To call the new Apple TV a step up from its predecessor would be an understatement. The look and feel of the whole interface is completely different, Siri’s there to sort through content and find specific titles for you, the remote has been redesigned, and for the first time ever you can download apps onto the device.
While all of those developments are welcome additions, there’s one Apple TV feature that truly makes the viewing experience a lot easier and more convenient. If you’ve missed a piece of dialogue, you can hold down the Siri button on the remote control and ask, “What did he/she say?”
Siri will then rewind your TV show or movie by 15 seconds, turning on closed captioning until the show or film has reached the point where you initially asked the question.
It’s a clever and useful feature. It also provides an excellent example of how voice controls can be used to enhance the TV viewing experience beyond simply retrieving search results. The Apple TV is far from being the only set-top box to support voice input, but Apple applies voice controls in a way its competitors haven’t.
The Apple Watch is the company's' first entirely new product category since the original iPad. It's a huge gamble for Apple and a test of the still-nascent wearable market.Stephen Lam—Reuters/CorbisThe Watch is the most customizable and varied product Apple has likely ever launched. It'll come in three editions made of different metals and be available with multiple snap-in wrist bands. Prices start at $349.Justin Sullivan—Getty ImagesThe Watch has a touch interface that can sense the difference between a light touch and hard press. But it also has a "digital crown" that allows users to quickly scroll through lists without obscuring the screen.Justin Sullivan—Getty ImagesThe Watch must be paired with an iPhone for many of its functions. The device piggybacks on the phone's data and GPS connections to pipe in directions or incoming voice calls and text messages, for instance.Stephen Lam—ReutersThe Watch, like Apple's other iDevices, will have various independent apps. Examples include a Tesla app that shows the status of your electric car when it's charging and a Starwood app that lets the Watch act as your room key.Stephen Lam—ReutersApple's fitness app, one of the device's main selling points, tracks runs, walks and bike rides.Stephen Lam—ReutersThe Watch also can track your heart rate (while resting, while active) throughout the day thanks to these light sensors on the back.Koichi Mitsui—AFLO/CorbisIt also has Apple Pay, the company's digital payments platform. Swipe the Watch in front of a compatible kiosk and it will make an automatic online payment.Justin Sullivan—Getty ImagesCEO Tim Cook has said the Watch will last about a day before it needs to be recharged. So far, battery life has been the biggest downside of most wearables. The Watch recharges through the magnetic system shown here.Justin Sullivan—Getty ImagesThe Watch will come with many customizable bands that slip on and click in place at the top and bottom of the device's body.Justin Sullivan—Getty ImagesIt also comes in two sizes, 38mm and 42mm, to fit on different size wrists.Monica Davey—EPAHigher-end models of the watch could cost several thousands of dollars.Stephen Lam—ReutersApple is significantly expanding it's product reach.Justin Sullivan—Getty ImagesAnd there's one more thing...David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty ImagesIt tells the time.Marcio Jose Sanchez—AP
You can also fast-forward and rewind by speaking into the remote and saying “Skip ahead by 10 minutes” or something similar. This can be much easier than trying to pinpoint the exact moment you’re trying to find by scrolling with the remote.
Siri on the Apple TV isn’t perfect — there were some instances in which it couldn’t pull up results I requested, and at the moment it’s not very good at suggesting related content. But Siri’s playback features are compelling and useful enough to make me think voice controls on the TV aren’t just a gimmick.
