08/07/2014 08:03 AM
Originally Posted by Shogun 
There are lots of questions for Apple to answer on this one: should the OS constantly be listening?
 
For privacy (and sanity) reasons, I've never understood the "always on" concept as it has been implemented using real technology.
 
However, I really like the idea itself: my hardware should just immediately respond to me, and in the case of something like, oh, a wise home, having a system that is always ready to respond to your voice commands makes a lot of sense. Have a mic/speaker combo installed in every room and just say what you want when you want it, Star Trek style.
 
But let's assume the tech can be secure and protect your privacy. Say... the processing is done client-side, which is where it BELONGS. What then?
 
Well, then the only problem becomes power draw, which is a real concern on mobile devices. But on the desktop? Not so much. So an always-listening Siri for OS X is a wonderful idea. And on the desktop, client-side processing will happen FAR sooner than on mobile devices. Heck, Apple could very probably do it FROM THE GET-GO.
 
They won't, but it would be the right thing to do.
What power does Siri get to change things and undertake it's own tasks?