Rumors about a new Apple search engine have been doing the rounds since the start of the year. For once, this tech rumor seems to have had some basis in truth as the company looks set to launch a new discovery tool for iOS 9.
Code-named "Proactive," the tool isn't a traditional search engine but is more of a rival to Google Now that aims to provide iOS users with any information they need.
9to5Mac reports that Apple is set to reveal Proactive as a vital part of iOS 9 at the company's annual worldwide developer conference on June 8. Proactive will reportedly combine information from Siri, Contacts, Calendar, Passbook and third-party apps to create an evolution of the Spotlight search feature that provides users with information when they need it, similarly to how Google Now operates. It will also work with Apple Maps to display points of interest personally relevant to the user in an augmented reality display and integrate with a third-party Siri API code-named "Breadcrumbs."
The report claims that Apple has been working on the tool since the 2013 acquisition of personal assistant app, Cue. Proactive will be located to the left of the home screen, where Spotlight lived in iOS7. Usage of Spotlight, Apple's system-wide search, dropped when it was hidden at the top of the screen in iOS8.
Within the Proactive screen there will be a search bar at the top, below which there will be content based on the user's Apps, Contacts and Maps. For example, if a user has a flight scheduled in his calendar and a boarding pass printed in Passbook, a bubble will show in Proactive close to the flight time to allow him to access the boarding pass quickly. It will also learn a user's habits and suggest apps based on those routines. For example, if you always check Twitter when you wake, a notification will appear in the morning allowing you to open your Twitter app with one click. It will also give restaurant or bar recommendations based on your phone's location.
Then there's the augmented reality maps that arise from the acquisition of Spotsetter, a social search engine. Using this feature a user can hold his phone up to a street and Proactive will display a virtual view of businesses on that street, including restaurant and cafe menus and shopping directories.
9to5Mac's sources also suggest that Apple will allow third-party developers to integrate their apps with iOS search results and Siri. The scaled down Siri API code-named "Breadcrumbs" is apparently a limited version of Siri as Apple believes integration with a full Siri API could lead to personal data being sent to the wrong third-party apps.
If the report proves to be true it would be a huge improvement over current versions of Siri and Spotlight and be a genuine rival to Google Now. It would make for some interesting news on June 8 when Apple is also expected to unveil its new streaming music service.
