FlashBriefing
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Google is using AI to curate personalized news for smart speakers
Every morning, without fail, I ask my closest smart speaker to play NPR. That's convenient, but it's only slightly better than turning on an old-school radio. Clearly, there's much more that a web-connected, voice-controlled speaker could do. And it seems Google has the same idea: the company announced today that it's developing an open audio news standard for the Assistant. When you ask your Google Home (or any other Assistant-powered device) to play the news, it'll automatically generate a playlist of stories based on your interests using the same technology behind the AI on Google News.
Alexa can brief you on the latest in music news
Alexa's Flash Briefings can help start your day by telling you about the latest headlines from various news sources and podcasts. Now, the voice assistant can also tell you what's going on about your favorite musicians. Amazon has launched "Today in Music" to provide you updates about the newest music news, releases, events and music-related Prime and Unlimited features, as well as to dole out music trivia and to hear exclusive commentary from artists. Everything will be curated by "the experts at Amazon Music," who'll also squeeze in tidbits about the playlists or stations they've just launched.
How to get Engadget UK Flash Briefings on your Amazon Echo
Here at Engadget UK, we want to deliver the latest technology news to wherever you are, on whatever device you happen to be using. You can already find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, but today we're adding a new "app" to the mix: an Engadget UK Flash Briefing for the Amazon Echo. Simply install our Echo skill and have Alexa read up-to-the-minute updates on what's happening in the world of technology.
