Apple rolls out new tech wares

SAN JOSE — Siri is getting a new voice, and the Mac is getting a new name.

Apple unveiled new hardware, including a Siri-powered speaker, and previewed upcoming iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch features as the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicked off Monday.

Here are the highlights:

Siri-powered speaker

An internet-connected speaker called HomePod is coming in December for about $350. The speaker is similar to cheaper devices from Amazon and Google.

Apple says it’s giving more emphasis to sound quality, not just smarts. Jan Dawson, chief analyst with Jackdaw Research, says the price is good for a high-end audio device. Besides playing music, Apple’s Siri digital assistant will also respond to requests for information and other help around the house.

New, smarter Siri

With an upcoming software update for iPhones and iPads, Siri will learn your habits based on what articles you might be reading, for instance. Or if someone texts you about owing money, it will ask if you want to pay using Apple Pay. Google already tries to be proactive with its Assistant on Android phones and Google Home speaker.

Siri, meanwhile, is getting a new voice. Or make that new voices, with a male version of Siri is getting a refresh, too.

And Apple Watch is bringing Siri front and center. The smartwatch promises to learn about your routines to figure out what information to display. That could include a reminder to make a call or a flight reservation.

About your privacy

Apple says its Safari browser on the Mac will try to guard your privacy by identifying and blocking data files that track you as you move from website to website. Another Safari feature will stop video from automatically playing on websites. The features are part of the Mac software update this fall, to be called High Sierra. The current version is just Sierra.

As for HomePod, Apple says that while the speaker’s always listening, nothing will be sent to Apple’s servers until you say, “Hey, Siri.” The protection is similar to what Google Home and Amazon’s Echo speakers already offer. Even then, Apple says it won’t know who you are — it’ll just get an anonymous ID to help process a response.

A different reality

Apple is trying to make augmented reality a reality with new tools for iPhones and iPads. Augmented reality is the blending of the physical and virtual worlds. In one demo, Apple executive Craig Federighi pointed a camera at a table on stage and added a virtual coffee cup and a lamp on the real table. Although Apple is late to the game, CCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber says the new tools come “as the technology hits an inflection point.”