Apple brings Siri to Mac, opens her to third parties
Apple announced some major changes to Siri at WWDC this year. First up, the virtual assistant will arrive on macOS Sierra when it launches later this year, allowing users to search the web directly from the desktop with her help — with Bing as the default search engine. Secondly, the company confirmed rumours that it was opening Siri up to third-party app developers, allowing them to “build on the intelligence Siri offers and let users interact directly with apps using just their voice.” Uber, Lyft, WeChat, and Square Cash were all mentioned as potential partners.
Bing News launches PubHub
Bing has announced a new portal to allow publishers to expand their reach by submitting content to be included in the Bing News aggregation service. News publishers need to first make sure they’re following Bing’s Webmaster Guidelines and use Bing Webmaster Tools to verify site ownership. Then it’s a matter of submitting your site — as long as it meets Bing’s criteria of newsworthiness, originality, authority, and readability.
Apple introduces paid search ads for the App Store
Another WWDC highlight — Apple is adding paid ads to the iOS App Store, allowing developers to pay for ads for their apps within users’ search results. The system will allow most of the customization features advertisers expect from Google AdWords and its equivalents, including a Search Match feature to help rushed or novice users set up basic campaigns quickly. The service will launch in the fall, but developers and advertisers can apply to join the free beta right now.