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Siri - page 22

iOS 10 won’t collect your personal data without permission

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iPhone SE
Update to iOS 10.3.3 today.
Photo: Apple

Apple is getting deeper into the AI game with iOS 10, which will require users to share some data with Apple so it can make intelligent suggestions, but the company says it will be totally optional.

Starting in iOS 10, Apple plans to use differential data as a way to track users and make Siri better at predicting what you want, while not being a major creeper at the same time. The company hasn’t been very clear about exactly what data it will be collecting, but according to a new report, we now know you will have to opt-in to the service.

4 lessons Apple Car should learn from Tesla

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Tesla
If Apple really is making a car, it should take some cues from Tesla.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

With all the recent rumors that Apple will build an electric car within the next few years, obviously Cupertino is going to be compared to the big electric car company of the moment, Tesla Motors.

Tesla sold more than 50,000 model S sedans in 2015, so I’m taking a look at four Apple Car lessons that Tim Cook and Jony Ive should learn from Tesla.

Check out the video below.

Ultimate Ears speakers’ get voice upgrade that lets you ‘say it to play it’

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With the UE Boom 2, Ultimate Ears makes a great speaker even better.
A firmware update lets you bark song requests at your Boom 2 speaker. But you'll have to push a button first.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

A firmware update to Ultimate Ears’ Bluetooth speakers lets you use simple voice commands to make song requests.

After you install the over-the-air update, just tap the Bluetooth button on the top of your paired Boom 2 or Megaboom speaker, then say something like, “Play ‘Iron Man’ by Black Sabbath.” Soon the track will play as if by magic.

Apple reveals why iMessage isn’t coming to Android

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Messages iOS 10
That doesn't mean you should stop using it.
Photo: Apple

Android fans who have been waiting for Apple to bring its popular iMessage platform to Android won’t be getting blue chat bubbles anytime soon, according to Apple executives at WWDC.

Despite pre-WWDC rumors that Apple planned to push iMessage across the Android divide, the company revealed this week that it has some pretty good reasons to keep it as an exclusive iOS feature.

tvOS 10 hands on: Taking Apple TV to the next level

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Apple TV remote
Check out the betas for tvOS and the new iOS Remote app in action.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Along with macOS, iOS and watchOS Apple recently unveiled the latest system update to their Apple TV operating system: tvOS 10.

tvOS 10 brings some great new additions along with a new iOS remote app. To see the new Apple TV and remote app updates in action, check out the video below.

5 reasons your Apple experience is about to get even more amazing

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Watch WWDC as a developer is a completely different experience.
Devs at WWDC 2016 see plenty of under-the-hood tweaks that will ultimately mean big things for users.
Photo: Apple

Most Apple fans don’t start drooling at the mention of speech-recognition APIs, Xcode thread sanitizers, Metal tessellation or Pixar USD model support. However, if you’re a developer, those can be huge game-changers that mean you can make your apps better than ever.

While Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2016 keynote revealed loads of fresh features coming in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra — including some amazing stuff that should delight iPhone, iPad and Mac owners when the final versions launch this fall — developers watching Monday’s event saw tons of seemingly minor updates that will let them make apps better than ever.

To find out what the little updates could mean for typical users, Cult of Mac asked some of this year’s Apple Design Award winners what WWDC additions they’re most excited about.

Here’s what they told us.

macOS Sierra hands on: Apple’s best desktop OS yet

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macOS Siri
Watch macOS Sierra's latest features in action.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first macOS beta was released this week, so of course I downloaded it straight away on my Mac to bring you all a quick hands on video.

Although this is still the first beta, and many functions still don’t work as intended, it gives us our first glimpse at Apple’s next-gen desktop OS in action. Check out the macOS Sierra hands on video below.

At WWDC 2016, Apple strengthens bonds between increasingly powerful platforms

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Apple lays out the future of its evolving ecosystem at WWDC 2016.
Apple lays out the future of its evolving ecosystem at WWDC 2016.
Photo: Apple

With absolutely no new hardware to show off, Apple focused on software — the glue that binds together its increasingly powerful and interconnected platforms — during the Worldwide Developers Conference kick-off event Monday.

“Our North Star has always been about improving people’s lives by creating great products that change the world,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook, addressing thousands of developers in San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. “Today for the very first time, we are going to talk to you about four Apple platforms. Each of these platforms is category-defining and world-changing.”

Apple gives first look at iOS 10 in new video

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iOS 10 launches this fall.
iOS 10 launches this fall.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s big iOS 10 update for iPhones and iPads won’t be available to the public until later this fall, but the company has already started hyping its launch with a new teaser video.

iOS 10 packs 10 big additions that change everything from the lock screen’s UI, Siri, and how you’ll interact with friends in Messages. We’re still diving into all the new features in the first developer beta. In the meantime, you can get your first glimpse of iOS 10 below:

Siri comes to Mac and opens up to developers

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Siri is coming to the Mac, and will be opened to third-party developers on iOS.
Siri is coming to the Mac, and will be opened to third-party developers on iOS.
Photo: Apple

Big changes are coming to Siri, Apple’s intelligent voice-activated assistant. For the first time, Siri will be available on the Mac and will be opened to third-party developers on iOS.

While Siri was one of the first voice-controlled AI assistants on the market, it’s fallen behind competitors like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Now, largely because it was a closed system that worked only in Apple’s apps. Opening it to developers makes it much more functional, and presents a more serious challenge to upstarts like Viv that promise to help with a wide range of services and tasks.

tvOS update makes Siri search better than ever

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Eddy Cue unveiled the future of tvOS.
Eddy Cue unveiled the future of tvOS.
Photo: Apple

The next generation of tvOS for Apple TV will be more powerful than ever thanks to some huge new updates Apple unveiled today at the company’s WWDC keynote.

Apple VP Eddy Cue showed off new features for Apple’s set-top box that make Siri more powerful than ever while also giving developers new tools to create better tvOS app experiences.

WWDC liveblog: Apple reveals the future of iOS and OS X

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Mo money, mo problems.
Mo money, mo problems.
Photo: Milo Kahney/Cult of Mac

Nerds rejoice. WWDC is finally here!

Apple’s annual developer conference is set to get underway in just a few hours. The company is expected to unveil the future of iOS, OS X, Apple Watch, Siri and much more in what is expected to be one of the most action-packed keynotes we’ve seen in years.

Cult of Mac will be liveblogging all the action of today’s events right here and we won’t stop until every last morsel of info has been dished out by Tim Cook and the rest of Apple’s team. If you’re not sure what to expect from today’s keynote, take a look at this quick refresher — “Everything to expect from Apple’s jam-packed WWDC 2016 keynote” — and then join us for our WWDC liveblog below. The keynote starts Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific.

Apple to finally step up its AI game by opening Siri up to devs

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Siri won't be restricted anymore.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

We’re all stoked for our first previews of iOS 10 and macOS from WWDC, but according to sources familiar with Apple’s plans, it’s going to be Siri that steals the show.

The virtual assistant is expected to make the leap to the Mac for the first time, and could also open up to third-party apps and services — allowing users to check in for flights, book Uber rides, and do more using only their voice.

Everything to expect from Apple’s jam-packed WWDC 2016 keynote

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WWDC's opening keynote will be at San Francisco's cavernous Bill Graham Auditorium.
WWDC's opening keynote will be at San Francisco's cavernous Bill Graham Auditorium.
Photo: Milo Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s keynote to kick off this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference is going to be huge. So huge, in fact, that Apple already revealed some stuff early because Tim Cook and his Cupertino cronies won’t have time to cover everything during the jam-packed, two-hour event.

While WWDC might seem like a bit of a snoozefest for Apple fans who don’t know anything about Xcode and Swift, the 2016 edition of the annual developer conference should bring lots of new stuff even normals can get hyped about. The WWDC keynote will give us a peek inside the ever-evolving Apple ecosystem — and thus our clearest picture of the future of all Apple products.

This year, all of Apple’s platforms are set to get major updates, as are some of the company’s most popular services, like Siri and Apple Music. Here’s what to watch for during Apple’s keynote, which will kick off WWDC 2016 next Monday morning in San Francisco.

Siri unleashes her inner khaleesi for fiery WWDC answers

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Tell me your WWDC secrets or I'll throw you in the dungeons of the Red Keep!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s big keynote for WWDC is just a few days away, but if you want some hints about what the company will unveil, just ask Siri.

Apple’s digital assistant won’t spill the beans on iOS 10 or macOS, however asking her questions like “What will happen at WWDC?” currently cause Siri to unleash some hilarious responses that are straight out of Game of Thrones.

Take a look at some of these funny answers:

‘Hey Siri’ helps mom call ambulance for her baby daughter

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Siri
Siri is saving lives!
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Whether it’s saving the life of a man trapped beneath a truck or calling 911 after a mom suffered a fainting spell, Siri has proven to be a real life-saver on a few occasions.

The latest such example comes out of Cairns, Australia, when a mother used her iPhone 6s’ “Hey Siri” feature to call an ambulance after her one-year-old daughter stopped breathing.

Apple will host its WWDC 2016 keynote on June 13

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macbook-pro-wwdc-2016
Apple's WWDC keynote is confirmed!
Photo: Apple

Apple has begun inviting members of the press to its WWDC 2016 keynote on June 13.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. PT in the Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco, and it should deliver our first sneak peeks at iOS 10 and Apple’s next major upgrades for watchOS, tvOS, and OS X.

Amazon Alexa is now at your service in your web browser

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Ask Alexa to manage your appointments for you.
You don't need an Amazon speaker to enjoy Alexa anymore.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Amazon Alexa, the powerful virtual assistant found inside the retail giant’s Echo speaker, is now available in your browser. It can answer your questions and even control your smart devices, and all you need is an Amazon account and a microphone.

Apple’s Echo rival will always be watching you

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img_4184-1.jpg
Can Apple top the amazing Amazon Echo?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Details of Apple’s upcoming Amazon Echo competitor are starting to surface, and it sounds like it could be both Apple’s most futuristic and creepiest product yet. 

The iPhone-maker is considering adding a camera to its Echo rival, according to a new report that claims the device will be able to tell who is using it just by looking at you.

Apple TV could become an Amazon Echo rival

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apple tv and siri remote
A new Apple TV could be Apple's answer to Alexa.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is planning to open Siri up to third-party developers and it appears that Apple TV could be the biggest benefactor from the expanded platform.

In order to better compete with Amazon’s Echo devices, Apple reportedly plans to update the Apple TV with more Siri features that will hopefully turn the device into the hub of everything.

Apple plans to make Amazon Echo rival by opening Siri

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Siri might gets its own product.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The next evolution of Siri could feature a new Apple product designed to directly compete with Amazon’s successful Echo device.

Apple is reportedly planning to make a rival to the Amazon Echo, but the in order to compete with the device’s incredible array of features and services, Apple plans to open up Siri to third-party apps.

Can Siri catch up with the do-it-all Google Assistant? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Siri's slipping, but can it come back?
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

At its I/O conference in California this week, Google gave us a preview of the new Google Assistant that’s coming later this year. It’s like Siri, only it’s vastly more intelligent. It does everything you want a digital assistant to do and more.

FNF-bugAnd just like a lot of Google services, Assistant will be available on iOS — not only in the official Google app, but also inside the new Allo messenger. It will be competing with Apple’s AI in its own backyard, and the Cupertino company should be worried about that.

But can Siri catch up, or have Apple’s rivals now too far ahead in artificial intelligence? Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over digital assistants.

Siri for Mac icons leak ahead of WWDC

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Siri is coming to Mac.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s digital assistant Siri is expected to finally arrive on Macs later this year with the next OS X update, and now it appears that we already know what the new icons will be.

Screenshots of the upcoming Siri for Mac features were leaked online today, revealing the multi-colored wave icon that will soon rest on your dock, along with a new menu bar icon for Siri.

This is what Siri will look like on the Mac:

The many faces of Steve Jobs, ending ‘wrist rage,’ and the weird world of iPod collectors

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Art comes in many forms.
Art comes in many forms.
Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

But is it art? There’s a whole new way of looking at these works, in the form Steve P Jobs himself–or at least his likeness.

Learn all about these odd yet interesting portraits of the late Apple co-founder, including tattoos, technology-art, and the bubble wrap portrait you see above, as you browse this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine.

Inside this deliciously digital magazine-style app, you’ll find out more about possibilities for the new Apple Watch OS, how to retrain Siri to make better sense of your verbalizations, inside the weird world of iPod collectors, and all the reviews and how-tos you need to stay up to date on tech through an Apple lens.

Here are this week’s top stories.