How to Use Siri in macOS Sierra
With macOS Sierra, Apple has finally brought its well-known personal assistant, Siri, to the Mac. Siri for Mac differs from iOS’ version of Siri in several ways, taking advantage of the larger real estate of a Mac’s display and the Finder file system. Users can also easily transfer or pin Siri’s search results to the Notification Center or documents they’re working on. To help you get started with Siri for Mac, we’ve put together a guide outlining what it’s capable of.
Activating Siri
There are three ways to activate Siri in Sierra. Two of the methods are visually obvious while the third is not.
- The Dock icon sitting in between the Finder and Launchpad logos.
- The Menu Bar toggle in between the Spotlight search and Notification Center icons.
- The keyboard command. Hold the Command and Space buttons for approximately two seconds.
Siri can be enabled two ways. While you’re installing macOS Sierra, there’ll be a prompt asking you whether you’d like to enable Siri. Additionally, Siri can be enabled and disabled in the Siri section of System Preferences. There are several other options for Siri in System Preferences, including language, voice, voice feedback, mic input and customized keyboard shortcuts.
What Siri for Mac Can Do
Siri for Mac can do most of the same things Siri for iOS can do. It can give you sports scores or tell you about the weather. Schedule an event on your calendar, remind you what you need to get done today or find movie times. Here’s a full list of the things that carry over to the Mac.
- Launching and searching for apps.
- FaceTime and Messages
- Sports scores, team schedules, league standings, and player and team information.
- Photo search.
- Maps and navigation.
- Twitter and Facebook posting, plus Twitter search.
- Movie information, showtimes, movie theater locations, movie reviews and award trivia.
- Apple Music, radio and music identification.
- iTunes, iBooks and Podcasts.
- Reminders, calendar stocks, weather, contacts, clock, Find My Friends, email and notes.
- Web search and Q&A, like unit measurements, facts and figures, and simple math.
- Settings / System Preferences
Siri has two new abilities that are built specifically to take advantage of the Mac:
- Finder
- About this Mac
Siri’s Mac-Specific Abilities
Unlike Siri for iOS, Siri for Mac’s dialogue box only takes up a portion of the screen. This allowed Apple to build Siri to be better utilized for multitasking. For example, Siri can be used to send a message to a friend while you’re writing an email or working on a document. It can also find restaurant reservations for you while you’re in the middle of a conversation with a friend.
Because Siri is built for multitasking on a Mac, some of its results are more interactive, allowing you to combine them with other apps. These are some of the things you can do with Siri’s results in macOS Sierra.
- Pin photo results or sports team schedules to the Notification Center by clicking the + icon.
- Drag files from Siri’s Finder search to the desktop.
- Drag and drop search results from photo searches into emails, messages, documents and the desktop.
- Drag and drop map locations into emails, messages and documents.
Siri’s Settings category is referred to as System Preferences to better match macOS’ verbiage, but Siri can also do some things on a Mac that it can’t do on an iPhone. These are new settings abilities Siri has gained:
- Putting your computer to sleep.
- Changing your desktop wallpaper.
- Changing your display settings.
Finally, there are some specific hardware requests that Siri can fulfill. In addition to asking Siri to turn up your volume or turn off your Bluetooth, Siri can tell you about your Mac.
- How fast your Mac is.
- How much memory your Mac has.
- What your Mac’s serial number is.
- How much free space your Mac’s hard drive has.
- How much iCloud storage you have.
- What version of macOS you’re running.
All of Siri’s Mac abilities can be used at any time. Siri will pause any audio or video you might have been playing when you activated it. This includes audio and video in your web browser, like SoundCloud tracks or YouTube videos.
Siri’s dialogue box will also stay on your screen no matter where you are, whether on the desktop or in a full-screen app. It’ll also stay in place as you navigate to different spaces. Siri can be deactivated by clicking the small “x” in the top right corner of its dialogue box.
Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
Tag: Siri
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Apple in Talks to Acquire Luxury Carmaker and Formula One Team McLaren
Apple has approached British luxury carmaker McLaren Automotive about a potential acquisition, likely to be valued at between $1.3 billion and $1.9 billion, according to Financial Times.
The California technology group, which has been working on a self-driving electric vehicle for more than two years, is considering a full takeover of McLaren or a strategic investment, according to three people briefed on the negotiations who said talks started several months ago.
A tie-up with McLaren, whose expertise ranges from automotive engineering and on-board computer systems to novel chassis materials such as carbon fibre and aluminium, could accelerate Apple’s secretive automotive project. Apple and McLaren declined to comment.
McLaren, headquartered in Woking, Surrey, manufactures high-performance sports cars, including the P1 and F1. The carmaker also has a British Formula One team competing as McLaren Honda.
Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tags: ft.com, McLaren
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Canary expands its wings with Flex outdoor security camera
Canary first launched its current indoor security camera in 2014, promising full HD video recording and to warn you of any activity inside your home, recording it at the same time.
But the first Canary cam can only be used indoors, but now there’s a new model, that can be used both in and outdoors. The Canary Flex is billed as the first connected indoor/outdoor security camera. It’s fully weatherproof, making it ideal for capturing crooks coming up to your front door and, like the original model, the Flex will only alert you of strange happenings that it deems to be worthy of your attention.
- Canary: What is it, what does it do and how does it work?
It shouldn’t let you know every time a squirrel runs past for example. You needn’t worry about power for the Flex either, as Canary claims the built-in rechargeable battery is good for a few months use before it needs replenishing.
But to make sure you never run out of juice, Canary offers a similarly weatherproof magnetic wall plug.
If you already use a Canary security camera, you’ll be well aware of the companion app, but for those who don’t, the app acts as the main hub for all recorded content and notifications.
You can view recorded clips on your phone and even tap into the camera to view a live feed, call the police or set off the built-in alarm, which goes pretty darn loud.
Adam Sager, Canary CEO said: “Of all the firsts to be proud of, it is that we continue to lead the industry not just in what we build or how we protect our customers’ data, but in knowing that we are bringing people into a new relationship with their homes and meaningfully improving their lives”.
- Canary All-In-One Home Security System review
- Canary vs traditional security systems: What’s the difference?
Along with the launch of the Flex, Canary is unveiling a new subscription plan called Membership. Membership will let you access the previous 30 days of recorded footage and provide unlimited storage and unlimited video downloads.
Membership will cost €9.99/month for one device or €14.99 for 2-3 devices. Canary is also increasing the free video access limit from 12 hours of footage to 24 hours. The Canary Flex weatherproof security camera will be available in Europe from early 2017.
Pokémon chief says Nintendo’s NX is both handheld and console
The head of The Pokémon Company has let slip that his outfit is working on a pocketable monster title for Nintendo’s NX. Given that TPC is part-owned by the Japanese gaming giant, he’s probably seen the new handheld/console/tablet hybrid up close and personal. The Wall Street Journal quotes Tsunekazu Ishihara as saying that “the NX is trying to change the concept of what it means to be a home console device or a hand-held device.”
Like the fable of the blind men holding an elephant, there’s been a lot of conflicting reports about what the NX will be. At this point, it looks like the device will be some sort of handheld device that has a TV component, or the other way around. Given that Nintendo has already developed a tablet-based console which, you know, didn’t do so well, it’s enough to be concerned about history repeating.
Our own Sean Buckley has gone deep into what Nintendo’s NX could look like, and how it would work up close and personal. His feeling is that the device will operate like Razer’s old Edge tablet, with hardware controls (and a TV link) at home, detaching to offer a lesser experience while out and about.
Ishihara, the naughty tease, declined to mention anything about the Nintendo NX, or when Pokémon NX would land. He did mention, however, that the obscure, niche mobile title Pokémon Go, has sent sales of related titles and merchandise through the roof. In addition, plans are underway to bring Go to China and South Korea, where mapping still needs to be enhanced.
Source: WSJ
Fujifilm and Michael Kors made a fashionable instant camera
Fashion designer Michael Kors wants to make a mark on the tech world. Less than a month after the debut of his brand’s Access Android Wear watches, a new product is being born from partnership with a popular camera maker. Meet the Michael Kors x Fujifilm Instax Mini 70, an instant film shooter that’s geared toward fashionistas everywhere. Or, really, anyone who feels nostalgic and wants a camera that reminds them of the good ol’ days. The MK edition of Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 70 features gold tones, a 60mm lens, flash and viewfinder — nothing shocking there.
Now, we do wish the device came with a rechargeable battery, as opposed to the pair of Cr2 lithium batteries that are required. Sure, you can buy a rechargeable set, but not from a known brand. Back to the design, you’ll also find Michael Kors’ replica signature on the back of the Instax Mini 70, as well as some additional branding on the front of it. It’s definitely more appealing than other Fujifilm instant models, such as the retro-looking Mini 90.
For all of that, though, you’re going to want to use the camera only on special occasions. While there is a film pack (10 shots) included in the box, extras go for around $15 in packs of two. That can add up when you consider that the camera alone is $149. There’s also no digital connectivity here, meaning you can’t share your pictures to a smartphone over Bluetooth or WiFi. You can, however, be extra meta and take a snap of your instant film shots and then post them on Instagram. Because why not.
The Michael Kors x Fujifilm Instax Mini 70 will be available for a limited time, from October 20th through the end of this holiday season. Fujifilm says it’s set to only hit Michael Kors retail stores and website at launch, though that could change later on.
The CoWatch brings Amazon’s Alexa to your wrist starting today
Amazon hasn’t dared to make a smartwatch of its own yet, but it might not have to when companies like iMCO have shoehorned Alexa into a wearable themselves. See, iMCO and the ex-Googlers working on the Cronologics OS have successfully turned what could’ve been another bit of crowdfunded vaporware into an actual product — the CoWatch — complete with blessings from Amazon. At last, you’ll be able to order multiple pairs of shoes straight from your wrist. Isn’t the future grand?
The CoWatch goes on sale on Amazon today with prices starting at $279, but we got to put a near-final model through its paces ahead of the company’s big day. Spoiler alert: having Alexa with you everywhere you go can be very cool, but the CoWatch definitely isn’t for everyone.
In fact, that becomes clear almost right off the bat. The CoWatch team managed to squeeze a lot into this stainless steel body: there’s an Ingenic dual-core chipset, 1GB of RAM, a screen running at 400×400 and 8GB of storage, the most I’ve ever seen in a wearable. While the whole thing is lighter than it looks, the watch’s thick body and high lug placement make things feel a little cumbersome. Even so, there’s enough horsepower here to keep things moving at a pretty reasonable clip — swiping through long notifications and launching apps to monitor your heart rate proved to be no problem for this chipset I’ve never heard of. The screen’s pretty bright too, though there doesn’t seem to be a raise-to-wake option; you’ll have to hit the crown button to do anything beyond glancing at the time. We need to spend more time with the watch to pass any serious judgments, but the hardware seems adequate so far.
The software loaded onto the CoWatch holds more promise. Instead of embracing the rigidity of Android Wear, iMCO went with an upstart Android-based OS from an outfit called Cronologics. Navigating it is simple enough: swiping down on the clock screen reveals your notifications, and swiping up brings up quick actions like toggling airplane mode and a battery meter. There’s technically a separate page for your apps, but you’re not going to use it much — Cronologics designed the interface so app shortcuts appear as complications on the watch face itself. Easy, no?
The Cronologics OS is actually built on top of Android Lollipop, and that’s where the extra flexibility comes from. The watch can technically run any standard Android app, though there doesn’t appear to be away to sideload them. (That’s probably for the best since most Android apps obviously aren’t meant to run on screens this small.) It works just fine with both iOS and Android devices, too. The real magic lies in how the OS can connect to web-based services like IFTTT for one-touch actions and yes, Amazon’s Alexa.
Using Alexa on your wrist is about as straightforward as you’d expect — you invoke her either by holding down the crown button or tapping an Alexa complication on the screen. From there, the usual hijinks apply: the watch was able to tell me how old Jeff Bezos is and the distance from the earth to the moon, and it helped me order some socks too. The process felt far from instantaneous, though. In general it took a while for the watch to interpret my questions, pass it along to the Alexa web service and give me the appropriate response. Setting the feature up can also be a little tricky since it requires the watch to be tethered to your phone — a no-go on old, grandfathered unlimited data plans like the one attached to my iPhone.
Once I paired the CoWatch with another Android phone though, it only took a few moments to get acquainted with Alexa — not bad, especially since I don’t have an Amazon Echo at home. Then again, I’m already well known among by colleagues for having poor impulse control, so the ability to buy just about anything from Amazon without even having to look at a screen seems troubling for my bank account. It appears the age of the always-connected shopping assistant is upon us, though: the Omate Rise is getting Alexa support as well.
While we’re not ready to deliver a verdict on the CoWatch just yet, the level of promise here is tough to ignore. I could personally take or leave the hardware, but if Cronologics pushes to get developers onboard and keeps hooking the OS into web services we all use anyway, the CoWatch just might become a contender. Alexa is just the tip of the iceberg, friends — there’s still plenty of smartwatch envelope-pushing to be done
Popular Weather App ‘Dark Sky’ Expands to the Web
Weather forecast app Dark Sky has expanded its services to the web, with a full-featured browser site that offers much of the main app’s pinpoint-accurate weather predictions and data (via Wired). Dark Sky co-founder Adam Grossman said the reasoning behind introducing a desktop site for Dark Sky was for people who preferred not to take out their phone when sitting at their computer, but still wanted Dark Sky’s accurate readings.
On DarkSky.net, the first pieces of data showcase the temperature, a brief incoming warning about potential bad weather (“Light rain starting in the evening,” for example), along with a 24-hour forecast. Wind, Humidity, Dew Point, UV Index, Visibility, and Pressure are also all listed at the top of the website. A large local map takes up the center of the page, and can be customized to show visuals like Temperature, Precipitation, Wind Gusts, and more.
“We really needed that companion website to Dark Sky,” says Dark Sky co-Founder Adam Grossman. “If you’re on your desktop, maybe you don’t want to pull the phone out of your pocket.”
The bottom of the site houses the weekly forecast, where users can click on each upcoming day for a more in-depth breakdown of the coming week. There’s even a “Time Machine” feature below the weekly forecast that lets users jump back or ahead to a specific day and check out all of the expected weather data that happened, or will happen, in its 24-hour span.
Grossman said it’s easier to experiment with things on the web, so the company has thrown in a few new aspects of Dark Sky, like microclimates, which could potentially come to the iOS and Android apps one day. If users check out the Grand Canyon, for instance, they can zoom down and see how the temperature changes as they descend. The website does lack the mobile app’s well-known notifications — which give weather warnings ahead of time — due to “less reliable” notification data and GPS location tracking that’s “harder to pin down.”
Image via Wired
Some additions that are downright clever. Whereas Forecast.io only showed a precipitation map, the Dark Sky site’s maps are situationally aware. If you head there on a potentially snowy day, for instance, it will automatically know to serve you an accumulation map. Even the precipitation maps have gotten more refined. If it’s going to rain soon, you’ll get a detailed radar view. If there’s rain nearby potentially heading your way, Dark Sky will load a bigger picture view.
The new site is said to be a bolstered version of the company’s previous desktop site Forecast.io, although Grossman admits that they “made it as an experiment,” and the new site is a better version. Also beneficial to users is Dark Sky’s adherence to a no-advertisement policy, because Grossman and the team wanted to avoid pratfalls of other big weather websites that are “filled with ads top to bottom, and crusty links to other articles.”
You can check out DarkSky.net now, and the mobile version of Dark Sky can be downloaded for $3.99 from the iOS App Store. [Direct Link]
Tag: Dark Sky
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Allo and phone numbers: Everything you need to know
How Google’s chat app handles phone numbers, multiple devices and switching phones.
Allo is tied to both your Google account — for intelligent predictions and Google Assistant — and your phone number, for helping friends and other contacts find each other. But the phone number requirement also introduces a few limitations in the way you can use Allo.
Here’s a thorough breakdown of how things currently work.
Can I use Allo without a phone number?
No. Allo is tied to your Google account, but it also uses your phone number to discover contacts. You’ll need to activate Allo by receiving an authentication code by text message during the setup process
Can I use Allo on more than one phone at once?
No. Right now signing into Allo on a second phone signs you out on the first. You’ll see a message like this:
What happens to my chat history and group chat memberships when I switch phones?
When you sign into Allo on a new phone, your group chat memberships — but not your chat history — will go with you. Allo chats live on your device, not in Google’s cloud, and there’s currently no way to back up chat history, like there is with WhatsApp. (Any undelivered messages will appear on your new device, however.)
It’s a pretty major oversight, and a feature we’d expect to be added to Allo before long.
Can I use Allo on tablets?
Android tablets appear to be unsupported through the Google Play Store at present. Google lists iPad support on its official site, so it’s likely Android tablets will be coming soon to the platform. However, if and when this happens, the same phone number restrictions are likely to apply.
Can I use Allo on desktop, Chromebooks or the web?
There’s no desktop app or web interface for Allo yet. In theory you could use Chrome OS’s Android app support, when it launches, to use the app on your Chromebook, but even then you’d have the same phone number restricitons. (Logging in on your Chromebook would sign you out on your phone.)
What if my phone number changes?
You can unregister your phone number through the Settings menu. Unregistering your phone number will remove you from any groups, and permanently delete your chats. Your Google Assistant interactions won’t be deleted, so long as you’ve also added a Google account.
If you’re changing phone numbers permanently — for example changing carriers — you’ll want to make sure you unregister your number beforehand. That’s because Allo messages are tied to your phone number, and in theory your old number could be allocated to someone else in future.
There’s currently no way to port chat history or group chat memberships between numbers, as there is for WhatsApp. (Because right now there’s no way to transfer or back up chat history at all.)
Allo can send you messages on Android even if you don’t install it
On Android, friends with Allo can bug you even if you haven’t installed the app yet.
Google has built a unique trick into its new messaging app, Allo, which it surely hopes will help spread its reach throughout the vast Android user base. Allo can send messages to your Android friends, even if they don’t have the app installed.
It’ll look a little something like this:
Be prepared for confused responses from your friends.
The notification lets you respond through text along (as opposed to stickers, photos or anything like that), or alternatively ignore it altogether. There’s also a button taking you straight to the Play Store install page for Allo.
How can Google do this? The notification is generated by Google Play Services, which is installed on just about every Android phone, and updates silently in the background.
For that reason, there’s a good chance your Allo contact list will contain a good few people who don’t have the app installed yet. And so be prepared for confusion when messaging people for the first time. The feature does seem to be a bit flaky, though. Some people without Allo installed who are on our contact lists aren’t getting these “introductory” messages through Play Services, while others are.
Google, as a platform holder, has a unique advantage over other chat apps in that it can allow Allo to reach anyone running the latest version of Play Services. Whether that’s fair is debatable, but it’s certainly a powerful way to drive installs of a new app.
Anyone receiving (or sending!) random Allo messages this morning? Getting confused replies back? Shout out in the comments!
Morning brief: Allo arrives, HTC is up to something, and Xiaomi wants us to be healthy
You can now play around with Google Assistant, HTC is working a couple of interesting phones, and LeEco’s Snapdragon 821 monster is here.
Today’s turning out to be a wacky Wednesday, in large part thanks to the launch of Allo. The messaging service is giving us a first look at what’s capable with the Google Assistant, and thus far, I’m liking what’s on offer. In other Google news, Maps and Drive have received usability updates, and the company has managed to secure an extra three weeks to respond to EU’s antitrust charges.
It looks like HTC is readying a tweaked variant of the HTC 10 for Sprint called the Bolt, which will likely make its debut next month. Another leak reveals that HTC is working on three new phones containing the Ocean codename. Meanwhile in China, LeEco unveiled the Le Pro 3, which is the second handset (after the ZenFone 3) to be powered by the Snapdragon 821 SoC.
Xiaomi is finally bringing its Mi Ecosystem products to India, starting with the Mi Air Purifier 2. Considering the deteriorating air quality levels in most parts of the country, the product could not have come at a better time. It’s time for the news!
Allo is here!
Allo is now available for download from the Play Store. Based on your region, the service may not be available just yet, but in the meantime, you can take a look at our coverage to see what you’re getting with the service.
HTC Bolt revealed, headed to Sprint next month
Evan Blass has posted a render of what appears to be a slightly modified HTC 10 dressed in Sprint’s branding. A previous tweet by Blass points to an October release window. As for likely launch dates, the clock in the screenshot reads October 18.
More ‘HTC Ocean’ codenames emerge
Adding fuel to recent ‘HTC 11’ leaks, prominent HTC leaker LlabTooFeR tweets that the device codenamed “Ocean” actually consists of three variants: Ocean Master, Ocean Note and Ocean Smart. Of the three, “Ocean Note” hints at a larger form factor HTC phone, something we haven’t really seen since 2013’s One Max.
Xiaomi brings its air purifier to India
Xiaomi’s Mi Air Purifier 2 is all set to go on sale in India from September 26 on Mi.com. The device features a triple-layered filter that consists of a PET pre-filter, an EPA filter, and an activated carbon filter. The air purifier has a built-in air quality monitor, and can be controlled through the Mi Home app. It’ll be available for ₹9,999 ($150).
Xiaomi’s latest fitness band also coming to India
Xiaomi has also launched its latest fitness tracker in India. The Mi Band 2 will be available for ₹1,999 ($30), and will go on sale from September 27. Unlike the first-gen Mi Band, the latest iteration of the budget fitness tracker sports a 0.74-inch OLED screen and a heart rate sensor. The 70mAh battery is touted to last 20 days, and the band syncs with your phone over Bluetooth LE.
Google Maps now shows the direction you’re facing
Google is making it easier to orient yourself in Maps. The direction arrow is gone, and in its place you’ll find a shrinking blue beam on your blue dot that shows the direction you’re facing. The narrower the beam, the more accurate your direction. Oh, and Google says that you should move your phone in a figure 8 motion a few times to improve the compass calibration.
Google Drive search gets a lot smarter
Google has added its search smarts to Drive. The service now supports Natural Language Processing queries, which means that you can search for things like “find my budget spreadsheet from last December,” and Drive will surface the relevant results. Search also gets autocorrect, and Google is adding new features into Drive as well: you’ll be able to split your document into multiple columns, and when you edit edit non-Google files, a copy of the original is saved.
LeEco Le Pro 3 unveiled with Snapdragon 821, 6GB RAM
After a spate of rumors, the LeEco Le Pro 3 is now official in China. The handset eschews the 3.5mm port (much like the Le Max 2), and features a 5.5-inch Full HD display. It comes with a Snapdragon 821 SoC, 6GB of RAM, 64GB storage, 16MP camera, 8MP front shooter, and a 4070mAh battery. No word on international availability yet.
Google has until Oct. 7 to respond to EU antitrust charge
Google has been given a three-week extension to respond to the EU’s antitrust charges. The company now has until October 7 to show that it has not misused its dominant position with Android by pre-installing its own services like Google Search and Chrome. If found guilty, Google could face a €3 billion fine.
