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Amazon's new Echo Dot offers better sound at the same price
As rumored, Amazon isn't playing around and it's getting ready to launch a slew of Alexa-powered devices. First up, it's a new Echo Dot, which the company says offers better sound than before and it's still only $50. According to Amazon, this Dot is 70 percent louder compared the previous model, thanks to a 1.6-inch driver that's designed to deliver more powerful sound with lower distortion and "enhanced" bass. It also comes with an upgraded appearance, featuring a fabric coat that makes it look more stylish than the existing plastic hockey puck.
Amazon Echo Sub and Smart Plug leak ahead of event
You might just be looking at some of the Alexa-powered devices due to show at Amazon's rumored hardware event this month. Pocket-lint has spotted listings (since pulled) for the Echo Sub wireless subwoofer (above) and Smart Plug (below), both of which see Amazon venturing into unfamiliar territory. The Sub adds 100W of bass to an Echo or Echo Plus setup, whether it's one speaker or two -- yes, stereo pairing would also be new. It reportedly cost £75 (about $99) when it shipped on October 11th, which might be a small price to pay if your rap or trance isn't sufficiently room-shaking.
BMW will release its in-car voice-controlled assistant next year
BMW unveiled its Intelligent Personal Assistant at TechCrunch Disrupt today, which will give drivers voice control over their vehicle's settings, alert them to issues and let them check in on their car's health. It's scheduled to roll out in March of next year to all BMW models with the new BMW Operating System 7.0. "The always on-call technology platform is an intelligent, digital character that responds to the prompt 'Hey BMW' and has the ability to serve the driver in a range of ways from controlling vehicle settings, navigation and entertainment systems to explaining vehicle functions and even conducting a conversation," said BMW.
Alexa and Cortana devices can control your Xbox One by voice
Microsoft's Alexa-Cortana love affair now extends to the console in your living room. As rumored in June, Xbox Insiders in the US can now use Alexa and Cortana voice commands to control Xbox One systems using a new skill that fills in most of the Kinect-sized void. You can turn on (or turn off) your console, navigate to Xbox interface areas, control media playback, capture game media and toggle Mixer broadcasts. These won't be revelations if you've used a Kinect, but it's much more flexible this time around -- and, of course, brings these voice controls to people who've never owned Microsoft's depth camera.
Google Assistant now controls your Nest x Yale smart lock
You'd think the Nest x Yale Lock would support Google Assistant from the outset given its pedigree, but not so -- you've had to use the app. It's finally here, though. As of August 29th, you can use Google Assistant to control the Nest x Yale Lock with your voice. You can lock the door or check its status whether or not you're at home, including as part of Assistant's Routines. If you're ready to pack it in for the night, you can lock the door as you're shutting off the lights.
Yuneec's Mantis Q drone packs 4K and voice control for $500
DJI's Spark isn't the only game in town if you want a small, relatively powerful drone with a semi-reasonable price tag. Yuneec has launched US pre-orders for the Mantis Q, a robotic flier that blurs the lines between 'budget' drones like the Spark and higher-end counterparts like the Mavic Air. For $500, you're mostly getting technology that would normally require a much costlier outlay, including 4K video recording, infrared- and sonar-based indoor stabilization, and foldable arms that make it easy to shove in a backpack. There are even relatively rare features like voice control, face detection, a 44MPH top speed and a comparatively lengthy 33-minute flight time.
Samsung's upgraded Bixby assistant is still rough around the edges
Samsung understandably focused most of its attention on the Galaxy Note 9 at its Unpacked event, but it also used the media gathering to unveil the next generation of Bixby, and... well, it's a mixed bag. The new AI helper delivers some sincerely helpful functional improvements. It can find events near you, and it will not only attach Yelp ratings when you search for things to do but also deliver results based on your personal preferences. If you're fond of sushi, for instance, those restaurants will float to the top. You can also reserve restaurants, hail Uber rides and perform certain other tasks right from Bixby, with tight Spotify integration on the way.
Google Assistant's visual smart home controls are on the way
You don't have to pick up a smart display to use touch-savvy controls in Google Assistant. Users at Droid Life and elsewhere have noticed that Google is rolling out visual smart home controls (teased back at I/O in May) to mobile devices. When you issue certain smart home commands, you'll get a handful of basic controls to fine-tune the results if they're not quite what you were looking for. You can raise the temperature on your air conditioner, or turn off a light instead of turning it down.
GE's Alexa microwave cooks when you scan a barcode (updated)
Want to know just how connected even a relatively ordinary microwave has become? Just ask GE Appliances. The brand has unveiled the Smart Countertop Microwave with Scan-to-Cook, which touts both Alexa voice control compatibility and its namesake scanning feature to speed up your culinary duties. The Alexa support is fairly self explanatory (you can use an Alexa device to add time or stop cooking), but Scan-to-Cook could be particularly helpful if you hate interpreting instructions on food boxes. You just have to scan a barcode on the packaging with a mobile app and it'll choose the appropriate time and power levels. In other words, you shouldn't risk ruining your macaroni the first time you nuke it.
Acer adds a free Echo Dot to its Alexa-equipped laptops
If you've been eyeing Acer's Alexa-enabled laptops, you may want to check out the company's deals on Amazon for Prime subscribers. The manufacturer has slashed $50 off all available models' prices, which really isn't that much -- good thing Acer is also giving out a free Echo Dot speaker with every purchase. These laptops come built-in with Amazon's voice assistant, and you can ask it questions and access skills like you would on one of the tech giant's Echo speakers.
Google Assistant brings voice control to Dish Hoppers
Dish launched Alexa support for its Hopper and Wally set-top boxes last year, so the devices can already do your bidding with just a spoken command. Now, the satellite TV provider is giving you another voice control option: one that should make you happy if you prefer Google's AI to Amazon's. The company's Hopper family of receivers, all Joey clients and Wally single-tuner HD now work with Google Assistant. So long as you have an Android device, an iPhone loaded with the AI's app or an Assistant device such as a Home speaker or a Home mini, you can navigate its channels and shows with your voice.
Amazon Alexa for iOS can now respond to spoken commands
You can finally use Amazon Alexa for iOS as an (almost) hands-free voice assistant. The tech giant has rolled out voice control to the iOS version of its assistant, so you can simply fire up the app on the iPhone to use it to adjust your smart lights or to start playing music. You can use trigger words to summon Alexa skills, as well as ask the assistant questions about sports, history and pretty much everything you want to. For some queries like weather forecasts and movie times, it also shows on-screen responses with additional details. We said "almost" hands-free, though, because you still need to tap the Alexa button for the app to respond to your spoken commands.
Mozilla may be working on a voice-controlled browser
Mozilla may be working on a voice-controlled platform of its own. A listing for an all-hands internal meeting appeared about what seems like a new project: Scout. "With the Scout app, we start to explore browsing and consuming content with voice," it read. It's very unclear what the platform may or may not end up doing, as the meeting is focused on technical requirements for a "voice browser" that would, as a stated example, be able to read users an article about polar bears.
Dish expands Amazon Alexa voice control of its set-top boxes
Last year, Dish launched an Amazon Alexa skill for its Hopper and Wally set-top boxes that allowed users to change the channel, search for shows or control playback with their voice. Now, the company is expanding its Alexa capabilities with the ability to set recordings, launch apps such as Pandora or Netflix and navigate Home, Guide, DVR, On Demand, Settings and Help menus on Hopper boxes.
Comcast and Fandango try selling movie tickets through X1
The latest wrinkle for Comcast's X1 platform is an ability to kick-start the movie ticket purchasing process from your voice remote. A link with (NBCUniversal-owned) Fandango means that after pulling up the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom trailer on your TV, if you say "get tickets" or hit the info button it can pull up show times at local theaters, although actually buying them requires completing the process on Fandango's mobile app or website. Comcast VP Nancy Spears said in a statement that "Xfinity X1 enables us to continually explore one-of-a-kind experiences that complement the TV viewing experience, allowing viewers to interact with content where and when it is convenient for them. We're launching this experience starting with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in conjunction with the film's trailer and look forward to further enhancing additional movie titles with this functionality throughout the year." Even if it's limited just to corporate partners, the list of eligible movies could grow if Comcast manages to pull off a purchase of Fox's assets, and for Fandango it follows a similar integration with Instagram. Whether or not that happens, the interactive element could be the start of a trend as the cable company tries to find more ways to increase revenue from the customers who still have pay-TV at home. While we're usually heading to YouTube for our trailer viewing, the boxes already have a YouTube app (and Netflix of course) trying to keep viewers in the ecosystem as much as possible. For the new Jurassic Park flick, it's pulling together a curated selection of videos accessible by saying the title into your voice remote that has the previous films plus clips and trailers.
Russian search giant Yandex built a smart speaker for its AI assistant
Russia isn't going to sit on the sidelines while American companies like Amazon and Google conquer the smart speaker world. Search giant Yandex has launched the Yandex.Station, billed both as Russia's first smart speaker and the company's first hardware product. The device uses Yandex's in-house voice assistant, Alice, to handle upwards of 4,000 skills like checking traffic, ordering pizza or finding flights. However, its real specialty is video -- it's an unusual bridge between audio-only speakers and smart displays.
Samsung wants AI features in all its devices by 2020
Samsung hasn't been shy about wanting to spread AI features like Bixby beyond its mobile devices. But how far is it willing to go? Very far, actually. The company's Kim Hyun-suk told the Wall Street Journal that he expects AI features to be available in all Samsung products by 2020. It'll accomplish that in part by building up a team of 1,000 AI-focused engineers in the same time frame, including reassignments for some staff. In theory, that makes it easier to use Samsung's many, many devices, and gives it a way of standing out compared to its less-connected peers.
Acer offers the first laptops with Alexa built-in
HP may have been the first to offer an all-in-one with Alexa built-in, but Acer is determined to do the same for the laptop realm. It just revealed that several of its laptops are the first to ship with Amazon's voice assistant already installed. The Spin 3 and Spin 5 should be available at stores right now, while the Nitro 5 Spin convertible will pack Alexa when it arrives in June. Aspire, Switch and Swift PCs (including Aspire desktops) will offer Alexa with shipments over the "next few weeks."
Samsung will debut Bixby 2.0 with the next Galaxy Note
Samsung has been teasing its upgraded Bixby 2.0 assistant for several months now, but when is it actually going to show up in something you can buy? It shouldn't take too much longer. The company's AI research center head Gray G. Lee told the Korea Herald that the new AI helper will arrive with the upcoming flagship phone in the second half of 2018 -- in other words, the next Galaxy Note. While Lee didn't show all of Samsung's cards, he promised better natural language processing, faster responses and better results in noisy environments.
Alexa skills can talk to you using different voices
Do you wish Alexa would respond to your commands with different voices? You'll get your wish soon. Amazon has released a developer preview that lets Alexa skill developers use a selection of voices from Polly (Amazon's text-to-speech service). An adventure story can give each character a different voice, for instance. Creators could already 'hack' additional voices in through MP3 recordings and similar techniques, but this is decidedly more elegant.
