Apple jumps into the mobile search business with its acquisition of Siri

Apple is on a shopping spree, scooping up everything from chip manufacturers to personal mobile assistants. Several days ago, an FTC filing revealed that Apple is acquiring Siri, creator of a mobile application that serves as your personal search assistant. Similar to Android’s voice search, Siri allows you to ask it a question like “nearest gas station” and it will provide a personal, localized answer. The key to the service is its voice recognition and its vast array of back-end APIs that include Yahoo Local, Yelp, Flightsats, WeatherBug, and more. No word on what Apple intends to do with this newly acquired property, but the possibility of a personal concierge on an iPhone or iPad is quite appealing.

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