With the launch of OS X Mavericks, Apple showed its intent to bridge the gap between iOS and Mac OS. The Mac OS got a lot flatter and cleaner, to better mimic its mobile counterpart. Apple also introduced the ability to make and receive calls right from the Mac.
A feature conspicuously missing from the Mac was Siri. Mac users started really feeling left out especially after Siri was introduced on Apple TV as well! It seems that Apple is all set to correct that, because news out of Cupertino is that Apple is looking to bring Siri to the Mac!
In the next installment of OS X, 10.12, Apple is planning to introduce Siri on its desktops and laptops. This is part of Apple’s larger plan to provide the Siri functionality across all its devices. That effort has been underway for almost 4 years, and now it seems to have finally been perfected.
9to5Mac reported that Siri will appear as a “microphone” in the Mac’s Menu Bar. Sitting right beside the Spotlight icon, Siri will be available just with a single click. Presumably, Apple will also provide a unique and dedicated keyboard shortcut to pull up Siri from anywhere, just like it has one for Spotlight [command + space].
Siri on Mac is also expected to have the “Hey Siri” feature, where you’ll be able to summon the digital assistant by simply saying these two words. Much like the keyboard shortcut, we are hoping this feature will also work from anywhere on the Mac, regardless of the App running in the foreground. However, the feature is expected to work only when the Mac is connected to a power source.
We can see the logic in that. To be able to voice activate Siri, the mic has to be continuously running in the background. That would lead to significant strain on the battery. So it’s better to disable it when your Mac is not plugged in.
Apple is formally expected to announce the feature at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where it usually shows off all the new features being added to the OS X. The official release is expected to be in the usual fall cycle when Apple starts pushing out the latest version of OS X though the AppStore.
Siri on Mac opens up a hoard of exciting new possibilities. It might just be wishful thinking but we will certainly go mad with joy if Apple introduces cross-platform voice commands. Then, life will be something like this:
You’re across the room from your Mac. You pick up your iPhone, bring up Siri, and whisper a command in her ear. Almost instantaneously, your Mac started playing the new album you’d copied to the desktop two hours ago.
You tell us that’s not cool!
