Best ways to support small business IT
Small businesses form the backbone of our economy, contributing to job creation, innovation, and community...
Your iPhone is affordable, can fit in your pocket and will never call in sick! That’s certainly more than you can say for your assistant. Siri for iPhone can do a lot of the same things you count on your secretary for. Siri can...
1. Take dictation for everything.
All you have to do is talk; Siri will always listen. Just tap the Siri microphone icon next to the keyboard and say what you want to say. Your words will be instantly (and pretty darn accurately) converted to text. The possibilities for use are endless. Send emails or text messages. Take notes. Search the web. You can even use third-party apps and quickly access and update social media sites like Twitter or Facebook.
2. Schedule business meetings.
Simply say with whom you’d like to meet, what you’d like to meet about, where you want to meet and when. Siri will automatically put it on your calendar, connect with appropriate contacts and send them an invitation.
3. Remind you to do things.
This feature is outstanding for business and homelife alike. Think of it like an ongoing to-do list. “Siri, I need to pick up my dry cleaning at 5pm tomorrow.” “Siri, I need to update payroll today by noon.” “Siri, remind me to grab flowers for my wife on the way home from work.” “Siri, my secretary needs to get fired at the end of the day on Friday.”
4. Make reservations.
Whether you’re planning a power lunch, a happy hour cocktail outing or hosting out-of-towners for a business dinner, Siri can help. Give a few criteria (such as type of cuisine, vicinity to work or hotel, time, number of guests, et cetera), and Siri will get you reservations and even photos and reviews.
5. Ride in your passenger seat
As smartphones continue to infiltrate our lives with improving technology, using them while driving is getting more and more dangerous. Enter Siri. Together with several car companies, Apple is starting to integrate Siri into vehicle’s voice control systems. Using your car’s steering wheel buttons, you can access Siri without even glancing away from the road. What’s more is that your phone won’t even light up, furthering distraction reduction. All of this means that Siri can be your ultimate driving companion. Get directions. Play music. Send text messages. Add and receive reminders. And much, much more.
The future is here. Machines are finally replacing people. Scary? A little. Fun? Sure. Effective? Definitely.
