Apple 'Pressing Ahead' Into Prototype Testing for Echo-Like Smart Home Device Powered by Siri

[BlargKing]

And what about the iPod smart guy? We're MP3 players just for business?

No, but they existed as a niche for more tech-savvy users and/or had failings that made them difficult to use before Apple made them more consumer friendly. The analogy still works.

Apple in the past has done marvelous things with existing technologies. But now other companies are making their own products that are already user friendly and in my opinion Apple hasn't done anything innovative compared to the other tech companies in the past 6 years or so.

 

[Gridley Wu]

That's actually a rather nice use for them I hadn't fully considered. It would be nice to just grumble out a command and have the mornings news read to me while I bash about making my morning coffee.

Can't do that with Siri that I know of, when I try it on my iPhone I get the rather predictable "Here's what I found " response and I doubt my Watch would fare any better.

The future is going to be an interesting place. We may only be at the birth of it just now but I can see how in the future it's going to be like the films and tv science fiction of the 70's and on promised. Hope I live to see it.

We'll be barking out commands to some unseen entity to control almost every aspect of our daily lives. Hell I knew it was definitely headed in that direction when I got my first Smarter iKettle. A WiFi kettle for goodness sake, thing is, I do use it and find it very handy chatting away to visitors. Oh I'll just pop the kettle on, no keep talking I'm not going anywhere

Agreed, and it does seem that Apple is working on that. From the Bloomberg article...

Beyond the home device, Apple is researching new ways to improve Siri on iPhones and iPads, two people said. With an initiative code-named “Invisible Hand,” Apple hopes to give users the ability to fully control their devices through a Siri command system within three years, one of the people added. Currently, the voice assistant is able to respond to commands within its application, but Apple’s goal is for Siri to be able to control the entire system without having to open an app or reactivate Siri.​

That technology plus the dedicated hardware would be a big winner for me. Just what I have wanted since I was six and first saw Star Trek. ;-)

BTW, I also like your earlier comments about Apple's security and privacy. I am data mined enough everywhere else, I do not want random statements and conversations in my home data mined as well. Also, I prefer my IoT devices in my home, particularly those like locks, cameras, and alarms, to have the strongest security possible. Apple has the strongest encryption in the IoT field, matched only recently by a recent upgrade to the Z-Wave standards. (Which is why I am hopeful that a fully supported HomeKit to Z-Wave secure bridge is forthcoming.)

The future is looking good.

 

[shk718]

MY sister just got an ECHO so I was finally able to play with one over Thanksgiving. The beam forming mics are fantastic and the sound quality is very good - nice base. I really liked the news feature and giving it song names or music categories was cool. I still think it needs to be built into apple tv to get a complete home appliance. There isn't enough there for it to be a living room appliance - kitchen yes - living room no.