Virtual Assistants
Siri needs no introduction. Whatever your feelings are for Apple’s virtual assistant, there is no denying its profound impact not just on smartphones, but across the consumer tech industry. First released as an iOS app in February 2010 before being integrated into the iPhone 4S, Siri was the first voice assistant to help us perform certain tasks and get information without our phones in hand. Other tech giants followed with their own version, some more successfully (Google) than others (Samsung, Microsoft).
Now smart assistants can be found in all sorts of gadgets, including an array of smart home devices. Hell, Samsung makes a refrigerator you can talk to. One application we can all get behind is the use of digital assistants in CarPlay and Android Auto to discourage distracted driving.
