Hey Siri - page 2

The long wait for AirPower might end soon

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AirPower
Arriving in 2020?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You’ve probably read this before. But this time, it seems like it’s actually really real.

AirPower’s launch could be just weeks away. And this time, there’s actually some solid evidence that it’s coming.

6 ways Samsung just leapfrogged Apple

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Samsung
Samsung's Unpacked event was actually pretty impressive.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung put Apple and the rest of the tech industry on notice today during its massive Unpacked event.

During the biggest tech event of 2019 so far, Samsung unveiled a slew of new smartphones, wearables, earbuds and more. Even though Samsung has a rep for copying Apple — and there was certainly a lot of that at Unpacked — the company is setting the tone for the rest of the industry. Samsung even leapfrogged Apple’s products in some ways.

Here are six things Apple should take note of.

Latest iOS beta confirms ‘Hey Siri’ in AirPods 2

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iOS 12.2 makes it clear you’ll be able to set up AirPods with “Hey Siri.”
iOS 12.2 makes it clear you’ll be able to set up AirPods with “Hey Siri.”
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Buried in the just-released iOS beta is a clear reference to using “Hey Siri” with Apple’s AirPods.  It’s generally assumed this addition — which will make it much easier for people on the move to give verbal commands ot their iPhone — won’t work with the current version.

And this is just one of the features expected in Apple’s next-generation wireless earbuds.

Google and Amazon plan to copy AirPods in 2019

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Earphones
AirPods rule the roost now, but serious competition is coming.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has a real winner in AirPods. But the company’s slow pace of updating them is reportedly giving competitors a chance to catch up.

A respected analyst says Google and Amazon will have their own versions out next year.

Why HomePod’s ‘Hey Siri’ will blow you away

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Siri speaker
The HomePod's ability to hear at full volume is one of the most impressive feats.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple pulled back the curtain on some of the most complicated features of its HomePod smart speaker this morning with a new blog post that details the machine learning tech that goes into its ‘Hey Siri’ detection.

One of the biggest challenges with making a smart speaker is not only figuring out what to listen for but also what sounds to discard in the process. Apple’s engineers have come up with a number of interesting methods to make Siri work even when you’re blasting tunes our of the HomePod’s speakers.

AirPods could someday replace your Apple Watch

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airpods
Ear-worn devices like these AirPods could become the most-used type of wearable.
Photo: Ste Smith/ Cult of Mac

Smart watches are currently the most popular form of wearable, but ear-worn devices are expected to replace them in the coming years. The changeover will take place as AirPods and similar products gain additional features that people now get from Apple Watch and iPhone.

In less than five years, so-called “hearables” could outsell every other type of  wearable by a wide margin.

2018 MacBook Pro review roundup: Apple unleashes a speed demon

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2018 MacBook Pro
This isn’t good.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new MacBook Pro offers buyers significantly improved performance at the same price as last year’s models, as well as a “quieter,” improved butterfly keyboard and a True Tone display. But is it worth the upgrade?

Early reviews of the 2018 update are out now. Here’s what they say about Apple’s fastest and most impressive laptop yet.

20 HomePod tips you need to know

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The HomePod is a lot smarter than you might think. Just take a look at these tips!
The HomePod is a smarter speaker than you might think.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The HomePod takes a lot of flak for being the dumbest smart speaker around, but it can do more than you might think. In today’s video, I’ll show you 20 HomePod tips you need to know.

(Just a quick heads-up: I’m going to be saying “Hey Siri” a few times in this video.)

New AirPods will bring water-resistant design, ‘Hey Siri’ support

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AirPods sales
35 million pairs of AIrPods sold in 2018.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is working on upgraded AirPods with a new wireless chip and “Hey Siri” support, according to a new report.

The refresh will arrive “as early as this year,” according to sources familiar with the matter. A future refresh, pegged for early 2019, will also bring a water-resistant design.

How ‘Hey Siri’ works with multiple devices

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hey siri homepod
Hey Siri is smarter that your thought.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Siri itself might be frustrating, but Hey Siri is great. And on the HomePod, the voice activation for your virtual assistant is even more impressive, because it hears you perfectly, even if you speak at normal volume while the music is hammering the walls, the floor, and your neighbors’ patience. Now it’s possible to have many Siri-equipped devices laying around a room, but somehow, when your say “Hey Siri,” only one device responds. Did you ever wonder how? Here’s the answer.

iOS 11.2.5 is out along with tvOS, watchOS and macOS updates

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iPhone plus model next to iPhone X
A new update is out for iPhone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple pushed out a big batch of software updates this morning for iOS, tvOS, watchOS and macOS, bringing a host of bug fixes and performance improvements to all of its major platforms.

iOS 11.2.5 is the biggest of today’s software updates. The update for iPhones and iPads adds a couple new features, including support for Apple’s HomePod smart speaker, which opens for preorders this Friday.

iMac Pro packs new T2 chip for extra security

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iMac Pro
The internals are insane.
Photo: Apple

The iMac Pro is the most secure Apple desktop ever built, and it’s got a special chip to prove it.

Early review units are starting to trickle out to tech experts and according to iOS and Mac developer Cabel Sasser, the iMac Pro packs a new T2 chip that is basically like a secure enclave for the iMac.

Apple reveals AI magic behind ‘Hey Siri’

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Siri do not disturb
Apple puts a lot of AI tech into Siri.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A tiny, low-power auxiliary processor that constantly listens for the phrase “Hey Siri” enables one of the most basic features of Apple’s AI assistant.

The processor, embedded in the iPhone’s motion coprocessor, keeps the “Hey Siri” command from running on the device’s main processor all day. That revelation comes in a research paper published today by Apple’s machine learning team. The paper dives deep into how Apple uses AI to power “Hey Siri.”

How to unlock your iPhone’s secret LEGO Batman Movie Easter egg

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Call Siri
Call Siri "'Puter" and see what happens.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Apple hid a delightful Easter egg on iPhones for The LEGO Batman Movie, the new animated film that is dominating the box office this week.

In the new film, the Dark Knight has his own helpful digital assistant that responds to voice commands. The voice for the computer is the same one as Siri on iOS, but when Bruce Wayne needs help he just says, “Hey ‘Puter” instead of “Hey Siri.”

Apple quietly updated Siri so that she responds to the command. Here are some of the hilarious replies.

‘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.

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:

Siri’s latest shortcoming: Public speaking

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NPH iPhone 6s ad
Oh, you.
Photo: Apple

A new iPhone 6s ad features actor Neil Patrick Harris, the Internet’s boyfriend, practicing an acceptance speech with digital assistant Siri.

The spot shows off the latest device’s hands-free feature, which lets you activate the helper with voice commands without the phone having to be plugged in. But mostly it’s just a fun little promo.

Check it out below.

Funnyman Bill Hader spammed in new ‘Hey Siri’ ad

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That burger looks tasty. And messy.
That burger looks tasty. And messy.
Photo: Apple

Bill Hader eats a hamburger while getting Siri to read him his email in this new fun video from Apple. The message from “Prince Oseph” offers Hader a life-changing opportunity, and having his iPhone read it really shows off the “Hey Siri” functionality in iOS 9.

Nerd cred: Obviously, Hader is using an iPhone 6s, because Hey Siri only works when not connected to power on the latest iteration of Apple’s flagship smartphone.

Check out the full ad below.

5 ways ‘Hey Siri’ will change your life for the better

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Siri
Apple's new "Hey Siri" feature promises to be a game-changer.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

iOS 9’s new always-on “Hey Siri” feature promises to be a game changer for iPhone 6s-owning users of Apple’s AI assistant. For the first time ever, these owners won’t have to plug in their handsets in order to use Siri’s new voice activation tech.

So how exactly will this untethered “Hey Siri” improve your life? Let us count the ways…