siri

While Apple’s recently concluded event focused on the new iPhone X generation and Apple Watch Series 4, that wasn’t the only big things the company had prepared. Outside of the spotlight, Apple announced an update to the HomePod that might make its $349 price tag finally worth it for some interested buyers. In addition to things like being able to make and take calls, the smart speaker is finally getting a whole lot smarter thanks to the addition of Siri Shortcuts.

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If you're in the mood to combine your Amazon and Microsoft-made smart assistants on any one device, today's your day. Alexa can open Cortana and Cortana can open Alexa. Because there might be a very rare instance in which you want one or the other, this particular tie-in is live. It's just live in preview mode when this article is first published, but live nonetheless.

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The Lotus by Seam is a small button with a microphone, a speaker, and a bluetooth connection. Lotus can be attached to a person's clothing, a necklace, a backpack, or whatever else the user might consider handy. The button works with the user's smartphone and an app called Seam Personal Security. This app connects the user to up to 5 contacts with which GPS, video, and audio information can be shared at a tap.

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One of the most exciting things to come in iOS 12 is admittedly the new and improved Siri. There is, of course, Siri Shortcuts which lets you not only jump directly into a specific app function or feature but also lets you use your own command phrase for it. That, however, is just the tip of the iceberg. The rest of it comes in the new but familiar Shortcuts app that is now available in beta form, at least for developers.

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Although Siri has been the first popular and widely known voice-controlled smart assistant, it has been shoved to the sidelines by the rapid expansion of the likes of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. At WWDC earlier this month, Apple showed it still had some fight left. It introduced Siri Shortcuts and, more than just catching up with third-party integration, it’s going to change the game that will hopefully make smart assistant even smarter. But probably not before it shames its rivals.

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Apple's message at WWDC 2018 that we're too attached to our iPhone seems, for a company the fortunes of which are so closely tied to its smartphone, a strange one. From iOS 12's Screen Time tattling on the apps you're most addicted to, to watchOS 5's increasing independence, you'd almost think Apple was having a change of heart after a decade of making iPhones.

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Sonos is bringing AirPlay 2 to its speakers in early July, allowing its connected devices to be linked with Apple's own HomePod in multi-room systems. Launched back in late May, AirPlay 2 saw Apple expand its streaming system from its own hardware, allowing third-party speakers to be linked in multi-room configurations and remotely controlled, en-masse, from an iOS or macOS device.

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Siri is getting much deeper integration into third-party apps, with Apple hoping to address criticisms that its virtual assistant just hasn't been as useful as it could have been. Announced at WWDC 2018 today, Shortcuts in SiriKit and the new Shortcuts app promise to make Siri far more responsive and useful, including by learning from how you use your iPhone in everyday life.

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If one HomePod sounds great, how about two of Apple's speakers set up as a stereo pair? With the arrival of AirPlay 2 this week, right on the cusp of WWDC 2018, Apple finally delivers on music promises it made back when it first announced HomePod at WWDC 2017 last year.

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Apple's annual developers' conference is barely two weeks away and the Internet is already abuzz at what's expected to make a big splash there. Considering it will cover the whole breadth of Apple's products and services, it's not surprising that there's quite a lot to talk about. One thread that does seem to be more common than other is how much smarter Siri will magically become. But what does "smarter" really mean in this context and how will we be able to judge if Siri has finally caught up with its peers? Here are a few points to consider.

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Apple products don't always become an overnight success. Some take years of constant marketing to hammer them into consumers' skulls. So while the HomePod's reported lackluster sales are disappointing for Apple fans, they might not be as fatal as some predict it to be. That said, the company seems to be trying to salvage its image by making a rather odd move. Not only is it coming out with a cheaper HomePod, according to reports it might not be launched as a HomePod at all.

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Smart assistants, especially those in smart speakers, have to always be listening. There is no other way to have them ready to answer your questions or obey your commands at a moment's notice, whether or not you have trigger phrase for it. Unfortunately, this also means that they will always be receiving and hearing any and all audio to intercept commands. The problem, according to researchers, is that these smart assistants might follow even those commands that you might not be able to hear.

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