holds: we called it. Which means this week, we have to keep that prediction record up.
Now AAPL Stock: 112.88 ( + 0.17 )
Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit
Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj
Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket
The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]
Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera
Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94
Apple employees testing wheelchair features
New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa
SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards
SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If
Apple's third-quarter results due July 26
Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm
Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users
Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE
