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Alexa can help improve your ‘Call of Duty: WWII’ K/D ratio
Amazon has been adding some pretty mainstream entertainment skills, like recapping NBA and NHL scores. But now you can ask the voice assistant how you did in your last Call of Duty: WWII match, too. The new skill, available in beta, will use AI and machine learning to give personalized tips to improve your play in, of course, a soldier-sounding voice.
LG appliances now respond to both Alexa and Google Assistant
LG has officially joined the ranks of appliance makers that support more than one voice assistant. The electronics giant has announced that its current collection of ThinQ-branded appliances now takes commands from both Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. The amount of control you'll have will vary, of course, but there are common elements: you can make ice in your fridge door, turn off the oven or cool down with your air conditioner.
Alexa's DVR controls will finally let you record a show
For all the recent talk of using Alexa to control DVRs, there's been a conspicuous inability to record to a DVR using the voice assistant. That won't be a problem for much longer: Amazon has bolstered Alexa's Voice Skill programming kit with recording features. Tell the AI helper to record a favorite show or sports extravaganza and you'll capture the show without having to touch a remote or your smartphone. You'll have to wait for TV and set-top providers to take advantage of this, but DirecTV, Dish, TiVo and Verizon are already lining up to provide support "soon."
Neato's voice-activated Botvac arrives in the US for $800
Neato first unveiled the Botvac D7 Connected vacuum over six months ago and it has finally arrived in the US and Europe. The company's flagship robotic vacuum packs a lot of tech, including Amazon Alexa and Google Home voice control, a floor planner that lets you set no-go zones (pet and children's areas, for instance), and the LaserSmart system that can guide it in the dark. It supports IFTTT, Android Wear and Apple Watch, and using the iOS and Android Neato app, you can check coverage maps to see where it has cleaned.
Alexa now controls your FiOS TV set-top box
Verizon's FiOS TV boxes haven't lived on the cutting edge of technology, but they're catching up in an important way: voice control. Big Red has quietly introduced an Alexa skill for its FiOS Video Media Server set-tops, letting you change the channel (by name or number) and steer DVR playback with spoken commands. You'll need Multi-Room DVR Enhanced or Premium service, but this makes life a little easier if you happen to have an Echo speaker (or any Alexa device) and would rather not find the remote buried between the couch cushions.
Gordon Ramsay will insult your sandwiches with Alexa's help
If your life won't be complete until you've gotten roasted by Gordon Ramsay like that dude in that Super Bowl ad, then Alexa can help make your dream come true. Ground Control, the same interactive audio company behind "Biden's Briefing" that uses the former VP's voice to read news, has released a new Alexa skill that brings the famous chef to your kitchen. Just say "Alexa, ask Gordon Ramsay what he thinks about my [insert food here]," and the skill will "critique" your work.
Alexa can now control your HP printer
HP has been working on bringing voice control to its printers, introducing Cortana and Google Assistant skills last year that let users tell their virtual assistants to print a variety of different documents for them. Now, as of this week, Alexa-enabled devices can also connect to HP home printers.
Garmin Speak Plus mixes Amazon Alexa with a dash cam
Don't think it's enough to have Amazon Alexa in your car? Garmin thinks it has a better proposition: throw in a dash cam. Its new Speak Plus includes the same voice assistant that offers directions, music playback and other hands-free controls, but it also tucks in a camera that can both record "incidents" (read: collisions) and deliver alerts. It'll warn you if you're too close to a car, if you're drifting out of your lane or if that gridlocked traffic has finally started moving.
