Apple's Siri history was plagued by infighting, mistakes and developer alienation, report says

With dissatisfaction with Siri threatening to hurt various product lines now, several former employees on the Siri team have spoken out about blunders that took place during the rolling out of the technology back in 2011, as well as infighting and turf battles afterward.

Stephen Silver 8 years ago 65

Google Assistant arrives on the iPad, but still isn't going to replace Siri soon

After a year stuck just on Android devices, and then another year on the iPhone, Siri competitor Google Assistant has come over to the iPad — AppleInsider fires it up, to see how it fares on its own, and compared to Apple's offering.

Mike Wuerthele 8 years ago 42

Apple slapped with patent suit over Siri's natural language abilities

Non-practicing entity Portal Communications on Thursday filed suit against Apple for alleged infringement of three patents related to natural language voice and audio query systems, technology similar to that of the company's Siri virtual assistant.

Mikey Campbell 8 years ago 18

How HomePod serves as a hub for Siri HomeKit automation and entertainment

HomePod is a sophisticated computer dedicated to the task of producing immersive, room-filling sound. That's not all it can do, however. Equipped with the same A8 processor as Apple TV 4, it can also serve as a HomeKit hub for choreographing home accessories, even enabling remote access to your devices. Here's an in-depth look.

Daniel Eran Dilger 8 years ago 18

Sony guns for AirPods' all-wireless market with Siri-enabled Xperia Ear Duo

At this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Sony announced the Xperia Ear Duo, a new pair of all-wireless earbuds compatible with Apple's Siri voice assistant, as well as Google Assistant.

Roger Fingas 8 years ago 23

Apple said to be upgrading AirPods with 'Hey Siri' & better water resistance

Apple is reportedly planning to treat AirPods like its flagship devices, releasing relatively frequent iterations — beginning with an update this year.

Roger Fingas 8 years ago 47

Test finds HomePod's Siri 'at the bottom of the totem pole' in smartspeaker AI

While the Apple HomePod is the "best sounding" smartspeaker and has a "measurably better" user experience in many areas, its underlying AI assistant — Siri — failed dramatically in a query test versus Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana, according to Loup Ventures.

Roger Fingas 8 years ago 113

Despite being a HomeKit accessory, HomePod does not work within custom triggers or scenes

Though HomePod integrates with Apple's HomeKit, and even shows up as a smart home accessory within the iOS Home app, it cannot be used as a part of an automated trigger or custom scene.

Neil Hughes 8 years ago 17

First look: Apple's HomePod is loud, heavy and powerful

Friday marks the launch of Apple's foray into home audio, the HomePod, a compact yet booming smart speaker that will delight your ears and possibly annoy your neighbors. AppleInsider offers a closer look at the newly released hardware.

Neil Hughes 8 years ago 134

Apple HomePod shipping estimates slip in US after first reviews go live

Apple's online store is showing constrained HomePod supply in the U.S. after early reviews of the device went live on Tuesday, with orders placed today estimated for delivery by Feb. 12 at the earliest.

AppleInsider Staff 8 years ago 50

HomePod review roundup: Apple's smart speaker sounds incredible, but Siri is lacking

As a home audio device, Apple's HomePod is a hit with critics, who have lauded the $349 accessory's superior sound quality. But the standalone speaker has not addressed the shortcomings of Siri, an area where HomePod lagged behind the capabilities of competitors Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Neil Hughes 8 years ago 151

Apple HomePod vs. Google Home Max: Which high-end smart speaker is right for you?

While the $399 Google Home Max and the $349 Apple HomePod are roughly aiming for the same market, both have taken very different approaches. AppleInsider compares the hardware, and delves into which speaker might work the best for you.

Mike Wuerthele 8 years ago 36

Amazon's Super Bowl ad reveals the same old Alexa ahead of Apple's HomePod

After a teaser suggested new voice options could be coming to Alexa, the release of Amazon's full Super Bowl spot reveals it was all just a joke, setting up a primetime ad where celebrities substitute in for Alexa — and poorly.

Neil Hughes 8 years ago 21

Ahead of Apple's HomePod launch, Amazon teases new voices for Alexa

With days to go before the launch of Apple's Siri-powered HomePod smart speaker, Amazon will unveil changes to its own personal assistant, Alexa, likely to come in the form of new voice options.

Neil Hughes 8 years ago 32

Apple's HomePod will support iTunes Match streaming via Siri

Owners of the HomePod — shipping on Feb. 9 — should be able to ask Siri to stream any files uploaded to iTunes Match, not just material hosted on Apple Music.

Roger Fingas 8 years ago 49

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