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Apple Store app update adds Siri integration, gift cards

The tech giant rolls out new Siri integration and the ability to send gift cards with its new Apple Store app update, but it appears neither of these features are quite what they seem.

Dara Kerr Former senior reporter
Dara Kerr was a senior reporter for CNET covering the on-demand economy and tech culture. She grew up in Colorado, went to school in New York City and can never remember how to pronounce gif.
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Some of the features in the Apple Store app update don't appear to be working. Screenshot by Dara Kerr/CNET

Apple updated its Apple Store app today to include more advanced Siri integration and the ability to send gift cards via the iOS 6 Passbook app. This update should work on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

However, it appears that the gift card feature isn't exactly working, according to The Next Web.

The way the gift card feature works is it lets users buy Apple Store gift cards to send to friends or relatives with the Passbook app, which is Apple's stab at a digital wallet. But, according to The Next Web, users aren't yet able to e-mail the gift cards. The tech news site surmises that perhaps Apple just hasn't made the feature live yet.

For the Siri integration part of the update, users can now ask the voice recognition system about pricing and details on Apple products. For instance, if a user asks how much a Mac mini costs, Siri will quickly pull up the device's product page with details and pricing.

However, users don't actually need the updated app to get this feature. According to The Next Web, this new Siri integration also works on the old version of the app.

CNET contacted Apple for comment. We'll update the story when we get more information.