Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On , a column about consumer technology. Nearly 25 years passed between Apple’s first foray into handheld electronics — the Newton MessagePad — and the far more successful iPhone. But while phones have replaced PDAs for all intents and purposes, few if any have tried to be what Newton really aspired to — an intelligent assistant that would seamlessly blend into your life. That has changed with Siri , the standout feature of iOS 5 on the iPhone 4S , which could aptly be described as a “personal digital assistant” if there weren’t so much baggage tied to that term.

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