When the iPhone 4S introduced Siri to
the world, artificial intelligence suddenly became accessible, useful,
and pretty darn cool. With Siri, just press a button on your iPhone, ask
it (or rather, ask her) a question, and she’ll shoot you back a quick
answer. Siri is certainly entertaining and quite useful for things like
getting directions, calling contacts, and even playing a specific song
from your massive iTunes library. (It’s like having your very own private DJ!)
But for all you parents out there,
Siri can actually help you raise your kids. While you shouldn’t go
firing the babysitter just yet, there are plenty of actions Siri can
perform that will help you as a parent. Sure, you could manage some of
these by running to your computer, doing a Google search,
and then digging through various websites to find the answer you need.
But Siri can do it better, faster, easier, and — well, funner. Here’s
how the old gal can lend a helping hand.
Homework helper
Pop
quiz, hot shots: Who was the 27th president of the United States?
What’s the official state flower of Nevada? And what country is the Gobi
desert in? If your kids are anything like ours, they have questions.
Lots of questions. Either they’re just inquisitive, or they need some help with their homework.
And let’s be honest — you don’t remember even 10% of what you learned
in elementary school. So let Siri help you out. Like an elephant, she
never forgets!
What does this word mean?
Next
to why, the biggest question kids seem to ask is, “What does so-and-so
mean?” Once again, Siri’s got your back. Whether you need a quick
definition of a word or the accurate spelling of something, she’s ready
for you. Forget flipping through hundreds of pages in that 50-pound
dictionary you own — not to mention even finding the book in the first
place. (It’s under the couch.) Just ask Siri. She’ll spit back the right
spelling or definition faster than you can say onomatopoeia.
More than just a calculator
Okay,
so Siri can perform lighting-fast calculations like 19 times 240. A
voice-activated calculator is pretty darn spiffy. But she’s more than
just a pretty calculator –
let her help with anything math-related. Calculate pi to eight digits.
Do metric conversions like finding how many liters are in a quart.
You’ll never be lost reading a recipe again, which means your kids will
get those chocolate chip cookies after all. Whew.
When is Billy’s concert?
Soccer
practice at 3:00. Playdate at 4:30. School concert tomorrow morning at
10:00. When you have kids, your main job can often seem like being a
juggler. Too many overlapping activities can easily drive a person
batty. So toss out those clunky appointment books or calendars
and just tell Siri what you need to do, where you need to be, and when
you need it done. She’ll automatically create appointments for you and
remind you with plenty of time to spare.
Dinner planner
Stuck
with no ideas for dinner? Siri can help you find some great recipes by
doing a quick web search. Want some take-out instead? Doesn’t matter if
you’re on vacation with the family or just not in the mood to cook –
simply ask Siri if there are any kid-friendly restaurants nearby. She’ll
instantly shoot you suggestions based on your location. Select a
restaurant from the list and she’ll map it for you, as well as offer
information and a phone number.
What does it look like?
Ever have trouble trying to describe something to your kids? Take the platypus, for instance. No words could ever do this bizarre yet adorable animal justice. Instead, toss this question to Siri: “What does a platypus look like?” She’ll dig up the perfect photo for you.
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