Five Things Siri Should Do

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Siri, the iPhone personal assistant, is available this Friday and she’s packed with a ton of great features. From checking the weather to managing your calendar and responding to texts, Siri is definitely going to make an impact on iPhone productivity. We know what Siri will be able to do at launch, but what will Siri be able to do in the future? Here are a few things we’d love to see. Some are productive, some are fun, but all take advantage of this great new technology.

Siri the Magic 8 Ball: “Siri, will you be all business and no play?” “Outlook not so good.” Phew, that’s good to hear. Siri is definitely a great tool to help you get things done, but all work and no play makes Siri a dull personal assistant. What if you could ask Siri a question and your iPhone would respond like a Magic 8 Ball? “Outlook good.” While it would not be wise to rely on your psychic Siri for important business decisions, it may be a fun way to choose between the solid or striped tie in the morning. We all know the Magic 8 Ball never lies.

Siri and the End of Boring Nights: “Siri, what should we do tonight?” “How about some mini golf?” We already know that Siri is partnering with Yelp to offer restaurant suggestions and reviews, but what about the eternal question that haunts everyone: What should you do tonight? Everyone knows exactly how it feels to be sitting around with friends, trying to decide what to do, and never arriving at a conclusion. Imagine, when you first set up Siri, you answer a few quick questions about how you spend your free time, and then Siri can suggest things to do and fun activities. You may even be able to say “What can three of us do tonight for under $50?” and get a list of suggestions. Maybe there are concerts or events going on in your area that you did not even know about. With Siri and the built in GPS, you’ll always be on top of things to do in your city.

Making Restaurant/Hotel/Airline Reservations: “Siri, make me a reservation for two at 8:00pm at Dorsia.” “8:00pm is booked, how about 8:30pm?” Yelp is already partnering with OpenTable to bring users the ability to make reservations through their iPhone app. Why not make it even easier and let Siri do the work? Just tell Siri where you want to eat and when, and Siri will make it happen. Once Apple partners with one (or more) of the numerous flight/hotel aggregator sites, booking travel will be easier than ever. Siri really will be a fully functioning personal assistant.

Calling a Taxi: “Siri, I need a taxi to bring me to my hotel.” “A taxi will arrive in thirty minutes.” Stranded somewhere new, need a ride, and have no idea what local taxi services are available? Imagine Apple partnering with iPhone apps such as Call a Taxi or Taxi Magic. All you would need to do is ask Siri for a taxi, and Siri can pull up your current location and get you a cab. If only securing a ride from a friend was that reliable.

Bus/Train Schedules: “Siri, when is the next bus going to get here?” “The B63 bus is due to arrive in 7 minutes, it is running ten minutes late.” New York City is in the process of testing and rolling out real time bus tracking in Brooklyn, so if you’re waiting for a bus, why not just ask Siri when it’s going to arrive? Siri could grab your location, know the bus stop where you’re waiting, and see where the bus is along its route. Maybe you’ve been waiting for your train a while, why not ask Siri if there are any delays? Many large cities already have an open API allowing apps access to their schedules. Let’s let Siri in on this information so you can always be in-the-know.

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