Big data applications are 10X more complex than regular apps, and developers often need to know a plethora of technologies just to make big data work.

Image: iStockphoto/SIphotography

By Matt Asay | October 13, 2016, 8:12 AM PST


Big data is still too difficult. Despite all the hype—and there has been lots and lots of hype—most enterprises still struggle to get value from their data. This led Dresner Advisory Services to conclude, "Despite an extended period of awareness building and hype, actual deployment of big data analytics is not broadly applicable to most organizations at the present time."

Ouch.

Some of this is a people problem. However persuasive the data, executives often prefer to ignore that data. But, a big part of the complexity in big data is about the software required to grok it all. Though Spark and other, newer systems have improved the trajectory, big data infrastructure remains way too hard, a point made astutely by Jesse Anderson.
This stuff is hard

People have long loomed as one of the biggest impediments to big data adoption. A 2015 Bain & Co. survey of senior IT executives found that 59% believed their companies lack the capabilities to make sense (and business) of their data. Speaking specifically of Hadoop, Gartner analyst Nick Heudecker suggested that "Thru 2018, 70% of Hadoop deployments will not meet cost savings & revenue generation objectives due to skills & integration challenges." Skills matter, in other words, and are in short supply.


Over time the skills gap will decrease, of course, but understanding the average Hadoop deployment, for example, is non-trivial, as Anderson noted. In his words, the complexity of big data comes down to two primary factors: "you need to know 10 to 30 different technologies, just to create a big data solution," and "distributed systems are just plain hard."

The question is why.

Anderson schematically represented the complexity of a typical mobile application versus a Hadoop-backed application, noting that the latter involves double the number of "boxes," or components. Expressed in plain English, however, "The 'Hello World' of a Hadoop solution is more complicated than other domains' intermediate to advanced setups."


Compounding the difficulty, Anderson said, is the need to understand the wide array of systems involved. You might need to know 10 technologies to build a big data application, for example, but that likely requires you to have some familiarity with another 20 technologies simply to know which one to use in a given situation. Otherwise, for example, how are you going to know to use MongoDB instead of Hbase? Or Cassandra? Or neo4j?


Add to this the complexity of running it all in a distributed system, and it's no wonder that the skills shortage for big data persists.
The easy way out

One way that enterprises are trying to minimize the complexity inherent in big data build-outs is by turning to the public cloud. According to a recentDatabricks survey of Apache Spark users, deployment of Spark to the public cloud has ballooned 10% over the last year to 61% of total deployments overall. Instead of cumbersome, inflexible on-premises infrastructure, the cloud allows for flexibility and, hence, agility.


It does not, however, remove the complexity of the technologies involved. The same hard choices about this or that database or message broker remain.

Such choices, and the complexity therein, isn't going away anytime soon. Companies like Cloudera and Hortonworks have arisen to try to streamline those choices, tidying them up into stacks, but they still essentially provide tools that need to be understood in order to be useful. Amazon Web Services is going a step further with its Lambda service, which allows developers to focus on writing their application code while AWS takes care of all the underlying infrastructure.

But the next step is to pre-fab the application for the end user entirely, which is what former Wall Street analyst Peter Goldmacher dubbed a much bigger opportunity that selling infrastructure components. In his words, one major category of "winners [is] the Apps and Analytics vendors that abstract the complexity of working with very complicated underlying technologies into a user friendly front end. The addressable audience of business users is exponentially larger than the market for programmers working on core technology."

This is where the market needs to get to, and fast. We're nowhere near done. For every Uber that is able to master all the underlying big data technologies to up-end industries there are hundreds of traditional companies that simply want to reinvent themselves and need someone to make their data more actionable. We need this category of vendor to emerge. Now.

How to use the Shell command to view all your applications in File Explorer

By Greg Shultz | October 6, 2016, 1:00 AM PST

The Shell command offers a handy way to view your Applications folder. Here's how it works--and why you might find the trick useful.


In recent articles, I've shown various techniques for making the best of the Windows 10 start menu:
How to customize the Windows 10 Anniversary Update Start menu using the "Pare It Down" technique
How to customize the Windows 10 Start menu with numbered shortcuts

While many readers are using Windows 10 Start menu as is, and others are settling for third-party solutions, a lot of users tell me they like trying alternative ideas. So I keep on the lookout for new tricks—and I recently found another one.



I discovered a way to view the Applications folder in File Explorer by using the Shell command. This special folder includes traditional Desktop Applications as well as Universal Windows Apps. Being able to view all your applications in File Explorer can come in handy in certain circumstances. Let's take a look.
Running the Shell command

To view All Apps in File Explorer, you'll use a Shell command shortcut. Hidden underneath the Windows architecture is a host of special shortcuts known as Shell commands. To use a Shell command, all you need to do is press [Windows]+R to access the Run dialog box. Then, type the word Shell followed by a colon (:) and the Shell folder name, as in:

Shell:foldername

Notice that there are no spaces between the word Shell and the colon and the folder name—it is essentially one word.
SEE: How to tweak the Windows 10 Action Center to make it less annoying
Accessing the Applications folder

Now that you have a general idea of how the Shell command works, you can use it to view the Applications folder in Windows 10. To do so, press [Windows]+R, type shell:AppsFolder in the Open text box (Figure A), and press Enter.
Figure A
You can launch the Shell command from the Run dialog box.

All your applications will appear in one scrollable window, as shown in

5 Reasons You Should Use iWork Instead of Microsoft Office

iWork has long been considered the inferior option to Microsoft Office (CA/UK). Word, Excel, and PowerPoint form the industry standard office suite, and that’s just what everyone expects to use. But it’s time to give iWork another chance.Which Office Suite Is Best for You? Which Office Suite Is Best for You?You'll be pressed to find an occupation that doesn't require word or number processing of some sort. And you may wonder, is Microsoft Office really the best solution? Here are your options.READ MORE

Many long-time Office users will be unwilling to transition away from the apps they’re so used to working with. Whether you’re an Office veteran or a complete newcomer to these types of apps, iWork may deserve another chance. Let’s take a look at why.

1. It’s Free

This might not matter if you get to use Office for free through your university or workplace, but to freelancers, hobbyists, and anyone else who uses these kinds of apps on a regular basis, this could be a pretty big deal.6 Ways You Can Use Microsoft Office Without Paying For It 6 Ways You Can Use Microsoft Office Without Paying For ItREAD MORE

A new copy of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2016 is $100, which is a significant amount of cash for something you probably don’t need. A 12-month subscription to Office 365 will actually cost you $100 per year, which can really add up.

Of course, Office 365 does offer you access to a number of other apps, including Outlook, Publisher, and Access, but these are niche apps that many people don’t need anyway.

iWork comes with every qualifying Mac purchased after October 2014 for free. It’s hard to beat that. If your Mac is older and you need to download the suite from the App Store, you’ll pay $20 per app for a total of $60, still cheaper than Office. Most iPads and iPhones get iWork for free, too.

2. Cleaner Interface

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are very powerful tools, and their interfaces are absolutely jam-packed full of options and menus. If you’re a power user, this can be a good thing; you have quick access to all of the myriad settings you could want.

But the majority of users don’t need all of the options that are available. Managing references, text elements, and mathematical equations aren’t common concerns among most office suite users. I’d be willing to bet that at least 95% of Word users have never needed to adjust the hyphenation zone.

iWork gets rid of a lot of this clutter in favor of a cleaner interface, which eliminates distractions and provides a more peaceful productivity environment. As with many Mac features, this contributes toincreased ease of use.Drinking the Kool Aid: 8 Reasons People Love Their Macs Drinking the Kool Aid: 8 Reasons People Love Their MacsWhen you can buy a laptop for under $500, and a Chromebook will satisfy most people's computing needs, why do people insist on spending well over $1000 on a Mac?READ MORE

The top of the Pages window, for example, has Insert, Table, Chart, Text, Shape, Media, andComment buttons. That’s pretty much everything you need for word processing. Both Numbers and Keynote are similarly sparse when it comes to menubar options.

You can see in the comparison shots above and below just how much cleaner the iWork apps are. Seeing the Office apps next to them makes it obvious just how much clutter Microsoft’s apps have.

If you’re thinking to yourself “But I always need to adjust the Style settings in Word!” then you might not be a good candidate for switching to iWork. There is a sacrifice in power that you’ll make for these cleaner interfaces.

But for the majority of people, the tools available in the iWork apps are sufficient, and this makes them easier to use. There are many other options available through the menus, so it’s not like you’re giving up every customizable option. Just most of the ones you don’t need.

3. iCloud & Mobile Integration

There are tons of great cloud storage services out there, but iCloud has the advantage of being deeply integrated into every Apple product, from software to hardware. Being able to quickly and easily save your office documents to iCloud is a handy feature that can save you time if you come to rely on it.What Is iCloud Drive & How Does It Work? What Is iCloud Drive & How Does It Work?If you have updated your iPhone or iPad to iOS 8, and your Mac to OS X Yosemite, then you're ready for Apple's iCloud Drive. But what is it, and why should use it?READ MORE

By keeping all of your documents from Pages, Numbers, and Keynote saved in iCloud, you can work on them from any computer connected to the internet. You can even work on them from your iPhone, or non-Apple devices via iCloud.com.

Having access to mobile versions of these apps is also a big benefit. You can use Microsoft Office for free on your 9.7″ iPad, but on a Mac it requires an Office 365 subscription. Apple’s office productivity suite may be less powerful, but it’s also more financially viable if you don’t need all that power.

The mobile versions of iWork apps are also free provided you have a recent device, and they’re well-optimized for mobile work. Even writing on your phone isn’t too bad. Using an iPad or iPad Pro is even better, though.How You Can Type Easier and Faster on Your iPhone How You Can Type Easier and Faster on Your iPhoneThis isn’t the first thing I’ve written on an iDevice, but it’s the first time I’ve chosen to do it when I’ve had other options.READ MORE

4. Collaboration and Sharing

Once you upgrade to macOS Sierra, iWork is able to support real-time collaboration between colleagues via iCloud. This means you’ll be able to easily work on a document with a number of other people, much like you can currently do with Google Drive apps.

This may not be a big deal to many, but if collaboration was the one thing tying you to Google’s solution then it could make all the difference.

iWork already has some cool sharing features built in. The Share menu lets you share iCloud links or send the document via Messages or Apple’s built-in Notes app. Again, these might not seem like a big deal, but if you work with a lot of people who use Macs, you’ll likely appreciate it.Thinking of Switching From Evernote to Apple Notes? Here's How Thinking of Switching From Evernote to Apple Notes? Here's HowApple has a free notes app, and it received a rather substantial overhaul with iOS 9 and El Capitan. But should you ditch Evernote for it? That depends.READ MORE

5. Microsoft Office Compatibility

Using anything besides Microsoft Office always comes with the worry about compatibility. How will it deal with DOC and DOCX files? This used to be a big count against using anything besides Office.

iWork apps have come a long way in their compatibility, and can now open, edit, and save files instandard Office formats. While the default is still the iWork file extension (PAGES, KEY, NUMBERS), you can save files in DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, and PPTX, as well as a few others like PDF, CSV, and HTML.9 Rare Office File Formats You Have to Know 9 Rare Office File Formats You Have to KnowHave you ever come across strange file formats in your office suite? We'll give you a quick primer on rare, yet useful office file types and what you can use them for.READ MORE

While you may encounter an occasional difficulty with formatting, you aren’t likely to run into any serious problems. You don’t have to worry about your colleagues who use Microsoft Office having difficulty with your files.

Will You Make the Switch?

If you haven’t tried iWork in a while, I strongly recommend that you give it a shot in the near future. Unless you’re a serious power user of Microsoft Office, you might find that the cleaner interface and the better integration with the Mac operating environment makes it a winner!

How to Fix an Upside Down Screen in Windows 10

Some of you probably suffered from this same terrible fate, and were forced to try and search Google on an upside down screen (I could have pulled out my phone and searched for the answer, but apparently I wasn’t firing on all cylinders on this day).

Sob story aside, all you need to is hit Ctrl + Alt + Up on your keyboard. Press Ctrl + Alt + Down to make it upside down again (though I don’t know why you’d want to). Ctrl + Alt + Right and Ctrl + Alt + Left will turn your screen to portrait mode!

If you use multiple displays, the keyboard shortcut doesn’t do anything, (so you probably shouldn’t have it end up reversed in the first place), but if you do, here’s how to fix it (this also works with a single display if the keyboard shortcut doesn’t work):Take Your Productivity to the Next Level by Using Multiple Screens Take Your Productivity to the Next Level by Using Multiple ScreensOnce you've used multiple screens, it's hard to go back to using just one. multiple displays are useful for more than just watching your two favorite sports teams at the same time.READ MORE

• Right-click the desktop.
• Click Display Settings.
• Click on the image correlating to the display you want to rotate.
• Change the options on the drop down menu labeled Orientation.
• Click Apply.

How to Fix “Please Wait While Windows Configures Microsoft Office” Message

Stuck with an error message that says Windows is configuring Microsoft Office? Here’s the fix.

Picture the scene: you’re coming down to the wire on a book report, or a work presentation, or an important spreadsheet — but when you go to open up the appropriate Microsoft Office program, you’re met with an error message that just won’t leave.10 Tips for Making Better PowerPoint Presentations with Office 2016 10 Tips for Making Better PowerPoint Presentations with Office 2016Microsoft PowerPoint continues to set new standards. New features in PowerPoint 2016 manifest its top spot as the best option for smart and creative presentations.READ MORE

The dreaded “Please wait while Windows configures Microsoft Office” message can be a real drag, but fortunately there are fixes available.

The most frustrating part of this particular issue is that it’s so difficult to diagnose exactly what the problem is. However, one of these techniques should get you the answers that you’re looking for. Follow each process in the order that they’re listed here, and you’ll be closer to getting Microsoft Office back in action, so you can get on with the project at hand.

Repair Microsoft Office

If it seems that your installation of Microsoft Office has been corrupted or otherwise damaged, your first port of call should be the repair function. The process will check for common issues and could potentially fix the problem automatically, so it’s a great starting point.How to Repair or Recover Data from a Corrupted PDF File How to Repair or Recover Data from a Corrupted PDF FileAny file type can get corrupted. If you don't back up your data, finding out something broke can be a nightmare. Here, we're looking specifically at PDF recovery.READ MORE

Open the Control Panel and navigate to Programs > Programs and Features. Scroll through the list of software that’s installed on your computer and find your installation of Microsoft Office.

Right-click the entry and select Change. At this point, you’ll be asked whether you want to carry out a Quick Repair or an Online Repair. A Quick Repair will fix most issues, so try that before you move onto an Online Repair.

If the process doesn’t work, then you can move onto some of the more in-depth fixes below.

Activate the Windows Search Service

One common cause of the stuck configuration dialog is a situation where the 32-bit version of Microsoft Office is installed to a 64-bit version of Windows. If this is the case, the message presented to the user will reference 64-bit components.

Happily, the fix for this problem is relatively straightforward. To get started, close any instance of the Office program that you’re trying to open up and then head to the Control Panel. Navigate toPrograms > Programs and Features and then click Turn Windows features on or off.

Find Windows Search in the list, and ensure that its box is checked. Then click OK — you may need to restart your system for the changes to take effect.How to Stop Windows 10 Update From Restarting Without Asking How to Stop Windows 10 Update From Restarting Without AskingWindows 10 can be annoying by the way it restarts without any notice. Fortunately, there's a way around that.READ MORE

Start Office in Safe Mode

Sometimes the configuration message can hang as a result of third-party add-ins. By starting Microsoft Office in safe mode and circumventing these additional components, you can determine whether or not this is the case.

To activate safe mode, search for your desired Office program using the search bar, then hold CTRLas you click on it. The following message will appear:

Click Yes and see whether the program opens as normal. If it does, then you can disable the add-ins you have installed individually to find out which one is causing problems.

Disabling Add-ins

Head to File > Options and navigate to the Add-ins section. Make sure that the drop-down menu is set to COM Add-ins and then click the Go… button beside it.

Disable all your add-ins and restart the program to make sure that things run normally. Then, enable them one by one until you determine which one is to blame.10 Handy Productivity Add-Ins for Microsoft Word 10 Handy Productivity Add-Ins for Microsoft WordAdd-ins can completely change your workflow. If you no longer have to leave your document for small tasks, your productivity will soar. Try out these 10 mini apps for Microsoft Word.READ MORE

Fix Office With a Run Command

We can use the Run dialog to input commands that tweak the way that Windows programs are initialized. By doing so, we can work around whatever is causing the program to hang on the configuration message.

To open a Run dialog, press Windows key + R. Alternatively, you can just type “run” into the search bar.

First, try entering the following string into the field:

reg add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Word\Options /v NoReReg /t REG_DWORD /d 1

If this solution doesn’t work, then we might be able to use a switch to diagnose the problem.

Using Switches

Switches are instructions that change the way that a particular program behaves, that don’t require the user to open that piece of software. They can be particularly useful when we’re trying to diagnose a problem that’s preventing the program from starting up normally.25 Outlook 2016 Command Line Switches You Have to Know 25 Outlook 2016 Command Line Switches You Have to KnowYou can get more out of Outlook by learning how to use command line switches.READ MORE

Here are some switches that you can enter into a Run dialog in order to sniff out problems with Microsoft Office:

• winword /r — Resets Word’s registry values to their defaults.
• winword /m — Prevents Word from loading macros.
• winword /a — Prevents Word from loading its add-ins.

If you’re not working with Word, you can replace winword with excel for Excel and powerpnt for PowerPoint. Alternatively, you could write out the location of each program’s .exe file on the drive.

Do you know another fix for when Windows gets stuck configuring software? Or do you have a particular situation related to this error that you need help with? Either way, head to the comments section below to start the conversation!

How to Use Siri on Your Mac: A Quick Start Guide

Apple’s intelligent personal assistant Siri has (finally) made the jump to Mac, courtesy of the macOS 10.12 Sierra update. The update brings most of the features iOS users have had for years to the desktop, with a few caveats.5 Reasons to Install macOS Sierra Right Now & How to Upgrade 5 Reasons to Install macOS Sierra Right Now & How to UpgradeAfter a few months of public beta, the latest version of Apple's desktop operating system is ready for prime time.READ MORE

Controlling your Mac with your voice has never been easier. Here’s what you can do, and how to personalize the experience.

Hear the Voice

You’re asked to activate Siri during the macOS Sierra setup process. You can do this later by visitingSystem Preferences > Siri. On this screen, you can configure some things about how Siri works, including the default language and voice.

Siri on Mac is available in many languages, including multiple versions of Chinese, English, and Spanish. In the United States, most are familiar with the American female voice. You can change this to an American male voice, a male/female Australian and British voice, plus female versions of Irish and South African English voices. Each accent changes the general Siri experience on Mac. Play around with these to find the one that best suits your needs.Voice of Siri Susan Bennett Tells MakeUseOf How Siri Changed Her Life Voice of Siri Susan Bennett Tells MakeUseOf How Siri Changed Her LifeAt the forefront of Apple's original caring, often funny voice-powered assistant is a voice recognized the world over. That voice belongs to Susan Bennett.READ MORE

Unlike Siri on iOS, Apple’s voice assistant on Mac doesn’t respond when you say “Hey Siri”. Instead, to begin a query, click the Siri icon in the Mac dock or menubar in the top-right of the screen. You can also set up a keyboard shortcut.

Under System Preferences you’ll find the following options:

• Voice feedback — With this setting on, Siri responds to queries with a voice and by text. With this setting off, responses arrive through text only.
• Mic input — If you have external microphones, you can use this setting to select it.
• Keyboard shortcut — You can use any keyboard combination to activate Siri, withCommand+ Space being the default. You can also select from Option + Space and Function + Space. You can create different shortcuts by selecting Customize.

About Siri and Security

In macOS Sierra, Apple provides a lengthy security statement on Siri. Located on the Siri Settings page under “Siri and Privacy,” the report explains how Apple analyzes Siri queries. You should read this statement, especially as it relates to how Siri handles questions relating to Mac documents.Siri Is Listening: Has iOS Privacy Been Blown Open? Siri Is Listening: Has iOS Privacy Been Blown Open?Apple's has been accused of recording everything - absolutely everything - you say to Siri, and passing it to a third-party. But is this really a privacy breach, or is there good reason for it?READ MORE

On this point, Apple notes:

When you use Siri to search for your documents, the Siri request is sent to Apple, but the names and the content of your documents are not sent to Apple. The search is performed locally on the Mac.

You can learn more about how Cupertino handles privacy on the Apple website.

Siri on Mac offers a lot of useful features, even as a first generation release. These features fall into two broad categories, which we’ll call workflow and entertainment.

Let’s Get to Work

One of the main reasons to use Siri on your Mac is to improve and speed up your workflow. Central to this is Siri’s broad search capabilities. By just asking a question, Siri can find any document that resides on your Mac.Ditch The Dock To Speed Up Your Mac Workflow Ditch The Dock To Speed Up Your Mac WorkflowWhile the dock can't be entirely eliminated, there are many powerful alternatives that can reduce your dependence on using the dock as an app launcher.READ MORE

Finding Your Files

For example, you need to find a file with “2015” in the title. You don’t know the location of the file or its full file name. Before the arrival of Siri, you would type “2015” into Spotlight and hope for the best. With Siri, search becomes more efficient and yes, personal.

In our example, we could ask Siri:

• “Show me all files with ‘2015’ in the title.”
• “Show me files with ‘2015’ in the title, opened in 2016.”
• “Show me all records with ‘2015’ in the title, located in the Desktop folder.”

Do you use Dropbox or OneDrive? As long as a folder is accessible from your Mac, Siri can search through it, even when those are remote files.

Siri Loves Photos

Enjoy snapping photos? Siri can search for images with ease thanks to new tagging features in Photos for Mac in macOS Sierra. You can also use Siri to find images from the web.

For example, you could ask Siri:

• “Find photos from July 2014.”
• “Find pictures of a sunset on the web.”
• “Show me the NBC logo.”
• “Find my photos from the beach.”
• “Show me photos with Jon.”

Of course, for that last one to work you’ll need to open up Photos and label “Jon” under the newPeople album.

Conversions and Sums

Need to find a percentage quickly? Want to multiply two large numbers? Wondering how many feet are in 9 metres? Making a purchase overseas and wondering what it’ll cost in your local currency. These are all supported by Siri, simply ask:

• “What’s 17% of 350?”
• “How much is 45 multiplied by 300?”
• “How many miles is 75 kilometers?”
• “What is 500 US dollars in Australian dollars?”

Composing Documents

You can also create documents with Siri on Mac. To do so, start with a command such as “Send John a text” or “Send John an email”. From there, Siri will prompt you to compose the message using your voice.

When completed, Siri sends the message automatically. You can also use Siri to compose tweets, Facebook posts, and more. You cannot write documents in applications like Pages and Word with Siri. In this release, Siri cannot work with any third-party applications, unlike its iOS counterpart.

You could always try composing documents and longer passages with your Mac’s dictation feature though.Can You Write A Whole Article Using Voice Dictation on the Mac? Well I Just Did (And This Is It) Can You Write A Whole Article Using Voice Dictation on the Mac? Well I Just Did (And This Is It)What you're reading right now is an example of Apple's dictation and speech program in action. It may be useful for short passages, but can you write a whole article with it?READ MORE

Drag and Drop

Images, files, and other information Siri finds are easy to add to a folder. Just drag the results right to a window on your Desktop. Better still, you can pull images found on the web into Mac applications such as Pages and Numbers.

Free Space and Battery

Siri is also very good at finding critical information about your Mac, including free space and battery percentage.Calibrate & Maintain Your MacBook Battery For Best Performance Calibrate & Maintain Your MacBook Battery For Best PerformanceIf you correctly calibrate and maintain your MacBook battery, it's possible to improve performance and put off replacing it for as long as possible.READ MORE

To find this information, simply ask Siri:

• “How much free space do I have?”
• “How much battery do I have left?”

Whether it’s helping you compose a message or helping you find a relevant file, Siri on Mac has you covered.

The Fun Stuff

Your Mac likes to have fun too, and so does Siri. At launch, the voice assistant already knows a lot about the outside world, including sports news, Twitter results, weather, and more. Among the commands to try:

• “What’s happening in the world?”
• “What’s the weather in New York City?”
• “Did the Boston Red Sox win yesterday?”
• “What’s the latest from Twitter?”

Depending on your question, you can pin the results to Notification Center. By doing so, everything about that topic stays up to date. To pin an item, click on the “+” button at the top right of the Siri query result.

For example, the question “When do the New England Patriots play next” offers the results you see above. The Siri box contains information on the next two football games, including a score, when applicable. Notice that it also features the + button to pin this information to your Mac’s Notification Center.

To pin the entire future schedule of your favorite sports team, tell Siri something like, “New England Patriots schedule for 2016”.

There are a few more entertainment-related commands to get you started with Siri.

• “What’s on at the cinema?”
• “How many miles to Columbus, OH?”
• “How many days until Thanksgiving?”

Siri on Mac is packed full of beneficial features even on day one. Just imagine what the future holds in future macOS releases.