8 ms·

Apple really needs to double down on Siri and take voice interaction to the next level. Part of this means that apple really needs to get its own knowledge/sem

by sjg007 8y ago

Apple really needs to double down on Siri and take voice interaction to the next level. Part of this means that apple really needs to get its own knowledge/sematic web solution. The new Google interactive radar thing is neat. Apple needs to figure that out. That the iphone/ipad can be a bigger compute device with external attachments could be a bigger development then we think (like the Samsung dock thing).. People don't buy laptops in the same sense anymore and that will help justify higher prices. The Apple upgrade rent/lease program is basically a way to get higher prices over time. Apple should have its own MVNO.

faitswulff 8y ago
What's the interactive radar thing you mentioned?
- rch 8y ago
  There was a story a few days ago about using radar for object recognition and gesture tracking (among other things). https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18855337 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18855337
  - walterbell 8y ago
    2019 iPhone is rumored to have new Sony depth sensing (time of flight) camera on rear, for AR and normal photos.
    - rch 8y ago
      Google also had Project Tango, which I believe used hardware IP they acquired through their brief ownership of Motorola. They scrapped that approach since current mobile processors are powerful enough to accomplish the same thing in software. Occipital's Structure Sensor has been available for years, and uses an active scan along the lines of what the Kinect does. Among the available options, I'm most interested in calculating depth from parallax relative to motion using scale heuristics and dead reckoning, like Tango. Particularly for outdoor applications.
SirHound 8y ago
The iPhone is so powerful now I don’t understand why they don’t sell a dock for it that runs a desktop environment. or a laptop enclosure where you drop it in as the trackpad. I’d be back on the upgrade cycle if they did.
- coldtea 8y ago
  The last iPad Pro allows you to hook it to external screens...
  - graeme 8y ago
    They could do it before too: the difference now is a direct usb c connection. But most apps don't support anything but mirroring. And the resolution only partly fills the monitor. Iphones can connect to external displays too, with an adapter. But I don't see this being influential until there's a framework for the second dosplay, mouse support etc
    - coldtea 8y ago
      >*They could do it before too: the difference now is a direct usb c connection The main difference to me is that now it's officially sanctioned, and even mentioned on Apple's material (shown in the keynote, etc).
      - graeme 8y ago
        I agree, I think it's a very interesting change for the future, and we may see why it happened when ios 13 is released. But as of now, very early days.
- HacklesRaised 8y ago
  To be fair this has been suggested, at Apple, so many times. Trying to get ideas through the exec team was always problematic.
  - 8y ago
kerng 8y ago
I think Microsoft's Surface line is showing what computing can be about. Its lacking the one thing though that Apple is really leader, a phone. I think Apple should look there to get some inspiration, they could easily bring that to the next level. Its 2019 for instance and my MacBook Pro still does not have a touch screen, seriously? Which to me, coming from PC world, seems like I'm using a device from 6+ years ago. It has an interesting touchbar though. Ok. And everything seems too expensive I feel also. I would never pay for a MacBook, my employer does. Personally I did research end of last year and bought a Surface device and am very happy with that decision.
- ForHackernews 8y ago
  I can't imagine every wanting a touchscreen on a laptop with a keyboard. I used to have one, and it constantly irritated me if I accidentally touched it.
  - wolfgke 8y ago
    > I can't imagine every wanting a touchscreen on a laptop with a keyboard. I used to have one, and it constantly irritated me if I accidentally touched it. I don't own such a device, but I can easily imagine how it could be very useful for entering handwritten notes with a stylus.
  - kerng 8y ago
    Reading through documents, scrolling, and especially when having discussions or jam sessions with others a touchscreen really makes a difference. It's such a natural way to interact. I have only noticed this now with the MacBook at work which I have to use and how limiting it is not being able to touch the screen and have it do things. It seems just a natural thing.
- scarface74 8y ago
  The Microsoft Surface hardware is not the problem. It’s the OS. Windows tries and fails to be both a desktop OS and touch screen friendly. I have a work Dell with a touch screen. I never use it. I also bought a Dell 2n1 and thought that it would serve as both my computer and tablet. Windows 10 is still a horrible experience as a touch screen and the 16x9 ratio just doesn’t work.
gnicholas 8y ago
Yeah Siri is limited in its ability to answer queries, and it also doesn’t handle multi-device situations well in my experience. While holding my phone, I ask Siri to open Netflix. My HomePod in the next room responds that it cannot open apps. Impressive that it can hear me, but maybe consider that My iPhone is much closer to my voice and is able to do the thing I requested? Just returned the HomePod, for various reasons including this (but mostly because paired HomePods cannot he used as the audio playback device on my Mac, except in iTunes).

by sjg007 8y ago

faitswulff 8y ago

What's the interactive radar thing you mentioned?

rch 8y ago
There was a story a few days ago about using radar for object recognition and gesture tracking (among other things). https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18855337 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18855337
- walterbell 8y ago
  2019 iPhone is rumored to have new Sony depth sensing (time of flight) camera on rear, for AR and normal photos.
  - rch 8y ago
    Google also had Project Tango, which I believe used hardware IP they acquired through their brief ownership of Motorola. They scrapped that approach since current mobile processors are powerful enough to accomplish the same thing in software. Occipital's Structure Sensor has been available for years, and uses an active scan along the lines of what the Kinect does. Among the available options, I'm most interested in calculating depth from parallax relative to motion using scale heuristics and dead reckoning, like Tango. Particularly for outdoor applications.

SirHound 8y ago

The iPhone is so powerful now I don’t understand why they don’t sell a dock for it that runs a desktop environment. or a laptop enclosure where you drop it in as the trackpad. I’d be back on the upgrade cycle if they did.

coldtea 8y ago
The last iPad Pro allows you to hook it to external screens...
- graeme 8y ago
  They could do it before too: the difference now is a direct usb c connection. But most apps don't support anything but mirroring. And the resolution only partly fills the monitor. Iphones can connect to external displays too, with an adapter. But I don't see this being influential until there's a framework for the second dosplay, mouse support etc
  - coldtea 8y ago
    >*They could do it before too: the difference now is a direct usb c connection The main difference to me is that now it's officially sanctioned, and even mentioned on Apple's material (shown in the keynote, etc).
    - graeme 8y ago
      I agree, I think it's a very interesting change for the future, and we may see why it happened when ios 13 is released. But as of now, very early days.
HacklesRaised 8y ago
To be fair this has been suggested, at Apple, so many times. Trying to get ideas through the exec team was always problematic.
- 8y ago

kerng 8y ago

I think Microsoft's Surface line is showing what computing can be about. Its lacking the one thing though that Apple is really leader, a phone. I think Apple should look there to get some inspiration, they could easily bring that to the next level. Its 2019 for instance and my MacBook Pro still does not have a touch screen, seriously? Which to me, coming from PC world, seems like I'm using a device from 6+ years ago. It has an interesting touchbar though. Ok. And everything seems too expensive I feel also. I would never pay for a MacBook, my employer does. Personally I did research end of last year and bought a Surface device and am very happy with that decision.

ForHackernews 8y ago
I can't imagine every wanting a touchscreen on a laptop with a keyboard. I used to have one, and it constantly irritated me if I accidentally touched it.
- wolfgke 8y ago
  > I can't imagine every wanting a touchscreen on a laptop with a keyboard. I used to have one, and it constantly irritated me if I accidentally touched it. I don't own such a device, but I can easily imagine how it could be very useful for entering handwritten notes with a stylus.
- kerng 8y ago
  Reading through documents, scrolling, and especially when having discussions or jam sessions with others a touchscreen really makes a difference. It's such a natural way to interact. I have only noticed this now with the MacBook at work which I have to use and how limiting it is not being able to touch the screen and have it do things. It seems just a natural thing.
scarface74 8y ago
The Microsoft Surface hardware is not the problem. It’s the OS. Windows tries and fails to be both a desktop OS and touch screen friendly. I have a work Dell with a touch screen. I never use it. I also bought a Dell 2n1 and thought that it would serve as both my computer and tablet. Windows 10 is still a horrible experience as a touch screen and the 16x9 ratio just doesn’t work.

gnicholas 8y ago

Yeah Siri is limited in its ability to answer queries, and it also doesn’t handle multi-device situations well in my experience. While holding my phone, I ask Siri to open Netflix. My HomePod in the next room responds that it cannot open apps. Impressive that it can hear me, but maybe consider that My iPhone is much closer to my voice and is able to do the thing I requested? Just returned the HomePod, for various reasons including this (but mostly because paired HomePods cannot he used as the audio playback device on my Mac, except in iTunes).