According to Axios, which broke the news, Apple paid around $30 million upfront and promised around $10 million in potential earn-outs for management. Since Cupertino has yet to formally announce the acquisition, it's not entirely clear what it plans to do with PullString's technology yet. Presumably, the purchase could also lead to software to help more people create Siri apps of their own. That could give Siri and Apple's Echo-rival, the HomePod, the oomph they need to be a better competitor to Alexa and Google Assistant.

We might also see Siri-powered toys in the future, though it remains to be seen whether Cupertino will catch as much flak as Mattel did when it released Hello Barbie. People viewed that doll as a surveillance tool, especially after warnings from security researchers about potential vulnerabilities. These days, however, consumers are much more used to the idea of keeping devices that listen for wake words and voice commands in their homes.