Apple’s Siri assistant can now bark like a dog, quack like a duck, and even roar like a lion. To try it out, all you have to update to iOS 14.3 and say, “Hey Siri, bark like a dog for me” or similar*. In response, Siri will play the natural sound of a dog barking.
On Monday, Siri started to play short audio clips in response to questions about what something sounds like. Sounds now built into the system include animals, instruments, and vehicles, and Apple says there are hundreds of options. On an iPhone or iPad, Siri also brings up a picture of the animal and a link to more information from Wikipedia.
Here’s some examples of what you can ask, via Apple:
• “Hey Siri, what does a humpback whale sound like?”
• “Hey Siri, what does a toy poodle sound like?
• “Hey Siri, what does a harp sound like?”
• “Hey Siri, what do firetrucks sound like?”CNBC also tried it out with a few other animals, including a domestic cat, a lion, a bald eagle, and, in an example of how specific it can get, a kookaburra, a type of bird which sounds like somebody laughing. Siri also played several car sounds, a train whistle, and a short sample of a theremin as well.
MacDailyNews Take:
*“Hey Siri, what does a dog sound like?” will work to return a recording of a dog barking. “Hey Siri, bark like a dog for me” will get you a joking reply “Sounds ruff” or “I can’t do that. But I can remind you to walk your dog. Or buy dog food.”
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Carl Spackler” for the heads up.]