Maybe you could demonstrate innovation, by innovating a new type of comment regarding Apple's innovation - you seem to (think you) know a lot about it.
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Apple's Siri-Based Smart Speaker Has 'Over 50% Chance' of Debuting at WWDC in June
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Maybe you could demonstrate innovation, by innovating a new type of comment regarding Apple's innovation - you seem to (think you) know a lot about it.
I guess it would if you give any guest a root account tied to your credit card. This is obviously going to have user accounts.
Might include geofencing like some others have stated. Using bluetooth and knowing you're home to turn on lights or music or etc....who knows.
I agree though. If it's another Echo, I won't buy
Same old doom and gloom, Apple have changed since the days of Steve Jobs of course they have times change and move forward but that doesn't mean they don't innovate or that they don't release great products still.
If this works in any meaningful way it will be the software that is the news story.
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What you need is a more efficient kerosene lamp.
I know what caused this to be announced. A couple weeks ago, I invested in five Echo devices, having given up on waiting for Apple to introduce such a device. This same thing happened with the Apple Watch. Years of rumors but I take the plunge and get a Pebble, sure enough, the announcement is made. All I can say, is "You're welcome."
I would say -- if you have your house reasonably covered with these devices -- the difference is you don't need to think about or know where your phone is. You just talk wherever you are and it hears you, and you hear it. I don't know about you but my phone ends up all over the house in various places. Also the size of these allows for much more sophisticated microphones (and thus filtering out noise) than a phone does. So it is about distance, but more than that.
Based on rumor, I think Apple is on the right track...
Better Audio Quality - I've always said that if the Echo speaker was good I would have kept it just for that. The "intelligent assistant" bit is a joke like the rest of them so that feature should be secondary IMO.
Better Security - Apple's HomeKit is the most secure home automation platform on the market.
Integration - No need to use separate apps like with Echo. Automatic integration with contacts, Apple Music, Home, maps, reminders, calendar, etc. as well as integration with your other devices... get directions to "Al's house" using the speaker Siri and have it show up on your iPhone.
Better Design - I think it's safe to assume that it will have a better design than Echo.
If it's $500, and the audio quality is up there, I'd say it'd be like getting premium AirPlay speakers with Siri functionality for free. Pretty compelling if you ask me.
I guess we won't know until the WWDC... I would guess if they are doing this, SIRI's going to get a major upgrade too.
Given that the current administration and congress agrees they don't need to overpay taxes on monies already earned and saved, your comment is bogus. In addition the FEDGOV plans to lower Apple's marginal tax rate from 39.6% less deductions to 15% with fewer deductions like cost of employees and new equipment.
You might very well see a new trend called "onshoring" (TM-me).
If you are an Apple shareholder (any stockholder) this tax policy will increase the P/E multiple independent of earnings.
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Please list 3 commands that you need daily that fail to work for you with Siri, and then we can talk. Be specific.
Siri works great for me most of the time. No complaints.
Apple need to fix their broken or low quality mic. I can whisper to a $30 Moto G from across the room and it works fine.
Is your phone within reach at all times while you're in the house?
I view this as just another stepping stone towards automated houses becoming the norm. Think about laying in the tub, taking a shower, working in the garage, out on the deck.... a house that listens to you no matter where you are. That's where this is going, and we're just getting started.
Not to mention that with Siri you have wait around for the "Dong" to ask your question, and then probably get the rolling eyes effect but with Alexa she answers right away with no hesitation and in a much more pleasant voice I might add.
they did define them - but they weren't the first - there were many smart phones, mp3 players and tablets before apple got into those markets. SIRI may have been the first, but, Apple didn't invent it, they bought the company that did. Apple didn't create the first all in one - during the 80's they were very popular - the TRS-80 Model II came out in '79.
I do want Apple to succeed with this. I really do. But they need to really up Siri's game to get people to convert. If they can provide an overall better experience -- and show that Siri is actually useful -- then I could see myself leaving the Echo. One nice thing would be the integration with iCloud to avoid the IFTTT style kludges required of the Echo.
These home devices (Echo, etc.) don't use just a single microphone, but have multiple, directional microphones. The microphone in the iPhone is not broken or low-quality. It's just not designed for that particular use case — cross-room listening. Then again, is your Moto G from 2013 or 2014, or newer? Maybe it has multiple directional mics specifically for this purpose, whereas the iPhone does not (yet)?
I really like that movie. Reminds me of Facebook / Apple / Google in a single company with a Steve Jobs.
1) A couple days ago, and this happens occasionally, every time I tried to ask Siri a question it ignored me and couldn't even interpret what I was saying. I had to restart my phone to make it work.
2) I can't do offline commands for tasks that are local on my phone. I should be able to open an app or play a song without having a strong network connection
3) This mess-
To really get the full benefits of these voice-activated devices one device isn't enough....
Especially if the device controls the home thermostat etc
At $500 that could get very expensive.
Intially I was thinking $199 to be competitive, but lets say $249
Amazon dot pack 3 units $130
Apple Home Siri 3 units $750 approx
SONOS Play one 3 units $600
Amazon Dot 3 units $130
Total $730
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WWDC would be an ideal time to launch this. I can see the focus being on software improvements in Siri. After that you have a gajillion people who gave you $1,500 each to be there and you can tell them the guidelines they need to know to do the work for you.
You can have wireless speakers throughout your house filling your home with a constant flow of your favourite music from your iTunes Library subscription; And have an assistant to set your lights to various colour schemes and tell you what the weather will be like.
But if you already have all that from other vendors then I'm not sure why you'd switch.
Do you live alone? If anyone else lives with you, how do they have this kind of experience when your iPhone is out of the house with you? What do they do when you are away for a week or two for vacation/travel?
It's the same argument made against, "why can't our iPhones be theTV remote?" It can. But again, that's great for singles living alone... but as soon as the "remote" leaves the home, how do the rest back at home control the
This- like
Note: I've been fairly skeptical about the merits of one of these myself... until I'm at friends homes with one of the competitor's versions. They use them a lot and competitor devices seem almost Star-Trekkian "computer..." useful and very simple to use. Several of these friends have iPhones but still favor Echo vs. "Hey Siri...". Siri will have to make some big strides to seem as good IMO.
Our iPhones (plural) ARE the Apple TV remotes. I don't understand your objection.
And I really don't understand a use case for this - we've got access to Siri on our wrists and in our pockets and (at the moment) on my lap. What I really need is for someone to write a shopping list program that uses Siri. (Don't tell me about Reminders until you can make it sortable and add categories like stores or aisles.) What I really need is for someone to create an editing tool for the iTunes database so that Siri can actually *find* anything in my library. What I really need is for Siri to play a desired Audible audiobook.
What I don't need is another so-called "hub" from Apple. I bought the Hub when it was in an iMac. I bought it when it was an Airport. I bought it when it was the Apple TV. So far, the promise of a Hub has never been realized.
I want to keep Amazon and Google as far as possible from intruding into my living room. An Apple alternative to an Echo is extremely appealing, particularly if the learning is local, rather than feeding some data-hungry business model where information about me brings value to them.
I think Apple knows this. They have to do it BETTER or they won't be able to compete.