Apple updates Siri with quips about 'Back to the Future Day'

Posted:
in iPhone edited November 2015
Playing into social media trends, Apple on Wednesday updated its Siri voice assistant with a variety of responses to people wishing it "Happy Back to the Future Day."




"Happy Back to the Future Day. Let me know if you need airspace directions for your hovercar," one potential answer says. In another Siri comments, "Well, they were right about the 'antique computer' thing..."

Oct. 21, 2015 is the date characters Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to in Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future Part II. The movie famously depicted 2015 as being more advanced, with technology like hoverboards, flying cars, and hologram signs.

It simultaneously missed out on inventions like smartphones, and contained things that are now all but anachronistic, like payphones, printed news, and fax machines.

Some things it did predict accurately were drones, fingerprint readers, flexible screens, voice-controlled TVs, and smartglasses.

Apple occasionally updates Siri with cultural references to keep it entertaining. One of the earliest examples was 2001: A Space Odyssey, allowing people to quote lines spoken to HAL 9000.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13

    Perfect day for the Cubs to lose the NLCS. <img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />

  • Reply 2 of 13
    jax44jax44 Posts: 79member
    Perfect day for the Cubs to lose the NLCS. :lol:

    So, the goats name was Murphy, and Murphy on the Mets is killing Cubs pitching.

    Coincidence or the curse...
  • Reply 3 of 13
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Sure, Google Now probably has more predictive features, but IMO, this is what makes Siri more compelling...he/she has a personality.
  • Reply 4 of 13
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    Nice for a five year old ... but then again it's Apple's future.
  • Reply 5 of 13
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    knowitall wrote: »
    Nice for a five year old ... but then again it's Apple's future.

    what? are you honestly trolling some nonsense?? get real man. find a new hobby.
  • Reply 6 of 13
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by knowitall View Post



    Nice for a five year old ... but then again it's Apple's future.



    A 5 year old wouldn't know the cultural significance of Back To The Future you know-it-all troll!

  • Reply 7 of 13
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member

    A 5 year old wouldn't know the cultural significance of Back To The Future you know-it-all troll!

    Sure looks like Siri doesn't seem to understand that (or for that matter anything) either.
    Name calling is soo '5 year old'.
  • Reply 8 of 13
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    nolamacguy wrote: »
    what? are you honestly trolling some nonsense?? get real man. find a new hobby.

    No one is (or should be) waiting for childish gimmicks, Siri should be really useful.
  • Reply 9 of 13
    knowitall wrote: »
    No one is (or should be) waiting for childish gimmicks, Siri should be really useful.

    Dude, speak for yourself. I actually find it fun and interesting when tech companies include funny little easter eggs in their products. It's really what makes them human.
  • Reply 10 of 13
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    satchmo wrote: »
    Sure, Google Now probably has more predictive features, but IMO, this is what makes Siri more compelling...he/she has a personality.
    Apple hired pretty good writers to come up with the quips. I agree it does add to the sense of humanization when you hear Siri repeat them. Google Now is downright business-like.
  • Reply 11 of 13

    Speaking of Siri’s personality, you should be able to tweak it like the bots in Interstellar.

     

    “Hey, Siri; joke around with me a bit more.”

     

    In addition to being able to set personal preferences like I mentioned several months ago. Years. Decades.

     

    Like you could tell Siri that you love “this weather”, and from then on when it’s 45 degrees, partly cloudy, and dry, Siri will say, “Looks like a nice day today” when you ask her the weather instead of the generic “75 and sunny” being a “nice day”.

     

    Or if you love snow, she’ll say “Finally, some snow!” when you’re about to get stuff that sticks.

  • Reply 12 of 13

    Hey guys, I'am a big fan of Back to the future II movie i like Michael J Fox. I wanted to tell you i saw the back to the future jacket from online store i bought it one for husband, If you interesting in buy click here.

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