EghtesadOnline: Apple Inc. has shaken up responsibility for a key product, Siri , in an effort to integrate the voice-activated assistant more deeply into the company’s devices in the face of competition from rivals including Amazon.com Inc.

EghtesadOnline: When Siri is asked whether she has a boyfriend, the iPhone's digital assistant is usually quick to deflect the question with a quip about drones always trying to pick her up.

EghtesadOnline: Apple Inc.’s first major new product for two years, the HomePod speaker, marks the biggest effort yet from the technology company to use its Siri digital assistant to keep customers wedded to a growing palette of products and services.

EghtesadOnline: Apple Inc. is already in your pocket, on your desk and underneath your television. Soon, a device embossed with “Designed by Apple in California” may be on your nightstand or kitchen counter as well.

EghtesadOnline: Apple Inc. got an early start in artificial intelligence software with the 2011 introduction of Siri , a tool that lets users operate their smartphones with voice commands.