Apple's Siri can now shop for electronics by voice using Wolfram Alpha
A new capability announced by Wolfram Alpha enabling its clients to browse Best Buy's electronics and appliances data provides iPhone 4S Siri users a new way to shop and compare products using their voice.
Apple has indicated that it will be progressively expanding the capabilities of its Siri voice assistant feature of the iPhone 4S, but enhancements from the sources Siri draws upon, in this case the Wolfram Alpha knowledge base, can also add to Siri's repertoire independently of Apple.
Wolfram Alpha reports in its blog that it is now leveraging data from Best Buy's public APIs to enable queries against the retailer's database of 35,000 consumer products.
"We?ve taken the strengths we?ve developed in math, science, and socioeconomic data and created something equally unique and useful for online shoppers," the search provider stated.
Using either the web or one's own voice using Siri, users can search for a general product category or a specific product model and obtain a comprehensive report detailing product features, prices and availability, users ratings, price comparisons with similar models.
Wolfram Alpha notes users can even shop for products based on their specific needs, such as asking for "the lightest digital camera under $100 with a pixel resolution greater than 12MP,? or compare multiple models to see how they stack up.
The Best Buy data is currently only available to users in the United States. Apple itself has been promoting Siri in a new ad portraying its use by Santa Claus, a spot that never actually mentions or displays the words "iPhone 4S" or "Siri."
Apple has indicated that it will be progressively expanding the capabilities of its Siri voice assistant feature of the iPhone 4S, but enhancements from the sources Siri draws upon, in this case the Wolfram Alpha knowledge base, can also add to Siri's repertoire independently of Apple.
Wolfram Alpha reports in its blog that it is now leveraging data from Best Buy's public APIs to enable queries against the retailer's database of 35,000 consumer products.
"We?ve taken the strengths we?ve developed in math, science, and socioeconomic data and created something equally unique and useful for online shoppers," the search provider stated.
Using either the web or one's own voice using Siri, users can search for a general product category or a specific product model and obtain a comprehensive report detailing product features, prices and availability, users ratings, price comparisons with similar models.
Wolfram Alpha notes users can even shop for products based on their specific needs, such as asking for "the lightest digital camera under $100 with a pixel resolution greater than 12MP,? or compare multiple models to see how they stack up.
The Best Buy data is currently only available to users in the United States. Apple itself has been promoting Siri in a new ad portraying its use by Santa Claus, a spot that never actually mentions or displays the words "iPhone 4S" or "Siri."
Comments
Hope to see more features added to Siri in the UK (and elsewhere...)
Thump!
The sound of the other shoe dropping...
Here's what I think this means:
Siri now lets users access the entire Best Buy product catalog
http://9to5mac.com/2011/12/16/siri-n...oduct-catalog/
To me, this means that, in the near future, Siri can be used for much, much more than what she does now.
For instance, Siri with a little knowledge of you, her Boss, can become your personal shopping assistance.
"Siri, find a birthday gift for my wife"
Siri: "I found this lovely necklace that picks up the blue in Lucy's eyes...."
"Siri, That's it... buy it and have it delivered to my office..."
Now, take that to the next step... which is sitting there in pain sight...
Talking to Siri on the AppleTV...
Not only can Siri be used to find and deliver content...
Siri can be used to buy things...
TV Ads/Commercials (the underpinning of the current Broadcast/Cable/Satellite ecosystem only tells you what goods you should/can buy -- Siri will buy them for you.
What content delivery/advertising provider wouldn't want to be able to participate it that?
I believe that this is what SJ meant when he said he "cracked" the TV problem.
I suspect the CableCos, et al, will be lining up to get Apple to run their content through Apple's STB... the AppeTV... sitting there in plain sight!
TV Ads/Commercials (the underpinning of the current Broadcast/Cable/Satellite ecosystem only tells you what goods you should/can buy -- Siri will buy them for you.
Has anyone been able to get this to work on their 4S? If so, what query did you use? I've tried a bunch of things and my Siri doesn't seem to know a thing about Best Buy.
Yes...
"Woflram: TVs"
Siri, Siri, Siri... just look at what you've done...
...you've disrupted how we buy and sell stuff!
You have 3.7 billion appointments.
Siri - Show me only my first 100 million appointments for today...
One of the things I like about Siri is that it is constantly improving. We don't have to wait months for a software update. Since most of the magic is in the data centers. Also as more databases and APIs are assimilated into Siri's toolbox, she will continue to get more useful and more disruptive(in a good way).
Here's what I think this means:
Siri now lets users access the entire Best Buy product catalog
http://9to5mac.com/2011/12/16/siri-n...oduct-catalog/
To me, this means that, in the near future, Siri can be used for much, much more than what she does now.
For instance, Siri with a little knowledge of you, her Boss, can become your personal shopping assistance.
"Siri, find a birthday gift for my wife"
Siri: "I found this lovely necklace that picks up the blue in Lucy's eyes...."
"Siri, That's it... buy it and have it delivered to my office..."
Now, take that to the next step... which is sitting there in pain sight...
Talking to Siri on the AppleTV...
Not only can Siri be used to find and deliver content...
Siri can be used to buy things...
TV Ads/Commercials (the underpinning of the current Broadcast/Cable/Satellite ecosystem only tells you what goods you should/can buy -- Siri will buy them for you.
What content delivery/advertising provider wouldn't want to be able to participate it that?
I believe that this is what SJ meant when he said he "cracked" the TV problem.
I suspect the CableCos, et al, will be lining up to get Apple to run their content through Apple's STB... the AppeTV... sitting there in plain sight!
Ohhhh, that's sooo good, brilliant deduction.
Talking to Siri on the AppleTV...
"Siri, replay money shot, replay money shot, replay money shot, replay money shot... ooooh Siri, I love you."
Ohhhh, that's sooo good, brilliant deduction.
He who laughs last...