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iMac Pro Will Have An A10 Fusion Coprocessor For 'Hey, Siri' Support and More Secure Booting, Says Report (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the always-listening dept.

According to Apple firmware gurus Steven Troughton-Smith and Guilherme Rambo, the upcoming iMac Pro will feature an A10 Fusion coprocessor to enable two interesting new features. "The first is the ability for the iMac Pro to feature always-on 'Hey, Siri' voice command support, similar to what's currently available on more recent iPhone devices," reports The Verge. "[T]he bigger implication of the A10 Fusion is for a less user-facing function, with Apple likely to use the coprocessor to enable SecureBoot on the iMac Pro." From the report: In more practical terms, it means that Apple will be using the A10 Fusion chip to handle the initial boot process and confirm that software checks out, before passing things off to the regular x86 Intel processor in your Mac. It's not something that will likely change how you use your computer too much, like the addition of "Hey, Siri" support will, but it's a move toward Apple experimenting with an increased level of control over its software going forward.

8 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. Secure for who? by davecb · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Apple is motivated to protect their customers at the moment, but if there is enough pressure or investment from those wishing otherwise, the secure coprocessor becomes just another back door.

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    davecb@spamcop.net
  2. Is it me or... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 4, Insightful

    do you want your computer listening all the time? Is there any way to turn Siri off short of pulling the plug out?

    1. Re:Is it me or... by Mr_Trebuchet · · Score: 3, Informative

      do you want your computer listening all the time? Is there any way to turn Siri off short of pulling the plug out?

      [System Preferences --> Siri --> uncheck "Enable Siri"]

    2. Re:Is it me or... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 5, Informative

      Will this just turn off response, or will this still send audio to Apple's clown servers in case someone turns Siri on in the next 5 seconds?

      It deciphers the Hey Siri! Phrase on-chip. Nothing is sent to Apple until AFTER you utter the Trigger Phrase.

  3. More Secure Booting? by IWantMoreSpamPlease · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Meaning you can't install an alt-OS to it?

    --
    So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
  4. Not really... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 3

    Intel is not requiring Secure Boot, even after 2020 -- you'll still be able to install an OS of choice.

  5. I'm surprised by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A couple dozen comments in, and no one has pointed out the silliness of touting "Hey Siri" as a defining feature for a supposed pro workstation.

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    #DeleteChrome
  6. Re:x86 Coprocessor? by PhunkySchtuff · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This could also be the start of a push to using ARM chips in Macs. It's not like Apple are scared of changing horses half way through the race having switched from M68k to PPC to x86 to x64 and then with 32-bit and 64-bit ARM cores running the same OS kernel on mobile devices.

    The latest Apple A-series chips in the iPhone 8 and X also seem to hold their own in benchmarks against the x86 processors used in (the admittedly outdated hardware in) the MacBook Air and the (not quite as outdated) MacBook.

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    Specialist Mac support for creative pros, Melbourne