Google Has Destroyed Apple's Walled Garden From Within
Back in October 2011, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) unveiled a new way for iPhone users to interact with their devices. Rather than painstakingly type questions and commands into a search bar, Cupertino took a cue from Android's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Voice Commands and introduced a voice-activated assistant, Siri. The new assistant, however, one-upped Apple's Mountain View competitor by allowing for some "fuzzy language." Whereas Android's earlier versions of Voice Commands limited you to very specifically worded prompts, Siri could invoke a weather forecast, for example, with prompts like "Siri, show me the weather," or "What's the weather like today?"
Siri promised a bold, versatile, and -- most importantly -- fun way to interact with our devices. However, for many -- even Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak -- the results didn't meet Apple standards.
...Cut to June 2012. Apple took a giant step away from Google integration with its mobile devices and showed off the new Apple Maps app. Introducing turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic updates, and spoken directions, the new software sported smooth, vector-based graphics and integrated reviews from Yelp (NYSE:YELP)....MORE
...On my wife's iPhone 4, I opened Google Now and asked when William Shatner was born. In a little over a second, I was shown a card with his photo and birth date and was read the results. When asking Siri the same question, after a six-second delay, I was told she couldn't find a "William Shatner" in my wife's contacts and was asked if I meant a different William that we know....Here's Shatner's cover of Bohemian Rhapsody:
As we've discussed, *..."Bohemian Rhapsody", by Queen is unusual as it is a pastiche in both senses of the word, as there are many distinct styles imitated in the song, all 'hodge-podged' together to create one piece of music....
GOT THAT? WE HAVE A PASTICHE OF A DOUBLE PASTICHE!!!
