So Sorry, Siri!
AnnaLisa is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
So, PBS ran another Pledge Week but a show of interest was Mastering ADD/ADHD, hosted by Canadian comic actor Patrick McKenna. If you don’t have ADD or ADHD you probably know someone who does as it is being diagnosed more frequently worldwide. The show centered on techniques to cope, but one thing made me sit up. The host suggested using a smartphone to remind those with ADD/ADHD of all the little chores and tasks they so easily forget. And you’re thinking, doesn’t everybody already do this?
I mentioned this to my daughter who has ADHD and uses the alarm on her iPod to remind her of things and she said she has been wanting an iPhone so Siri can tell her why the alarm is going off. (Nota Bene: She is an extremely bright girl who started college a year early.) Let’s take the concept even further; why can’t Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)and Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN) make an option in which Siri sounds like your naggy mom or your significant other? Multiple voices, perhaps. This would be a lifesaver for seniors who might prefer a familiar voice to remind them that they have already taken their meds.
Could Siri be Replaced?
People love to play the Siri game and ask her all kinds of silly questions, but there are really useful and life changing, even lifesaving possibilities. If anyone can push the envelope on more uses for Siri, Apple’s thousands of app developers and Nuance’s voice-recognition technology engineers are the ones I’d put money on and just little changes like my tongue in cheek “Naggy Mom” proposal are what will keep these two on top. It’s possible that celebrities would voice Siri just like commercial voiceovers. Seriously, why not?
Apple just has so many things going for it, but the iPhone 5 is the one shareholders are really anticipating. I am not a gadget geek but if the bells and whistles are in line with past improvements, the iPhone’s best days are still ahead. Remember when the iPhone 4S first debuted? It was not received that well and a monster earnings beat earlier this year surprised many of the former naysayers who didn’t think Siri was anything special. They were wrong to the tune of a 10% surge in Apple’s share price. Pity the fools who were short because of Siri.
Siri, Tell Me A Story
If Hallmark cards have stories that Nana can record then Siri could theoretically be programmed in a parents’ voice to read any book. Of course, nothing could replace a cuddle and a story, but when Mom or Dad is out of town there’s Siri/Mom/Dad to tell the tale. There are just so many applications, instant medical histories dictated by your physician on your phone in case of accident etc. Real world, Siri will be integrated into Mercedes and BMW new cars soon according to this fellow Motley Fool blog article .
All of this science fiction will be science fact for Apple and Nuance in the not-too-distant future. Maybe I stayed up too late watching The Twilight Zone marathon (had to stay up for the To Serve Man episode. spoiler alert: “It’s a cookbook!!!”) But Emeril could dictate cooking a dish step by step just like some genial GPS.
Nuance is down considerably from its 52 week high of $31.15 but just this week it is being looked at by the Fool as a multibagger and I can’t help but agree. Apple will have trouble moving more because of the law of large numbers, but even over $600 Apple is still rated a buy by many, many analysts and who can’t like a company that is the most successful retailer in America?
Why don’t you just ask Siri what she thinks?
leglamp has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple and Nuance Communications. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.If you have questions about this post or the Fool’s blog network, click here for information.
