Apple purchases personal assistant app Cue, will bring the fight to Google Now

Despite having Siri as its primary voice assistant app, it looks like Apple wants to ramp up the competition when it comes to tackling Google Now. The Cupertino-based company has reportedly picked up a social search engine named Cue that constructs a personalised, dynamic calendar as it goes through your emails and contacts.

The price at which Cue seems to have been picked up is not sure and rumours vary. While AppleInsider says that the mobile service was sold for $35 million, TechCrunch says that it could have gone under the hammer for anywhere between $50 million to $60 million.

Might help Apple make Siri better

In its standard reply format to queries regarding an acquisition, an Apple Spokesperson said that the company “buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.” Cue, on the other hand, did not respond to queries at all.

Cue was formerly knows as Greplin and turned your email, contacts and calendar into “an intelligent snapshot of your day." All you need to do is let the service have access to your mail accounts as well as your calendar and Facebook along with any other services you depend on daily. Using algorithms, Cue would give you an overview of the day, including events and activities.

As is the norm with most takeovers of this sort, Cue shut down earlier this week, releasing a small note letting people know that the services were no longer available. It also offered to shell out a pro-rated refund to premium users. The app was pulled off the App Store too.

The service could come in handy to bolster Siri’s capabilities of giving you a more personal insight of your day’s activities and events. Whether it is pulling up an event from your calendar or setting an appointment to call up a friend whose birthday it is today Cue’s technology could make Siri a smart one.