I have the trial version installed on my computer, but it doesn't seem much different than the one i installed two years ago. I wonder if the software could be expanded. It is only a few megabytes. Could there not be an addressbook where you could type in the address and contact info of various people, including their full names and whether that person is a relative? That way when you talk about somebody by their first name, Hal could ask if you are talking about X listed in the addressbook, your brother or someone else.
Also, i think Hal should come preconfigured with some knowledge from wikipedia. Perhaps not the whole thing, but with some knowledge.
I tried installing a plug in in the brain, but it seemed to complicated, so i left it.