Subject: [Missouri_Assistive_Technology] Voice Activated "Assistant" on New iPhones?
>From Tim Simonite in yesterday's MIT Technology Review: Let's Talk, iPhone Could Apple be about to give iPhone users an AI personal assistant? And if so, will people like it? Apple has popularized some revolutions in how we use personal computers in its time: the graphical interface, the mouse, and the touch screen, for example. Next Tuesday could see the company add to that list of milestones in man-machine interaction by letting users control a computer by having a conversation with it. Apple's new boss, Tim Cook, will take the stage at the company's California headquarters to announce the latest updates to the company's products. Apple's invite to the event says only "Let's Talk iPhone," but the Internet rumor mill has decided that Cook will announce two things: a fifth model of the iPhone; and a voice-activated "Assistant" for iPhone and iPad devices, based on an impressive app called Siri that was bought by Apple last year (see <http://9to5mac.com/2011/09/26/the-new-iphone/> here for one of the more plausible predictions). We may well get neither of these, but of the two, the second is the most interesting. I may regret saying this, but there are few significant hardware upgrades that Apple could add to the iPhone 5. Some things will get incrementally better; more resolution (camera), faster (processor), or bigger (screen), but there's not a lot left to throw in that makes sense. On the other hand, making it simple to set up calendar invites or find a nearby movie just by conversing with your iPhone or iPad would break new ground. It's also the kind of achievable revolution that Apple is known for. Read the complete article here <http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/38739/> . C. Marty Exline, Director Missouri Assistive Technology 1501 NW Jefferson Blue Springs, MO 64015 816-655-6707 (direct voice) [email protected] www.at.mo.gov <http://www.at.mo.gov/>
_______________________________________________ ATI (Adaptive Technology Inc.) A special interest affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind http://moblind.org/membership/affiliates/adaptive_technology
