Code strings in iOS 7.1 show Apple has plans to port its “assistant” to the black box

Apr 27, 2014 21:01 GMT  ·  By

It’s no mystery that Apple TV is a growing business. Tim Cook himself said Apple was becoming serious about its longstanding hobby, and more and more evidence gets unearthed on a regular basis suggesting that something big is coming to our living rooms.

Siri is coming to the Apple TV.

That’s the key takeaway from a recent code discovery in iOS 7.1. Perpetuated in the new iOS 7.1.1 (released yesterday), new code strings found under “Assistant” – Apple’s code designation for Siri – are clear evidence that the Cupertino giant is now testing ways to port the voice-powered utility to the big screen.

The discovery was reportedly made by Pierre Blazquez last week, and the finding has since been confirmed by others. So what does this mean for you?

Well, with smart TVs projected to become ubiquitous in the next few years, Apple could be on the cusp of creating the first real-life version of Hal 9000, the a sentient computer (artificial intelligence) in Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series that controlled the systems of the Discovery One spacecraft and interacted with the ship's crew.

Don’t think too much ahead though. It’s going to be a while before you come home and say “lights on, Siri,” or “run a hot tub for me, 46 degrees” (though it’s already doable with specialized home appliances).

However, you can expect perks like “play the latest episode of...” whatever you fancy on that particular day, or “Siri, what’s on right now?,” and get a screen filled with your favorite channels playing thumbnail previews of the current shows / movies / news coverage.

But Siri is so much more than that. It (she?) can bring up the weather forecast, look up information on Saturn’s rings, tell you how many ounces are in a cup, or 5+8 divided by 3 is. The possibilities are endless, and Apple plans to expand its functionality beyond the confines of our pockets.

The next Apple TV upgrade is said to bring some other cool stuff as well. Gaming is reportedly a tentpole feature of the next refresh, and Apple might actually throw in controllers. And if the company has sequelae from the Pippin, there’s a long list of accessory makers just dying to lend their support.

Rumor has it that Tim Cook & Co. are looking to put eyes on the box (think Kinect), as well as the whole Internet with a dedicated web browser. Some would say it’s a given, while others won’t believe it ‘till they see it.

I’d say it’s common sense to have a web browser on anything with a screen. If WAP was any indication, people will pay to have web access just about anywhere and in any form. The next TV revolution is not in getting the cable guys to play ball. Cables are not so imperative to get your fix these days.

My only question is what took them so long?

Think about it. Gaming, Siri, motion-based controls and the entire Internet all through a $99 box that weighs less than your cat! Now that’s something everyone would buy! And, this time, it would’t be just for the fancy Apple logo on it.