Perhaps my favorite new feature in Siri is one of the simplest: You can control where the audio output of iOS's virtual assistant goes. When there's more than one option--say, for example, that you're in your car, with a fancy Bluetooth stereo--a button appears that allows you to route Siri's voice to either the iPhone's speakers or your car's, thereby solving a problem that has likely had plenty of us swearing at our phones.

Still, I'm heartened by the fact that Apple hasn't ditched Siri by the roadside, despite the grief the feature has taken in some places. This is one of those technologies that has the potential to redefine how we interact with our electronic devices, but it's not going to spring forth fully formed, like Athena from Zeus's forehead; it's a slow, gradual process that won't seem revolutionary until we look back at how far we've come.

Even if iOS 6 doesn't perfect the virtual assistant, I look forward to seeing what Siri learns about next.

I'd love to tell you that Passbook is another one of those revolutionary technologies I just mentioned--heck, I'd love to tell you anything about Passbook. But unfortunately, as I write this the app remains an enigma. I've been unable to locate an app or business that is actively taking advantage of the app, so all I know is what Apple's told us: The goal of Passbook is to collect all those disparate cards and tickets you carry around into a single, central location.