Third-Party Siri Support in iOS 10 'Long-Overdue' and 'Useful in Everyday Life'

[Larry-K]

Keep telling yourself what you want to believe in.

You mean the truth? No problem.

You're not from the Bay area, are you?

In the meantime, since you're the "Appledefenceforce", you might want to hop a flight to Ireland, and help Apple out with their taxes.

 

[Roadstar]

This is likely the biggest announcement from iOS 10 and one that went unnoticed by most.

Not only does this give Apple a jump on offering this type of integration over Android, but it also means they can build their machine learning much faster. With all the added input they can collect from these types of tasks for Siri, Apple should be able to increase the speed of development of their machine learning.

I think you mean catching up to Android in a still limited manner instead of jumping? Android developers have been able to extend Android's voice control for quite a while already (https://developers.google.com/voice-actions/interaction/) and unlike the Siri API, it extends also to audio apps so I can actually control the podcast app I use in my car with my voice. I was hoping the Siri API would allow the same on iOS, but as multimedia apps are currently out of bounds for Siri API, it still means that I need to manually fiddle with my phone to control Overcast or Pocket Casts. Yes, I know Siri can control Apple's Podcasts app, but as I don't want to switch to an inferior app just to gain the possibility to use an unreliable voice assistant, it's not of much help.

 

[iTom17]

What I'd like to see is Siri being able to search through apps. I often find myself looking for the IMDb page of a movie, but constantly have to go to the app for that. Quick Actions does allow me to open the search bar right away, but still.. I'm actually curious why it's not possible to simply say something like 'Search IMDb for <name of movie>'. Should be very easy to implement, by simply connecting the keywords of the user to the search functionality of that app. That'd be great and it seems easier to implement than the other stuff like messaging. Heck, SiriKit does allow you to search through the photos of a Photos app, so basically it's possible.

 

[sofila]

The only way for improving Siri's services is pointing out faults, workarounds and eventually filing bug reports.
Denying the simple existence of any problem won't improve anything. Unless your expectations are really really low, something I'm starting to suspect about some posters in here

 

[kdarling]

That's not anywhere near the same thing as Siri's API though.

Would you please explain the API differences, so everyone can see what you mean?

Thanks!

Not true

https://techcrunch.com/2013/08/08/g...relevant-local-ads-related-to-users-searches/
http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/24/11761794/google-maps-promoted-pins-announced-ads-coupons

That's a way to highlight your business on the map with a special pin.

Other businesses still show up, just not as prominently.

Are you old enough to remember always using the Yellow Pages to look up a type of business?

Some businesses paid for ad space, while some could not afford them and were just in the plain listings. It's the same kind of thing.

 

[Zirel]

Would you please explain the API differences, so everyone can see what you mean?

Thanks!



That's a way to highlight your business on the map with a special pin.

Other businesses still show up, just not as prominently.

Are you old enough to remember always using the Yellow Pages to look up a type of business?

Some businesses paid for ad space, while some could not afford them and were just in the plain listings. It's the same kind of thing.

Yes, they would "show up", if you searched for them specifically...

Yes, it's the same kind of business of Yellow Pages. If you paid, you were in the yellow pages, else you were in the white pages, which for the common people meant you didn't exist at all...

And @Karma*Police is right, it has nothing to do with google voice API.

You can't pick your phone, use Google Now for "send a message to Bob via Facebook Messenger", for example.

 

[WordMasterRice]

I hope you're filing bug reports.

Yep, that is definitely not just connected directly to a garbage can in Apple HQ.

 

[fivetoedbear]

What I'm reading is that I won't be able to tell Siri to start my Spotify playlist, Pandora station or a TuneIn radio station (which Amazon's Echo can do).

Correct. I'm disappointed that, on road trips, I won't be able to ask Siri to play an audiobook with Audible, or a podcast with Downcast. I hope they get that in soon.

I mean, I generally set up music, books, podcasts and GPS before I start driving a segment, but it'd be nice to be able to change it if my mood changes.

 

[theheadguy]

Except whoTF cares what Kanye West wore to the VMA???? What an embarrassing example to demonstrate this technology.

 

[Larry-K]

Except whoTF cares what Kanye West wore to the VMA???? What an embarrassing example to demonstrate this technology.

Pretty much every demonstration of Siri is an embarrassment.

 

[Roadstar]

@Karma*Police is right, it has nothing to do with google voice API.

You can't pick your phone, use Google Now for "send a message to Bob via Facebook Messenger", for example.

If Facebook takes the API into use with their app, I don't see why it wouldn't work. For after all, it's already possible for 3rd party apps to hook into Google Now. I've used for example "Ok Google, play <podcast name> in Pocket Casts" multiple times. I didn't go through the API documentation in detail yet, but basically the scenario you described would need just one additional parameter for the message itself. I'd be surprised if the API didn't allow that.

 

[Soccertess]

So, we need to remember specific phrases to get the correct result? There is no Michael Jackson in my contact list. Siri was just confused. Plain and simple.

You realise Google gets the answer 100% of the time, right?

How do you excuse the other errors in context? I'm not being specific enough?

Edit: here's a bonus:

Spoiler: But...

great example! I wish people would be more open to calling out Apple's fault. This is the only way things will improve!

Siri, Tim, you are both fired!

 

[dk001]

Isn't that a beta?

Siri appears to be a forever beta.