AppleInsider | Apple acquires Siri, developer of personal assistant app for iPhone: "'There's a new way to get things done - just ask Siri,' the company's official website reads. 'No more endless clicking on links and pages to get things done on the Internet. Delegate the work to Siri and relax while Siri takes care of it for you.'
In a video demonstration, a user uses Siri to find local Italian food. The search is done with voice, and multiple sources of information are scoured to return results that include reviews, maps, and the ability to share with others via e-mail.
The free application (iTunes link) was also used to obtain a reservation for a restaurant using OpenTable, and to buy tickets for the film 'Avatar' in 3D in IMAX. Users on the App Store have given the application an average rating of 3 out of 5 stars.
The software also supports open-ended questions, with one inquiry demonstrated: 'What's happening this weekend around here?' The program returned results with events, including concerts and theater.
Voice queries are provided in 'natural' English, as one would use in a conversation. The user said 'How about San Francisco?' to have the location of the previous search automatically changed.
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