Retail News CRM

Tag: siri

  • Apple Preps for Stable iOS 26.3 Update as iOS 26.4 Beta 2 Launches: No Siri Overhaul, but Exciting New Features Await

    Apple Preps for Stable iOS 26.3 Update as iOS 26.4 Beta 2 Launches: No Siri Overhaul, but Exciting New Features Await

    Upcoming iOS Updates to Include Minor Improvements

    Apple users who are currently using stable iOS 26.3 might have noticed that a minor update, iOS 26.3.1, is currently under testing. This update is projected to roll out within the next fortnight. Primarily, it’s expected to be a minor adjustment aimed at rectifying a bug or patching a potential software vulnerability.

    The release of iOS 26.3.1 might coincide with the launch of the lower-priced iPhone 17e model, which is expected to hit the market during the first week of March. In anticipation of the release of some Siri 2.0 features in iOS 26.4, as previously stated by Apple, some iPhone users installed iOS 26.4 Beta 1 in hopes of getting an early preview of an enhanced Siri. However, this move was unfruitful as Apple launched iOS 26.4 Beta 1 without any Siri AI improvements.

    Regrettably, I was one of the iPhone users who installed iOS 26.4 Beta 1 only to find that the advancements to Siri 2.0 had been delayed. The expectation now is that some of the new features for Siri will be introduced with iOS 26.5, which is due in May. The significant upgrade to Siri that will transform the digital assistant into a chatbot akin to ChatGPT and Gemini, however, is expected to land later in the year with the release of iOS 27 in September.

    The Playlist Playground

    The next stable update, iOS 26.4, is projected to arrive in late March or early April. Despite the likely absence of major changes to Siri, this update will introduce some exciting features like the Playlist Playground, a feature that debuted with iOS 26.4 Beta 1. This feature will allow users to generate a 25-song playlist based on a text prompt. The chip containing Apple’s recommended playlist requests can be tapped by users. If the generated playlist doesn’t meet your liking, there are options to refine it further by adding instructions, such as excluding a particular genre or enhancing a certain sound.

    End-To-End Encryption for Cross-Platform Messaging

    Apple has also begun testing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS. Initially, when iOS 26.4 Beta 1 was released, E2EE RCS testing was restricted to messages sent between two iPhones with iMessage disabled. However, with the release of iOS 26.4 Beta 2, Apple has started allowing cross-platform RCS messaging between iOS and Android devices, protected with E2EE. Users of the latest Beta 2 release are now seeing a “lock icon” while texting a compatible Android phone. However, E2EE cross-platform RCS messaging is not expected to arrive on a stable iOS build until the release of iOS 26.5 or iOS 26.6.

    Questions & Answers

    When is the release of iOS 26.3.1 expected?
    The release is expected to happen sometime within the next two weeks.

    What are the new Siri 2.0 features expected in iOS 26.4?
    Despite initial expectations, it appears that major changes to Siri have been delayed and are now expected to be introduced in iOS 26.5.

    What is the Playlist Playground feature in iOS 26.4?
    This feature allows users to generate a 25-song playlist based on a text prompt, with options for further refinement based on user instructions.

  • Apple Taps Google’s Gemini AI for Long-Awaited Siri Upgrade: A Game-Changing Partnership Unveiled

    Apple Taps Google’s Gemini AI for Long-Awaited Siri Upgrade: A Game-Changing Partnership Unveiled

    Several years ago, Apple assured its customer base of an improved, more intelligent Siri. While some loyalists might have lost hope, the company has now confirmed its speculated collaboration with Google, a move that could potentially transform Siri into a highly competent personal assistant.

    Google’s Gemini AI Powers Siri’s Significant Upgrade

    Apple has declared that Google’s Gemini AI model will be the driving force behind the long-awaited, more personalized iteration of Siri. The company stated that Google’s technology forms the most suitable basis for their model.

    Following a thorough evaluation, Apple determined that Google’s technology offers the most capable foundation for Apple’s foundation models. Apple expressed excitement about the innovative new experiences that this partnership could unlock for its users.

    Though Apple has not divulged further details about the agreement or given a precise timeline for the Siri update, reports suggest that its pact with Google forms part of a multi-year deal.

    A Much-Anticipated Update

    Nearly a year ago, Apple postponed the AI-enhanced version of Siri, initially promised at WWDC 2024. The company admitted that the development of a more personalized Siri was taking longer than anticipated.

    In June of the previous year, speculations suggested Apple was exploring partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic. A few months after, rumors of a prospective partnership with Google started to make rounds. Later, it was reported that Apple planned to use a custom variant of Gemini to develop the new Siri and pay Google $1 billion annually for it.

    Apple is predicted to launch the new Siri with iOS 26.4 in a matter of weeks. The AI-powered assistant is rumored to comprehend the context of what is displayed on the iPhone’s screen, sift through personal data, and manage complex tasks based on this information. The update is likely to be released in March, potentially eclipsing any AI enhancement Samsung might introduce with One UI 8.5 and the Galaxy S26 series.

    The Right Decision for Apple

    Last year, Google made waves with the release of Gemini 3, now the leading AI model. Despite the unpredictability of LLM development, this was a significant triumph for the company. It also suggests that Apple might have picked the right partner. While it’s too early to get overly excited about the final version of the AI-powered Siri, it wouldn’t be surprising if it performs exceptionally well.

    Questions & Answers

    What does the partnership with Google mean for Apple’s Siri?
    The partnership means that Siri will be powered by Google’s Gemini AI model, making it more intelligent and personalized.

    When is the AI-powered Siri expected to be launched?
    The upgraded Siri is expected to be introduced with iOS 26.4, rumored to be released sometime in March.

    What enhancements can users expect from the new Siri?
    The new Siri is expected to understand the context of what’s displayed on the iPhone’s screen, navigate through personal data, and perform complex tasks based on that information.

  • Siri Gets a Major AI Boost: Leaked Features from Future iOS 26.4 to 28 Promise Exciting Updates

    Siri Gets a Major AI Boost: Leaked Features from Future iOS 26.4 to 28 Promise Exciting Updates

    Apple’s release of iOS 26.2 last week brought several helpful updates, as discussed in a previous article. Now, anticipation is building for iOS 26.4, which promises significant artificial intelligence (AI) enhancements to Siri. Recently, an extensive leak has provided insights into what to expect from iOS 26.4 through iOS 28, thanks to a version of iOS 26 currently in use by Apple’s engineers.

    Insights from the Internal Build of iOS 26

    The said internal build of iOS 26 contains “feature flags,” which engineers can use to enable or disable specific features while they are under development. Unique to this iOS build are notes detailing the features and the corresponding iOS versions they will debut with.

    For instance, the internal build highlights multiple feature flags related to new additions to the Health app. These allude to a user-friendly interface for categories and a simpler method for manual data entry, such as body measurements, symptoms, and medication intake. This has led to speculation about a possible Health+ subscription service from Apple, providing answers based on user-provided data in the Health app. The revamped interface could be a part of Apple’s preparation for this potential paid service.

    Anticipated Changes to Siri and Other Features

    According to the leaked data, Apple is also testing a feature that recognizes when a new credit or debit card is added to a third-party app, offering to save it to the iCloud Keychain. This feature works similarly to the Autofill function in Safari and could be launched with iOS 26.4. The leak also suggests a more premium Sports subscription package for Apple TV+ users, probably available with the iOS 26.4 update.

    The much-awaited upgrades for Siri are also slated for the spring release of iOS 26.4. In addition to facilitating more natural conversations, Siri will be integrated with Google’s Gemini Large Language Model (LLM). This will enable Siri to comprehend the context of the user’s display and assist with task execution. The updated Siri will also be capable of browsing a user’s emails, messages, calendars, and photos to locate specific information and perform tasks with certain apps using voice commands.

    Additional Security and Other Updates

    iOS 26.4 will also introduce a new layer of security to ensure that an iPhone logging into Apple ID and iCloud hasn’t undergone any unauthorized modifications, like jailbreaking.

    The feature flags also hint at possible new collections for the Photos app in iOS 27. This version will bring improved pairing for AirPods with an iPhone. In iOS 28, sleep tracking will feature new metrics, such as “Time in bed.”

    Questions & Answers

    What are the main features expected in iOS 26.4?
    The iOS 26.4 update is expected to bring significant improvements to Siri, including more natural conversations and integration with Google’s Gemini Large Language Model (LLM). Other features include a new credit or debit card saving feature and possibly a premium Sports subscription package for Apple TV+ users.

    What changes are expected for the Health app?
    The Health app is likely to see a new user-friendly interface for categories and a simpler method for manual data entry. There is also speculation surrounding the introduction of a Health+ subscription service that provides answers based on user-provided data.

    What additional security will be introduced with iOS 26.4?
    An additional security feature is set to ensure that an iPhone logging into Apple ID and iCloud hasn’t undergone any unauthorized changes, such as jailbreaking.

  • Siri: The Underdog of AI Yet Surprisingly Handy – A Personal Journey

    Siri: The Underdog of AI Yet Surprisingly Handy – A Personal Journey

    I vividly recall the unveiling of the iPhone 4S. Being a high school senior at the time, it felt as if the future had arrived in the persona of Siri – a smart, virtual personal assistant that Apple had persuasively marketed as the dawn of a new era.

    While Siri was a groundbreaking introduction at the time, the first mainstream voice virtual assistant on a significant smartphone, it fell short of perfection. More than a decade has passed since then, with the development of more sophisticated and natural-sounding AI assistants that readily outperform Siri.

    Despite its limitations and the derision it often attracts, I’ve found myself unexpectedly impressed by Siri’s capabilities on several occasions. Here are a few instances where Siri demonstrated its value, despite being considered an underdog in the realm of voice assistants.

    Indispensable Music Companion

    One of my primary uses for Siri, apart from querying about the weather, is to identify currently playing tracks. This comes in handy when I’m driving, dining out, or streaming music from my own phone.

    While on the topic of music, I often command Siri to add songs to my favorites. This feature proves particularly convenient when I’m on a run and shuffling through my “Discover” playlist, as manually doing so can be cumbersome.

    Adjusting Specific Percentages

    Another surprising capability of Siri is its ability to adjust brightness and sound volume to a specific percentage. I’ve found this feature useful in scenarios where I’m unable to manually adjust these settings.

    Handy Utilities

    Despite being considered basic features, Siri’s ability to convert units and currencies, perform simple mathematical calculations, and set reminders has been surprisingly beneficial. I’ve also frequently used Siri as a dictionary and a tool to convert written content into a sort of podcast.

    One of the most useful features is Siri’s ability to remember where I’ve parked my car, especially in unfamiliar locations. Additionally, Siri’s capability to log details like weight and medication in the Apple Health app greatly simplifies the process.

    Future of Siri

    Apple is reported to be preparing one of Siri’s most significant upgrades ever, with a fully re-architected version in the works. This includes testing a chatbot system, Veritas, as the foundation for the revamped assistant.

    The new Siri will reportedly integrate more deeply with Apple Intelligence and include AI-driven “agents”, hinting at the evolution of Siri into a more personalized coach. There are also plans to allow third-party assistants to use the iPhone’s side button in certain regions, suggesting a shift towards a more flexible approach to voice assistants on the iPhone.

    If these upgrades materialize as expected, Siri could transition from being the underdog to a genuinely intelligent assistant in the coming year.

    Questions & Answers

    What are some surprising capabilities of Siri?
    Siri can identify currently playing tracks, add songs to a user’s favorites list, adjust brightness and sound volume to a specific percentage, convert units and currencies, perform mathematical calculations, set reminders, remember where a user has parked their car, and log details in the Apple Health app.

    What are the plans for Siri’s future?
    Apple is reportedly preparing a significant overhaul of Siri, including a fully re-architected version that incorporates a chatbot system, deeper integration with Apple Intelligence, and the introduction of AI-driven “agents”.

    Can Siri integrate with third-party assistants?
    Apple is testing a framework that allows third-party assistants to use the iPhone’s side button in certain regions, suggesting a move towards a more flexible approach to voice assistants on the iPhone.

  • Gemini Revolutionizes Android Auto: Introducing a Smarter, More Conversational AI Assistant for Productive Hands-Free Driving

    Gemini Revolutionizes Android Auto: Introducing a Smarter, More Conversational AI Assistant for Productive Hands-Free Driving

    Gemini, a new conversational AI, is set to enhance the Android Auto experience by improving voice command capabilities. This latest update offers an elevated hands-free driving experience by integrating with emails, real-time reviews, and more.

    Gemini’s Arrival to Android Auto

    Android Auto users have traditionally utilized built-in voice commands for elementary tasks like navigation and phone calls. The previous Google Assistant, while functional, was somewhat inflexible, often requiring precise phrasing.

    The introduction of Gemini, a more interactive and intuitive AI assistant, aims to change this. This new conversational AI has begun its global rollout to Android Auto users who have updated their devices. The implication of this is a less taxing and more natural interaction with the system while maintaining safe, hands-free control of the vehicle.

    Google confirmed that, while continuing to handle basic hands-free tasks, Gemini will extend its functionality as a comprehensive conversational AI. This means the need for memorizing specific phrases is eliminated, allowing users to interact with the system using natural language.

    The rollout is currently underway and all users need to access Gemini is the app on their Android device. Users can initiate interaction with the AI by simply saying “Hey Google,” or by using the on-screen or steering wheel controls.

    The Leap Towards a Better User Experience

    This significant update is set to revolutionize Android Auto’s user experience, which until now, has been somewhat clunky due to the requirement for very precise wording. This update is set to tackle this issue head-on, resulting in less distraction and a more authentically helpful virtual assistant.

    Comparatively, Apple’s CarPlay uses Siri, which is capable of handling rudimentary commands and integrating with Apple Music and Maps. However, Siri has not been known to provide the in-depth, cross-app conversational intelligence that Gemini offers.

    Gemini is poised to redefine the in-car AI experience, offering superior conversational utility and outpacing its competition. Its introduction is a significant victory for the multitude of vehicles already equipped with Android Auto, and for regular drivers and commuters who stand to benefit immensely from this product.

    The Future of Driving Assistance

    This update represents a momentous advancement towards driving assistance’s future. Although the former Google Assistant was adequate, its limited ability to process complex queries or follow up on previous commands often left users frustrated.

    The transition to a truly conversational AI in a hands-free environment is a game-changer. The “Live” feature allows users to brainstorm or rehearse, turning monotonous commutes into productive journeys. It can summarize emails or find addresses in Gmail, offering practical, frictionless utility. Android users eagerly await the arrival of this update on their devices.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the Gemini update in Android Auto?
    Gemini is a new conversational AI update in Android Auto that enhances the built-in voice command capability. It allows for more natural language interaction, making hands-free tasks less taxing and more efficient.

    How does the Gemini update compare to Siri on Apple’s CarPlay?
    While Siri on Apple’s CarPlay can handle basic commands and integration with Apple Music and Maps, it does not offer the same level of in-depth, cross-app conversational intelligence that Gemini provides on Android Auto.

    What are the benefits of the Gemini update for Android Auto users?
    The Gemini update offers Android Auto users a more genuinely helpful virtual assistant. It reduces distraction, supports safe driving, and turns potentially unproductive commute time into useful “done time” by completing tasks such as summarizing emails or finding addresses within Gmail.

  • Apple’s Siri Upgrade Faces Delays And Doubts: Can It Compete In The Ai Race?

    Apple’s Siri Upgrade Faces Delays And Doubts: Can It Compete In The Ai Race?

    Anticipation and Concerns over the New Siri

    The unveiling of Apple Intelligence at the Worldwide Developers Conference in 2024 has left iPhone users anticipating an enhanced Siri digital assistant. Despite a number of delays, the upgraded Siri is set to launch early next year, unless unforeseen issues arise. However, there are doubts about whether the upgraded Siri will meet expectations.

    According to industry expert Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, there are already internal concerns at Apple regarding the performance of the new Siri. This comes as an unwelcome surprise, especially as competitors like the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 10, bolstered by Google’s Gemini, are making significant strides in AI.

    Chinese competitors, such as Xiaomi, are also outperforming Apple. They leverage heavily modified versions of contemporary AI models and are faring considerably better than the iPhone 17.

    Potential Impact of Further Delays

    Apple has already experienced significant delays in releasing the new Siri. The company’s current AI features lack the sophistication of their rivals, and this could potentially affect iPhone sales negatively. The iPhone 17 might face challenges in the impending months if these delays persist.

    Strategies to address these challenges have been numerous. Considerations have been made towards acquiring a third-party company like Perplexity AI, or even seeking assistance from Google. Presently, many Apple Intelligence features depend on OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, efforts to replace it with Siri have not been successful.

    It is now crucial for Apple to make a decision. They can either allocate more resources to perfecting Siri, or allow another entity to take over the project. Apple’s delay in committing to AI advancements is now beginning to have consequences.

    The Urgency of Siri’s Release

    Regardless of the challenges, it is crucial for the new Siri to be released as scheduled next year. Apple cannot afford the luxury of time to achieve parity with Google’s Gemini, and it must rectify the perception that it lacks a clear strategy for Siri.

    Siri has been a subject of criticism for years before Apple decided to make improvements. The least the company can do now is to release the enhanced version that already exists, and then continue to refine and enhance it.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the current situation with the new Siri from Apple?
    There are internal concerns within Apple about the performance of the new Siri. The company has already faced numerous delays in its release, and it’s crucial for the new Siri to be launched next year to maintain competitiveness.

    How does Siri compare to its competitors?
    Competitors like the Galaxy S25, Pixel 10, and even Chinese brand Xiaomi are reportedly outperforming Siri. These competitors leverage advanced AI technologies, such as Google’s Gemini, and heavily modified versions of modern AI models, giving them an edge over Siri.

    What strategies is Apple considering to improve Siri?
    Apple is considering a number of strategies to enhance Siri, including potentially acquiring a third-party company such as Perplexity AI or seeking assistance from Google. Currently, many of Apple’s Intelligence features rely on OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and their attempts to replace it with Siri have not been successful.

  • Conversational “LLM Siri” might not arrive until iOS 20

    Conversational “LLM Siri” might not arrive until iOS 20

    Many iPhone users, including myself, have eagerly waited for the new “personal Siri” that can go through emails, texts, and other apps to find the answers to personal questions you might ask Siri to respond to. For example, you might ask Siri to tell you the date and time when your mother’s plane will arrive at the airport so you can pick her up. The new “personal Siri” will look through apps for correspondence containing the answer and pass it along to you.

    In his weekly Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that this feature will be released in May, 11 months after Apple previewed it during last year’s WWDC Developers Conference. Gurman says that the current version of Siri has two brains. One deals with legacy requests like making calls, and setting alarms and timers. The other brain handles advanced questions and tasks and is the one that will go through user data to respond with personal information.

    Gurman says that in order to rush Apple Intelligence out in time to be included in iOS 18, Apple did not put the two “brains” together which he blames for the feature not working as smoothly as it should. The Bloomberg scribe says that a new “Siri architecture” will be displayed at this year’s WWDC convention in June before getting rolled out in June 2026 as part of iOS 19.4. At that time, both of Siri’s brains should be merged into one bigger brain and this will result in a smoother-running Siri.

    But one new Siri capability, Large Language Model Siri (known around Cupertino as “LLM Siri” for short) will not be available until iOS 20 in 2027! This is the version of Siri that is more conversational and gives Siri many of the features that we like to see in AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini to name a couple. And this leaves Apple way behind in AI. Even Amazon, with the unveiling of its Alexa+ last week, has moved far ahead of Apple in this field.

    Remember the awe you felt when Apple introduced Siri with the iPhone 4s in 2011? Remember how cool you thought this technology was when you saw Siri in use for the first time? Apple clearly had an opportunity that it let slip away.

    Part of the problem is that Apple has had some key employees poached and some supplies, like AI accelerators made by Nvidia, are getting hard to find. Heck, even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the other day that his company had run out of GPUs. Gurman says that Apple’s more than capable chip team is working on “solutions” which means that Apple is developing its own AI accelerator chip.

    For now, you can follow my game plan as long as you don’t mind installing beta versions of iOS. I plan to continue installing each new beta release hoping that some of them will include new Siri features. I do this so I can show you any new changes when they occur. You can do this to be first on your block and thus impress your friends and family by having “personal Siri” and eventually “LLM Siri” on your iPhone. One warning: you might have to deal with the unstable nature of beta releases until stable iOS 20 is released in September 2027 so back up your iPhone first.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Siri on your iPhone could be getting help from one of its biggest competitors soon

    Siri on your iPhone could be getting help from one of its biggest competitors soon

    As previously reported, it looks like Apple might soon let you choose between different AI models to power Siri. Currently, Apple Intelligence allows users to route Siri requests through ChatGPT for richer responses. However, a recent discovery in Apple’s software code suggests the expansion of these integrations to include other AI models, like Google’s Gemini — and that this might happen soon.

    A code sleuth found references to both “Google” and “OpenAI” within the Apple Intelligence framework in a backend update accompanying the iOS 18.4 beta. This suggests Apple is preparing to offer users a choice of AI models, similar to how you might choose a search engine in your browser. While this doesn’t guarantee Gemini integration in the final version of iOS 18.4, it strongly indicates that Apple is actively working on it. It’s possible this feature could arrive in a later iOS 18 update, or perhaps be a key feature of iOS 19.

    The backstory here is that Apple has been working on improving Siri’s capabilities for years. While Siri has made progress, it has often lagged behind other virtual assistants in terms of understanding complex requests and providing contextually relevant answers. By integrating with third-party AI models like ChatGPT, Apple has already shown a willingness to look beyond its own technology to enhance Siri’s performance.
    The potential addition of Gemini and other models further underscores this approach. It signifies a shift towards a more open and collaborative approach to AI development, where different companies can contribute their expertise to create a better user experience.

    This could be a major step forward for personal assistants. Having the ability to choose between different AI models could personalize the experience and allow users to leverage the unique strengths of each. For me, this is exciting because it’s proof that Apple is making some headway with the more helpful and intelligent Siri that has been promised. I often find myself frustrated with Siri’s limitations, so the prospect of it becoming more capable and adaptable is definitely appealing. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and what other AI integrations Apple might introduce in the future.

  • Report reveals that Siri will never be the same once iOS 18 is released

    Report reveals that Siri will never be the same once iOS 18 is released

    Siri, as we know her, is never going to be the same once iOS 18 starts rolling out in September. And this Monday Apple will preview the changes it is making to its Virtual Digital Assistant and we are there for it. Hey, it’s not like Siri doesn’t work but she’s like the friend you knew in school who had the intelligence to be anything she wanted to be but never lived up to her potential.

    AppleInsider was able to discover everything that Siri will be able to do starting in iOS 18. According to the report, the native apps that will get the new Siri features include:

    • Books
    • Calendar
    • Camera
    • Contacts
    • Files
    • Freeform
    • Generative Playground (internal)
    • Keynote
    • Mail
    • Magnifier
    • News
    • Notes
    • Photos
    • Reminders
    • Safari
    • Stocks
    • System Settings
    • Voice Memos

    Inside these apps, Siri will be able to help you toggle switches and you’ll be able to make changes to an app using your voice instead of using your fingers. For example, in the Camera app Siri will be able to toggle on video recording, open up a specific photography mode including photo, portrait, video, slow motion, set a timer, and flip from the back camera array to the front-facing camera.

    Inside the Mail app, Siri will not only be able to place your email into categories like Commerce, News, Promotions, Social, Transactions, and Other, but she will also compose an email, un-send an email, reply to all recipients of an email, create smart replies to emails, summarize emails and more. The Smart Replies will be written by Apple’s on-device Large Language Model (LLM) although more complex responses will be handled by cloud-based servers.

    The Notes app is also benefiting greatly from Siri’s AI infusion and it will store audio recordings, transcriptions of said recordings, and even better yet, a summarization of the recording. Apple is also adding Math Notes which will allow the user to add complex math equations and graphs to a note.

    With the Photos app, you’ll be able to ask Siri to show you photos of certain individuals, pets, places, landmarks, and more. You can also request that Siri rotate a photo, rename an album, make copies, move photos to albums, hide photos with certain people, places, and things from a specific time, add filters to photos, and more.

    With Safari, the new AI-powered Siri will deliver summaries of the content on the screen, create and open tabs, and possibly feature “Web Eraser” which will remove text, images, and even ad banners on a website. Remembering which content you selected to erase on other sites, Safari would remove them from other webpages as well. Complaints from media organizations might force Apple to remove this feature before iOS 18 is released.

    It would be great if Apple used the new AI-laden Siri to pick stocks that are 100% certain to move higher, but alas, Siri will be limited to helping you create your watchlist and she will show you the latest business news. Other interesting non-AI upgrades include one that will allow users to add a note in Apple Maps to specific locations. For example, you could write a note to remind yourself not to order a specific entree at a certain restaurant because you got food poisoning the last time you ordered it. The notes would only appear for the person who wrote them.

    Another upgrade not related to AI has to do with a new calculator app for iOS that will, for the first time, work on the iPad. Called Project GreyParrot, it will include a sidebar showing the history of the current calculations and an improved method to convert unit measurements.

    The festivities start Monday, June 10th, starting at 10 am PDT/1 pm EDT. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting for Apple to make some changes to Siri for years. Monday should be a very exciting day.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Siri might end up King in the realm of digital assistants after iOS 18 AI makeover

    Siri might end up King in the realm of digital assistants after iOS 18 AI makeover

    On June 10th at WWDC 2024, iPhone users might finally hear about improvements to one lagging feature that has frustrated them for years. Ever since Apple introduced its digital assistant Siri in 2011 with the iPhone 4s, iPhone users have had lofty ideas about how Siri was going to help them. When it comes to asking for a timer or alarm to be set, no assistant-even Google Assistant-is faster than Siri. But when you have a question that you need an answer to, Siri really drops the ball.

    For example, ask Siri the release date for the first iPhone and instead of seeing one specific date, you see excerpts from three websites and only the last one has the correct date of  June 29, 2007. Of course, you can read each of the three articles, but this is not quick or easy. Ask Google Assistant and you will instantly receive the correct date.

    Just so you understand, ask Siri a question about Apple’s most important product ever and you have to spend time reading through three websites to get your question answered. Use the iOS version of the Google Assistant app and you see very clearly the date that the first iPhone was released along with a photo showing it on display after being unveiled by Steve Jobs on January 9th of that year.

    Forget for a moment that Siri doesn’t seem to be too knowledgeable about Apple’s history, or at least as knowledgeable as Google Assistant. Getting an answer from Siri often means digging through websites for the correct answer while Google Assistant will show an easy to find response. That is why I always suggest that outside of setting clocks, and alarms, opening apps, and making vocal requests about your iPhone, iOS users should download and use the iOS Google Assistant app which can be installed from the App Store.

    According to Windows Central, Apple is working on a Large Language Model called Reference Resolution As Language Modeling (ReALM) which would allow Siri to understand the context of a conversation and even understand the content that is on screen. Researchers recently published a paper noting Apple’s plans to use AI to improve Siri.

    The smallest AI model that Apple might ship with iOS 18 met performance benchmarks achieved by OpenAI’s GPT-4. Apple’s larger AI model outperformed it by a large margin.

    None of the AI improvements might help us get quicker and to-the-point answers from Siri, but that doesn’t mean we can’t hope it does.

  • Upgraded version of Siri with AI capabilities rumored to debut at WWDC 2024

    Upgraded version of Siri with AI capabilities rumored to debut at WWDC 2024

    Looking to play catch up with Google, Apple is expected to unveil some new AI-based features in iOS 18. “X” tipster @Tech_Reve recently posted a tweet in which he said that Apple will use an LLM (Large Language Model) to make Siri “the ultimate virtual assistant and is preparing to develop it into Apple’s most powerful killer AI app.” LLM, used on chatbots like ChatGPT, is a language model with a huge amount of data, allowing it to understand a broad range of conversations and respond correctly to them.

    We said yesterday that based on the weekly Power On newsletter written by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple plans on adding new features and designs to iOS 18hoping that the software can help sell the iPhone 16 series which will feature very small hardware changes compared to this year’s models. This dovetails perfectly with @Tech_Reve’s tweet in which he says that the new Siri, using Apple’s own in-house LLM, will debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next June and will be available on the iPhone 16 series and future models.

    This might be how Apple plans on selling uninspired hardware using iOS 18. The new version of Siri should be able to understand natural language and patterns of speech better. Whether the virtual assistant will ecome more of a challenger to the Google Assistant in terms of giving correct answers is unknown.

    Siri has disappointed many Apple device users since the virtual assistant was first introduced with the iPhone 4s in 2011. If I may digress, I find that using the iOS Google Assistant app will give you more direct answers to your queries instead of making you read a paragraph from Wikipedia. You can also set alarms and timers using the ios Google Assistant app.

    Gurman says that other areas where Apple could introduce AI functionality include the Pages app by helping users write letters, the Keynote app by helping users construct their presentation decks, and Apple Music by creating AI-generated playlists. To make this happen, Apple will need to beef up the AI capabilities of the A18 Pro chipset. When you think about it, this could explain why Apple is rumored to be packing all four 2024 iPhone models with the latest A18 Pro application processor (AP) next year.

    One big question is whether Apple plans on offering new AI features to older models that will be compatible with iOS 18. Apple is in a tough situation here since it wants to include as much on-device processing as possible. And adding new AI features only for the iPhone 16 line and up might improve hardware sales. But it also could leave many angry iPhone users who can’t easily upgrade next year or even the year after.

    Apple might have to allow some of the new features to be processed off-device. However, it might wait for a few months after the 2024 iPhones are released to give iPhone 15 Pro and other older Pro units some of the same AI functionality that we could see with the iPhone 16 series. This is what Google does with its Pixel phones. The Magic Eraser is a good example.

    The Magic Eraser debuted on the Pixel 6 line and helps erase unwanted and distracting items (including people and pets) from processed photos using AI. Earlier this year, Google added the feature to older Pixel models, other Android devices, and even iOS phones that are subscribed to Google One cloud storage.

    For those wondering how Apple would use a game-changing upgrade in iOS 18 to help sell the iPhone 16 line with its uninspiring changes, improving Siri and adding new AI capabilities tot he new phones is the answer.

    Lees ook:

  • Siri can now remotely lock your Tesla’s doors and much more

    Siri can now remotely lock your Tesla’s doors and much more

    Over the weekend, the Tesla app in the App Store was updated to version 4.24.0 and the changelist included one sentence: “Access your vehicle controls and climate from the Apple Shortcuts app.” But within that small sentence is a big change. Previously, Tesla owners could remotely handle certain tasks through the Tesla app. But with the update, the Tesla app now integrates with the Apple Shortcuts app allowing Tesla owners to say “Hey Siri” on their iPhone or Apple Watch to lock and unlock the door of their Tesla vehicles remotely, and more.
    The list of supported shortcuts, will allow you to say “Hey Siri” to get your Tesla to start and stop charging; start and stop preconditioning; open and close the trunk, the front trunk, and the charge port; enable and disable Sentry Mode and Dog Mode; and as we previously noted, it will remotely lock and unlock the doors. It also will allow Tesla users to control some basic functions via their iPhones.
    Two paid apps in the App Store, Tessie, and Watch app for Tesla, allow you to use Siri Shortcuts on your iPhone or Apple Watch to control your Tesla. But now that this ability is found in the native Tesla app for free, Tesla owners can ask Siri to remotely perform some tasks for their car without having to pay for that convenience. It should be pointed out that the Shortcuts app allows iPhone users to use both ready-made and custom shortcuts to handle tasks by asking Siri to perform them.

    Apple continues to slowly but surely take Tesla under its wing. In December, Apple Music became available on Tesla as part of an update released for the holiday season. Just last month, AirPlay code was discovered in an update to the iOS Tesla app. In theory, this would suggest that in the future, an iPhone user with a Tesla might be able to “cast” his iPhone screen to the Tesla entertainment screen.

    AirPlay allows users to wirelessly stream audio, video, photos, and other content from their iPhones to a larger screen. Instead of using Bluetooth to stream their music over the speakers on their Tesla vehicles, users could rely on AirPlay instead.
  • Apple reportedly working on a way to shorten Siri trigger phrase

    Apple reportedly working on a way to shorten Siri trigger phrase

    Siri has become a signature feature of the Apple ecosystem. While the virtual assistant has become a part of almost every product the Cupertino company manufactures, its allure has somewhat lagged behind in recent years.

    At least a part of that seems to be attributed to the less-than-ideal phrase that users need to utter in order to access Siri – ‘Hey, Siri’. A notorious pet peeve of numerous Apple users is the plethora of phrases that can trigger Siri by mistake.

    Apple seems to have identified this problem and is reportedly working on a solution. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the final authority on all things Apple, the tech giant is developing a simplified way to access Siri. This information was first brought forward in Gurman’s Power On newsletter.

    The main goal is to find a way to drop the ‘Hey’ in the trigger phrase, so as to enable users to directly initiate a command, following the word ‘Siri”. For example, instead of the whole “Hey Siri, play some music”, users could simply say “Siri, play some music”. This is similar to how Amazon’s Alexa currently works.

    As mundane a change as this might seem like, according to Gurman, it is a ‘technical challenge that requires a significant amount of AI training and underlying engineering work’. The change is supposed to roll out sometime in the next couple of years – Gurman gives a rather rough estimate for a launch date in either 2023 or 2024.

    The biggest complexity is making sure that the single word ‘Siri’ can be picked up regardless of the speaker’s accent and/or dialect. By making the trigger phrase shorter, the likelihood of the phrase not being properly detected increases significantly – hence, the programming difficulties.

    Siri has come a long way since it made its debut and Apple is continuously working on ways of improving its virtual assistant. This seems like the logical next step in that direction.

  • Bug allowed some iPhone users to have Siri interactions shared with Apple despite opting out

    Bug allowed some iPhone users to have Siri interactions shared with Apple despite opting out

    Back in the summer of 2019, both Amazon, Google, and Apple were hit with charges claiming that their Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri digital assistants were recording personal conversations and having them transcribed by third-party firms. All three companies admitted that these recordings were being made to improve the performance of the digital assistants. In Siri’s case, some of the recordings collected by Apple included couples having sex, or speaking frankly with their Doctors about private medical problems.

    At the time, both Amazon and Google allowed users to opt-out while Apple didn’t. But these days, customers of all three firms can opt-out of having their convos used to help train Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri.

    However, the release of iOS 15 beta 2 fixes a bug that ZDNet says might have been used to record some iPhone users’ interactions with Siri. Once you update your iPhone to iOS 15.4 (it’s still currently in beta), you will be asked if you want to help improve Siri and dictation by allowing Apple to review recordings of your interactions with the digital assistant. Opting out would prevent your voice interactions with Siri and the iPhone’s voice-dictation feature from being recorded and sent to Apple.

    But as it turns out, a bug found in iOS 15 enabled the feature even for those who opted out. So while you might have thought that your flirting with Siri was between you and the digital assistant, Apple was still able to listen to some users’ private or even X-rated conversations.

    In iOS 15.2, after Apple discovered the bug, it disabled the setting that allowed Apple to make these recordings and also got rid of the bug that automatically allowed the recordings to be made even when the user opted out. Commenting on the situation, Apple said, “With iOS 15.2, we turned off the Improve Siri & Dictation setting for many Siri users while we fixed a bug introduced with iOS 15.”

    Apple added, “This bug inadvertently enabled the setting for a small portion of devices. Since identifying the bug, we stopped reviewing and are deleting audio received from all affected devices.”

    When stories about Apple keeping recordings of customers’ interactions with Siri first made the rounds over two years ago, Apple said less than 1% of Siri activations were passed along to third-party contractors whose job it was to determine whether the assistant was activated by the user, or was accidentally summoned. Siri was also graded on whether it responded appropriately to the user’s query.

    The initial reports cited information from a whistleblower who worked for one of the contractors hired by Apple. The source said that Siri would sometimes mistakenly activate because the assistant would think that the “Hey Siri” wake word was said when in reality it was not. In a bizarre admission, the whistleblower said that the sound of a zipper would sometimes activate Siri.

    The anonymous whistleblower pointed out that most false Siri activations came from the Apple Watch and the HomePod smart speaker. He also left a quote that gives us a good idea about some of the content that the contractors were listening to while trying to grade Siri.

    “The regularity of accidental triggers on the watch is incredibly high. The watch can record some snippets that will be 30 seconds – not that long but you can gather a good idea of what’s going on…you can definitely hear a doctor and patient, talking about the medical history of the patient,” said the whistleblower.

    “Or you’d hear someone, maybe with car engine background noise – you can’t say definitely, but it’s a drug deal … you can definitely hear it happening. And you’d hear, like, people engaging in sexual acts that are accidentally recorded on the pod or the watch.”

    Hopefully, with the bug squashed in iOS 15.2, when iOS 15.4 comes along and you’re asked whether to opt in or opt out of the program to improve Siri (using your personal conversations), your toggle switch remains on disabled if that is indeed the option you choose.

  • Latest iOS update gives Siri back some accessibility features for the iPhone

    Latest iOS update gives Siri back some accessibility features for the iPhone

    When Apple released iOS and iPadOS 15 three months ago, iPhone and iPad users with vision problems were upset. The update took away several commands that allowed Siri to help those with poor vision play their voicemail, recite their call history list, send an email, and more. This was a slap in the face to iPhone and iPad users who have vision problems and who relied on help from Siri to use their devices.

    Well, the good news is that the other day, with the release of iOS 15.2, Apple returned the following commands to Siri’s vocabulary:

    • Hey Siri, do I have any voicemails?
    • Hey Siri, play my voicemail messages.
    • Hey Siri, check my call history.
    • Hey Siri, who called me?
    • Hey Siri, send an email.
    • Hey Siri, send an email to (name of person).

    Before the release of iOS 15.2, asking Siri any of those questions resulted in this response from Apple’s digital assistant: “Sorry, I can’t help with that.” Talk about adding insult to injury. But now, when you ask Siri to perform one of the above tasks, she will gladly do so.

    Several bug fixes were part of iOS 15.2 including one that prevented Siri from working when using the VoiceOver feature with your iPhone locked. VoiceOver is another feature found in Settings > Accessibility and it allows a person to use his iPhone even if he can’t see the screen through the use of hand gestures. The update also exterminated a bug that made ProRAW images appear over-exposed in third-party editing apps.

    Other bugs that were killed off in iOS 15.2 include one that prevented video streaming apps from loading content on iPhone 13 series models, one that posted calendar events on a wrong day for Microsoft Exchange users, one that didn’t update Now Playing information for certain apps while using CarPlay, and one that again in CarPlay, wouldn’t allow HomeKit scenes that include a garage door to run when your iPhone is locked.

    To update your iPhone to iOS 15.2 and iPad to iPadOS 15.2, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

    Lees ook: