Siri is the biggest example, as a product which crosses SW/HW/services boundaries across nearly every device they make. Apple owns the whole stack down to the silicon, yet Siri is still not where it needs to be. Looking in from the outside, I suspect their organizational structure is standing in the way.
Yeah, I hear that. Apple's privacy position makes Siri a bigger challenge, but I don't think that alone explains why Siri is so far behind. They can do a LOT on-device these days.
I have trouble with Siri setting a timer, telling me the weather, or letting me turn on and off individual lights (it used to do this). Data mining might be some of it but I don't see how that is an issue with a timer.
I have set timers with Siri 100's of times. It's practically the only thing I do with it. Hasn't failed me once.
Just yesterday, though, I said "Hey, Siri, navigate home" and that literally got into a failed state. The first time I did it it told me I didn't have a "Home" contact, so I made it. Didn't work when I was in the car yesterday, but it did just now. So, I agree, there are issues with Siri.
And there's also the issue that it doesn't seem to have any concept of priors. Every now and then I give Siri (and Maps) a try, and it's always something like, I ask it to "navigate to [name of local business]" and it starts navigating to a business with the same name ... but 2000 miles away. Even though it does have that business on the local map...
Context is what’s missing. A dictionary of recently referred to entities. Most recent person, most recent place. Also things like current location. Am I home, am I moving, etc
Siri is great for setting timers, making calls, and changing the volume when my hands are busy.
The biggest “WTF” moment was when I was using Siri in Russian, and told it to “lower the volume” (as I’d done hundreds of times in English). It lowered Siri’s volume, but nothing else (and told me as much).
Never did figure out how to adjust my music volume with Siri in Russian.
