Beginning of this summer has one notable event in IT-world. It is WWDC 2018. Some people say that there was no really bright revelations. Hoverer, one little improvement announced should be really handy. It is voice shortcuts for Siri.

What is it?

There are no any magic (At least for our century). This is the way to customize commands for “smart” virtual assistant. Manufacturer extend command set, but they can not predict all users necessities. The idea here is creation of own commands for some particular tasks. Moreover, user can arrange sequence of actions with different apps.

Even if it will work not so fine at first time, idea is interesting itself. Anyway, updates will solve possible issues. Another side of this improvements is ability of assistance to learn habits of user and offer shortcuts based on some conditions. For example, user could have bunch of particular settings for notification in evening: turn off all signal, but keep active calls from some people and/or keep notification from some applications. Before all this actions performed manually and then with shortcut in the same time, let say evening time. Device learn this behavior pattern and offer it assuming that you forget. Wow, sounds like big trouble for paranoids, isn’t it?.. Just joking.

Of cause developers allow access to all this new features and many well-known applications will renew experience. For users it will mean appearance of “Add to Siri” button and keeping in mind appropriate commands that they will add. From techological point of view it is enhancement of exising channel of comunication with device. More ways to ask, more ways to get results. Positive redundancy in action.

Practically all functionality will be reflected in special application, where all customization will be organized in library.

In everyday life.

In my humble opinion, this system will be especially useful with wireless earphones. Especially in case when earphones has minimum control options like AirPods (in that case Siri is “window” to wider actions). Why wireless? Because wireless means that user literally “detached” from device. It decreaseas necessity take device in hand. That is why extended voice commands opportunities will provide new convenient user cases.