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Siri learns a few new things with iOS 6, and it gets a new venue in which to show off its knowledge. Previously, Apple’s voice-activated personal assistant could only respond to queries from iPhone 4S users. Now, third-generation iPad owners will be able to pepper Siri with questions once iOS 6 arrives in the fall. And Siri will be able to handle more types of questions then, too.
Sports Siri has apparently been studying the sports pages since its fall 2011 introduction, because now it can tell you the scores of last night’s game if you ask. Siri can also answer questions about individual player statistics (What is Joey Votto’s batting average?), standings (Who is in first place in the American League West?), and schedules (When is the New York Giants’ first game of the season?). According to Apple, Siri knows about baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer.
Restaurants Siri now includes more details when you look for eateries—results are sorted by Yelp rating and include average meal prices and restaurant types, hours, reservations (via Open Table), integrated Yelp reviews, and more.
Movies Asking Siri, in its beta form, for movie information could be as disappointing as watching sequels to The Matrix, but Apple says its voice assistant is now a movie buff. Ask it what movies are showing at a nearby theater, and Siri responds with titles, ratings, reviews, and integrated trailers from Rotten Tomatoes—all accessible within Siri. You can ask Siri questions about actors and directors as well.
Maps Like Siri, Maps gets an overhaul in iOS 6, so it makes sense that both apps now have strong ties to one another. Ask Siri how to get somewhere, and you immediately get turn-by-turn directions—even from the lock screen. You can ask Siri to repeat what it said, as well as ask where gas stations are along the way, what the traffic is like, how long until you get there, and every traveling kid’s favorite question: “Are we there yet?”
Social Networks With iOS 6 adding Facebook integration alongside its Twitter tie-in, Siri can now update your status on either social network. If you link your friends’ Twitter usernames to their Contacts entries, Siri automatically translates their real names into their handles as you dictate.
App Controls Tell Siri to launch an app and it’ll do so, even if you’re launching a third-party offering. On the new iPad, Siri can answer questions about weather and stocks, even though Apple hasn’t ported its iPhone Weather and Stocks apps from the iPhone to the iPad—at least not yet.
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