Siri: Once a Flake, Now Key to Apple's Future

The iPhone's talking pal Siri has, to date, been about as helpful as an umbrella in a hurricane. At the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple AAPL 1.07 % CEO Tim Cook touted new features and catch-up software tweaks, from the iPhone and Mac to the Apple Watch and TV. One of the few technologies that spanned all those products was Siri, the virtual assistant that lets us talk and interact with gadgets like they know us. Siri is growing up, and moving to the center of Apple's universe. In the months ahead, Siri will arrive on Mac computers and tackle more complex tasks on the Apple TV, where it first appeared last year.