HarmanKardon
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Netgear and Harman Kardon’s smart speaker doubles as a WiFi repeater
An unlikely partnership between router maker Netgear and audio company Harman Kardon has resulted in a smart speaker that does just a little bit more than its competitors. The Orbi Voice isn't just another Alexa speaker, it's got serious sound pedigree and it acts as a WiFi repeater too, spreading internet while it's pumping tunes.
Harman Kardon's Google Assistant speaker packs 200W of power
You now have a viable option if you want a high-end Google Assistant speaker that slots between the good-but-not-mind-blowing Home Max and Bang & Olufsen's ultra-premium Beosound models. Harman Kardon has unveiled the Citation 500, a smart speaker that touts 200W of stereo audio and high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz support in a compact form for $600/£649. That's a huge outlay for any smart speaker, but it's not so ridiculous that you'd rule it out if you're a stickler for sound quality. It's difficult to say for sure that it bests the Home Max when Google doesn't provide official wattage, but it could easily outperform much of what's on the market.
You can now ask Cortana to check your Outlook email
Do you thrive on Outlook email, but wish you didn't have to stare at your PC or phone to catch new messages? You don't have to... if you have the right devices. Microsoft's Cortana assistant now lets you check for new Outlook emails using your voice if you're using Windows 10 or a Harman Kardon Invoke speaker and have set your language to US English. If you've used similar features with voice assistants like Siri, it behaves in a similar way: you can ask if there are new messages, get a summary of what's new and (most importantly) offer a short reply if it makes sense.
Hisense's $10,000 'Laser TV' is a true home cinema in box
Hisense announced a new theater system today -- the 100-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart Laser TV -- which is essentially a projector with speakers. The company says it uses movie theater technology to provide crisp, bright images that don't depend on the lighting in the room and Harman Kardon speakers to provide "room-filling sound with virtually no distortion."
Harman Kardon Invoke review: The first Cortana speaker sounds amazing
Smart speakers are everywhere this year. So far, we've seen new entries from Apple, Amazon, Google and Sonos. Now Microsoft is finally ready to join the party. The Harman Kardon Invoke is the first speaker to feature Microsoft's Cortana virtual assistant. Since it's coming from a brand known for audio gear, it promises better sound than the competition. And for the most part, it succeeds. The Invoke is miles ahead of Amazon's original Echo and Google's Home when it comes to audio quality. But Cortana still has to mature a bit before it can successfully take on Alexa.
Cortana can command your smart home devices on Windows 10
Now that Google has unveiled the new additions to its Home speaker lineup and Sonos has launched its own Alexa-enabled device, Microsoft seriously has to hurry up if it wants its assistant to have a shot at finding a place in our homes. Even though we may finally be close to seeing the Cortana-enabled Harman Kardon Invoke speaker arrive in stores, Microsoft is still lagging behind its rivals in the smart home race. The company may be trying to catch up, and has added a new "Connected Home" section to the Cortana Notebook menu in some Windows 10 PCs.
Harman's Cortana-powered speaker may go on sale soon for $200
Harman Kardon's Cortana-powered speaker might be hitting stores sometime soon. The Verge reports that a listing for the Invoke with Cortana has shown up in Microsoft's store alongside a $200 price tag.
Harman now has smart speakers for Alexa, Cortana and Google Assistant
When you're looking for a smart home speaker, you might think you're stuck with those made by Amazon, Apple or Google in order to use the specific intelligent assistants from the respective companies. Now, however, you can pick up a speaker that works with Alexa or Google Assistant, in addition to the one that already supports Microsoft's Cortana. The Samsung-owned Harman International just announced three new JBL Link speakers at IFA, each a voice activated speaker with Google Assistant built in. The company also revealed the Harman Kardon Allure, an Alexa-enabled smart speaker with 360-degree sound.
Here's our first look at Harman Kardon's Cortana speaker
We first heard about Harman Kardon's smart speaker earlier this month, but haven't had a chance to try it out or even see what it looks like in person. That is, until now. The Cortana-powered Echo rival made an oh-so-brief appearance here at Microsoft's Computex 2017 keynote. Even though we still couldn't physically touch it, we were at least able to take some close-up pictures of the device. We also caught a fleeting look at an upcoming HP Cortana speaker that looked sort of like a white Echo Dot, but that was only a picture on a slideshow -- the device itself was nowhere to be found at the event. We'll surely hear more about it soon enough, though. Meanwhile, feast your eyes on Harman Kardon's elegant cylindrical gadget with a tapering metal body -- and hang tight while we try our hardest to get you more impressions before it arrives this fall.
Harman Kardon's Cortana-powered Echo rival makes Skype calls
If last year was all about the rise of Alexa and Google Assistant, 2017 might be when Cortana and Siri have time to shine. Apple is reportedly due to launch its oft-rumored connected speaker at its WWDC conference next month, but Microsoft has been quite open about its plan to expand its AI assistant beyond mobile and the desktop. In December, it teamed up with audio specialist Harman Kardon to begin building the first in a wider line of connected speakers. However, details have been scarce. Now, thanks to a (now pulled) landing page on the Samsung-owned company's website, we have a name -- Invoke -- and a better understanding of what it will offer.
Running with an AI 'personal trainer' is fun, but expensive
The artificial intelligence that we hope will exist in our lifetimes is a world away from what's available right now. A thinking computer that knows us better than we know ourselves, and can make us better than we are, is still the stuff of fantasy. But if our goals are simple and easy to understand, does an AI really need to be that smart to get the job done? For instance, can a pair of swanky headphones with an AI personal trainer make me a better runner?
Samsung completes its biggest acquisition ever
Despite its explosive growth, Samsung has mostly preferred to buy smaller startups or develop its own technology. That changed last November when the company announced it would purchase Harman International Industries, Incorporated for about $8 billion, and tonight it confirmed the deal is complete.
Samsung buying auto and audio giant Harman for $8 billion
Samsung has agreed to acquire Harman International Industries, an auto parts supplier best known by consumers for its Harman Kardon audio division. The $8 billion, all-cash deal is the largest in Samsung's history, and an unusual move for a company that normally develops tech in-house. It instantly makes Samsung a much bigger player in the connected and autonomous vehicle industry dominated by Google, Apple and automakers like Tesla, GM and Volvo.
Samsung's cylindrical PC looks like a very trendy trash can
Apple, HP and MSI aren't the only ones big on super-stylish, trash can-shaped desktop PCs. Samsung has quietly started taking pre-orders for the ArtPC Pulse, a cylindrical computer that bears more than a passing resemblance to the current-generation Mac Pro. The two systems couldn't be more different in terms of focus, however. While the Mac is aimed squarely at workstation users, the ArtPC is most definitely intended for home use. Its centerpiece is a top-mounted, 360-degree Harman Kardon speaker with ambient lighting -- much like HP's Pavilion Wave, this could sit in your living room just as easily as it could in your den.
LG shows off a 4K laptop with Harman Kardon speakers
The first official day of CES 2016 is underway, which means it's time to find those products companies left out of their keynote. Let's start with LG. Tucked in a small corner of its booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the South Korean firm is showcasing the 15U560, a 15.6-inch laptop with a 4K (3,840 x 2,160) display. Powered by Windows 10, it also features Harman Kardon speakers, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, NVIDIA 940M graphics and your choice of a 1TB hard drive or 512GB SSD
Google Cast is coming to more speakers this year
At last year's CES, Google announced that the Cast tech that allows you to beam video with a Chromecast would be available to audio as well. This meant that companies were free to put the feature in new devices alongside AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. While a few options arrived in 2015, Cast isn't yet a common feature on new speakers, soundbars and other audio gear. That stands to change in 2016, and today, a number of audio companies announced plans to take advantage this year.
Harman Kardon's Omni+ speakers offer HD multi-room audio
When it comes to speakers, connected gadgets capable of multi-room audio are all the rage these days. At CES 2016, Harman Kardon pulled the wraps off its new line of devices that'll do just that. The Omni+ collection includes the Omni 10+, Omni 20+, OmniBar+, Adapt+, and the Omni 50+. That's four speakers, a soundbar and an add-on for those older non-wireless speakers. Each piece of audio gear handles high-definition audio streaming with 24-bit/192KHz quality and there's a controller app for beaming songs with either Spotify Connect of Google Cast. There's no mention of AirPlay, but that companion app is available on iOS and plays nice with other streaming services like Deezer and Tidal.
Rdio hits Harman/Kardon and Denon connected speakers, Samsung TVs
If you prefer Rdio's brand of music streaming, there are some new options for connected speakers and smart TVs that play nice with the service. The audio subscription (including its free tier) is now available on Harman/Kardon and Denon audio gear and Samsung's line of smart TVs. What's more, Rdio will soon launch on connected TVs from Hisense and LG as well. These devices join Rdio's list of in-home tech that already includes the likes of Sonos, Roku, Amazon TV, Chromecast and more. The music app also plays nice with Google Cast, so you can employ it on compatible speaker setups from LG and Sony.
IRL: A few weeks with HTC's One M8 Harman Kardon Edition
When HTC CEO Peter Chou first confirmed the existence of the Harman Kardon edition One M8 at a small press event in New York City, I leaned over to a reporter friend sitting next to me and mouthed a few choice expletives. Wasn't this Sprint event supposed to be about Spotify? And HD Voice? Where the hell was this coming from? After a few weeks of using the thing, I'm still not entirely sure why this needs to exist... but I'm sort of glad it does.
Here's how to to get that Harman Kardon sound on your new HTC One
The recent introduction of a special edition One M8 by Sprint, which features some sound-enhancing software from Harman Kardon, had a few owners of HTC's flagship feeling slightly neglected. Thankfully, nursed by the beauty of Android's open ecosystem, the great minds over at XDA Developers have figured out a way to get the Clari-fi sound feature up and running in just about any US model of the new HTC One. Not surprisingly, you'll need to root your M8 in order to make this happen -- as always, do this only if you feel comfortable with a bit of unsupported tinkering.
