siri
Airbnb plans to use AI, including its GamePlanner acquisition, to create the ‘ultimate concierge’
In November, Airbnb acquired a stealth AI firm launched by Siri’s co-founder, called GamePlanner.AI. The deal valued the secretive startup at around $200 million, according to reports. Though the hosting…
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Siri needs to get a lot smarter, and quickly
Siri seems to be lagging the competition in the voice assistant department by a country mile.
Apple CEO Tim Cook says AI is a fundamental technology, confirms investments in generative AI
Apple CEO Tim Cook pushed back a bit at the notion that the company was behind in AI on yesterday’s Q4 earnings call with investors, as he highlighted technology developments…
Apple Music shuts down its Siri-only Voice Plan nearly two years later
Apple Music just shut down its cheapest option — the Voice Plan. The subscription, which launched in 2021 and cost $5 per month, featured a Siri-only experience; the only way…
Siri gains access to health data, adds on-device processing on Apple Watch Series 9
Announced at the Apple Event 2023, Apple Watch Series 9 is bringing some Siri improvement, including the ability to access health data through Siri.
One of the more unexpected additions from iOS 17: Apple is dropping the “hey” from “Hey Siri.” You no longer need that extra little introduction when communicating with Apple’s smart…
Developers are looking for creative ways to build AI-powered chatbot assistants
Since OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT last year, it has been almost impossible to go a day without a company or developer releasing an AI-powered tool. Now, with the release of new…
If not for last week’s Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapse almost every conversation in tech seems to be centered around AI and chatbots. In the last few days, Microsoft-backed OpenAI…
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Apple HomePod (2023) review
Welcome to the dark night of the smart speaker. A few years back, the category felt inevitable — and, frankly, why not? We’ve smartened our phones and watches. Why shouldn’t our homes be the next step? For decades, many looked longingly at home automation. Smart blinds that opened with your alarm clock might as well…
Apple is reportedly working to simplify its ‘Hey Siri’ trigger phrase to just ‘Siri’
Apple is reportedly planning to simplify its “Hey Siri” trigger phrase to just “Siri,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Right now, the quickest way to access Siri is to say…
PayTalk promises to handle all sorts of payments with voice, but the app has a long way to go
Neji Tawo, the founder of boutique software development company Wiscount Corporation, says he was inspired by his dad to become an engineer. When Tawo was a kid, his dad tasked…
Layoffs hit crypto and real estate tech particularly hard this week
Hey Siri, when does a “macroeconomic downturn” become a “recession”? It’s another bleak week for startups weathering dismal tech stocks and even worse cryptocurrency prices. But let’s start with some…
iPhone users complain Apple Music is installing itself to the dock, booting out their other apps
An Apple Music bug is perplexing some iPhone owners. According to various reports, the Apple Music iOS app is installing itself directly to the iPhone’s dock when downloaded, instead of…
Siri gains a new gender-neutral voice option in latest iOS update
Apple has developed a new Siri voice, now available in the beta versions of its iOS 15.4 software, that doesn’t sound obviously male or female. The decision to introduce a…
We are at the very beginnings of a long period of change in the interplay of technology and the law in terms of intellectual property, but it is equally clear…
Apple quietly pulls references to its CSAM detection tech after privacy fears
Apple has quietly removed from its website all references to its child sexual abuse scanning feature, months after announcing that the new technology would be baked into iOS 15 and…
Apple launches its Siri-only Apple Music Voice Plan with iOS 15.2
Apple is now rolling out access to its new, lower-cost Apple Music Voice plan, first introduced this fall at the company’s hardware event. The new service, designed largely for use…
European Parliament’s IMCO backs limits on tech giants’ ability to run tracking ads
In what looks like bad news for adtech giants like Facebook and Google, MEPs in the European Parliament have voted for tougher restrictions on how internet users’ data can be…
Walmart acquires design tool Botmock as its invests in shopping by voice and text
With its latest acquisition Walmart is further investing in technology that will enable shopping via voice and chat. The retail giant announced it’s acquiring “select technology assets” from a startup…
Apple’s voice-only Music subscription could boost Siri’s accent understanding
Apple had a slew of interesting announcements at its event on Monday. But one that stood out to me — and I feel didn’t get as much attention — is…
Apple introduces a $4.99 per month Apple Music Voice plan, designed mainly for HomePod or AirPods use
In 2019, Amazon introduced a more affordable way to stream Amazon Music with the launch of a free, ad-supported music service that streamed only over its Echo speakers. Today, Apple…
Hello friends, and welcome back to Week in Review. Last week, we dove into the truly bizarre machinations of the NFT market. This week, we’re talking about something that’s a…
Apple launches a new iOS app, ‘Siri Speech Study,’ to gather feedback for Siri improvements
Apple recently began a research study designed to collect speech data from study participants. Earlier this month, the company launched on the App Store a new iOS app called “Siri…
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Interview: Apple’s head of Privacy details child abuse detection and Messages safety features
Last week, Apple announced a series of new features targeted at child safety on its devices. Though not live yet, the features will arrive later this year for users. Though the goals of these features are universally accepted to be good ones — the protection of minors and the limit of the spread of Child…
New Apple technology will warn parents and children about sexually explicit photos in Messages
Apple later this year will roll out new tools that will warn children and parents if the child sends or receives sexually explicit photos through the Messages app. The feature…
Android announces six new features, emphasizing safety and accessibility
Android shared information today about six features that will roll out this summer. Some of these are just quality of life upgrades, like starring text messages to easily find them…
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Apple’s iPadOS 15 breaks the app barrier
The announcement of new iPad software at this year’s WWDC conference had an abnormally large expectation hung on it. The iPad lineup, especially the larger iPad Pro, has kept up an impressively frantic pace of hardware innovation over the past few years. In that same time frame, the software of the iPad, especially its ability…
Apple went big on security and privacy during its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) keynote this week, showcasing features from on-device Siri audio processing to a new privacy dashboard for iOS…
Spotlight gets more powerful in iOS 15, even lets you install apps
With the upcoming release of iOS 15 for Apple mobile devices, Apple’s built-in search feature known as Spotlight will become a lot more functional. In what may be one of…
Apple said to be developing Apple TV/HomePod combo and iPad-like smart speaker display
Apple is reportedly working on a couple of new options for a renewed entry into the smart home, including a mash-up of the Apple TV with a HomePod speaker, and…
