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Bixby Routines promise to turn the S10 into a precog
Samsung's AI assistant, Bixby, is getting an update on the shiny-new Galaxy S10 with Bixby Routines, a feature that learns your habits to preemptively launch apps or settings when you're most likely to need them. For instance, getting into your car could automatically trigger Spotify or turn on Do Not Disturb mode, while heading to bed could boot up battery-saving modes. Or, users can program routines manually.
We’re live at Samsung’s Galaxy S10 event!
Mobile World Congress is just around the corner, but wouldn't you know it — Samsung wanted all the attention it could get. Because of that, we're coming to you this morning from beautiful, foggy San Francisco, where the company plans to finally reveal its 2019 flagship phones: the S10, the S10+ and, uh, whatever that cheaper model is actually called.
Tune in to our Galaxy S10 liveblog tomorrow at 2PM ET!
It's hard to believe sometimes, but Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones have been around for nearly a decade -- no wonder the company's trying something a little different for the launch of its new Galaxy S10s. Rather than compete for attention with everyone else at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Samsung is taking over the Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco to celebrate ten generations of flagship phones. (Oh, and lots of other things too, we're sure.) How could we not liveblog that?
What to expect from Samsung’s Galaxy S10 event
We're mere days away from Samsung's next Unpacked event, so the Korean conglomerate is all but ready to dish the details on the Galaxy S10 smartphone family. Not that we're totally in the dark, of course. As is the case in the lead-up to all flagship smartphone launches, the rumor mill has been picking up pace over the past weeks and months, giving us more than a few hints on what to expect on February 20th. The new Galaxy S10 range will obviously be the headline act, but Samsung's foldable phone is certain to make an appearance, and perhaps there'll be a few surprises that've thus far avoided the leak treatment, too.
Samsung's Galaxy Home is here at CES, and you can (sort of) talk to it
When Samsung revealed its oddly shaped, Bixby-powered Galaxy Home last year, many of expected the company to launch it immediately. That, uh, didn't happen. It's been five months since then, and Samsung still refuses to discuss when its first smart speaker will go on sale, or how much it'll cost when it does. Hell, even though Samsung has trotted out the speaker a few times since that day in Brooklyn, it generally hasn't let members of the public actually talk to it. At this year's CES, though, that changed — sort of.
Samsung says Bixby will soon work with Google Maps, YouTube
Samsung announced today that Bixby will be integrated into more of its products, including its 2019 QLED TVs as well as a range of smart appliances like refrigerators, washers and AI speakers. Additionally, the company said its assistant will also be able to help drivers and passengers as it's expanding into Samsung's new Digital Cockpit. As it shared how Bixby has expanded, Samsung described the assistant as a scalable, open platform and says it now includes partners like Uber, iHeartRadio and Ticketmaster.
Samsung updates Family Hub smart fridge with new UI
Samsung is adding more features to its Family Hub smart refrigerator, and the company claims its latest version is more intelligent than any other. Family Hub 2019 includes a redesigned screen experience and Samsung says users will be able to ask difficult questions in natural language. Answers are powered by Bixby and the assistant will also let Family Hub users preset the oven, search for recipes and call an Uber through voice control. Bixby will also display relevant information on the Family Hub screen.
Samsung's 2019 TVs could add Google Assistant AI along with Bixby
CES 2019 is right around the corner, and we're preparing to learn all about next year's major electronics releases. Of course that will include a slew of new TVs, and Variety reports that Samsung is planning a couple of upgrades focused on AI assistants and audio. While the company enhanced the 2018 QLED TVs with its own Bixby AI assistant, next year it could go a step further with support for third party technology, namely Google Assistant. Other manufacturers already support assistants from companies like Google and Amazon, and opening up access will make linking to the rest of the smart home that much easier for people who don't go all-in on Samsung's brand. The other major upgrade mentioned applies to audio, with Variety pointing out trademarks recently filed around spatial and volume intelligence. From the names, it seems like Samsung might be planning technology similar to what we've seen in Google's Home Max and Apple's HomePod, where it can learn more about the room it is in and adjust sound accordingly. We'll find out the real information in just a few more days once the show starts in Las Vegas.
Samsung opens Bixby assistant to developers
Samsung is widening Bixby's reach in a big way. The company is opening its AI assistant to developers, giving them the power to build their own Bixby-based apps. A Bixby Marketplace will even help developers make money from the intelligent companion. There will be a Bixby Developer Studio tool for writing Bixby-friendly code.
Samsung will reportedly open its Bixby assistant to developers
Samsung apparently has enough confidence in its half-baked voice assistant, Bixby, that it plans to open it up to developers, according to the WSJ. At its San Francisco developer conference next week, it plans to roll out new features for the assistant and open it up completely to developers, much as Amazon and Google have done with Alexa and Google Assistant. It will reportedly show developers how they can create Alexa-like skills for ordering food or hailing rides, called "capsules."
Samsung makes it easier to avoid Bixby on the Note 9
Samsung's Bixby isn't exactly the most popular voice assistant, which is why some Galaxy Note 9 owners have been frustrated by the inclusion of a Bixby button on their handset. One tap would bring up the voice assistant, often by accident, and there was no way to disable it. Now, according to Android Authority, the new Note 9 software, which rolls out today, gives users the option to launch Bixby with a double tap, rather than a single tap.
Chat with Bixby to buy tickets from Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster has partnered with Samsung's Bixby, allowing users in North America to find and purchase event tickets through the virtual assistant. The feature is powered by Ticketmaster's API and Galaxy Note 9 users can now ask Bixby to find events by artist, team, location or date. Just say something like, "Hi Bixby, find concert tickets in Los Angeles," or, "Hi Bixby, what sporting events are happening in New York this weekend?" The assistant will provide results fitting the request and users can then purchase tickets to events available through Ticketmaster.
Bixby still isn’t smart enough for a speaker
As it gears up to move into a new home (a Galaxy Home, to be specific), Bixby is far from ready. Samsung's digital assistant has become infamous for its tardiness, and even after showing up late to the AI party, Bixby doesn't have much to show for the extra time. It's not smarter than the rest and doesn't offer any new tricks, even in the recently announced Galaxy Home, other than perhaps better sound quality. As much as I'm excited about Samsung potentially giving Amazon, Google and Apple some competition in the smart speaker space, I'm pretty sure they have nothing to worry about, if my time with Bixby on the Note 9 is any indication.
Does Samsung's Galaxy Home stand a chance?
After more than a year of rumors and vague comments from Samsung leadership, the Galaxy Home, Samsung's Bixby-powered smart speaker, is finally official. Sort of. Samsung briefly showed off the device at today's Galaxy Note 9 launch event in Brooklyn, but the company left us with more questions than answers. We don't know when it'll launch; how much it'll cost; what music services, if any, it supports besides Spotify; and, perhaps most importantly, what Bixby will be capable of when the Galaxy Home goes on sale. Like Apple did with the HomePod, Samsung is touting the Galaxy Home first and foremost as an excellent listening speaker, with multidirectional tweeters and a full subwoofer as well as some neat audio-optimization tricks. Spotify is Samsung's new streaming-music partner, which means you'll be able to control Spotify music playback with Bixby. The device will also serve as a hub for smart home gadgets using the SmartThings platform. Finally, we know Bixby will be on board, but what specifically it'll be capable of remains a mystery. While there will probably be some things to like about the Galaxy Home, the lack of info Samsung has provided made its introduction feel like a rushed, incomplete letdown. It's the kind of misstep that's hard to make when you're competing against the likes of Apple, Google and Amazon.
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.
Galaxy Home is Samsung's Bixby-powered smart speaker
Samsung has been developing a speaker based on its own digital assistant, Bixby, for awhile. But today, we're getting our first look at it. During the company's Galaxy Note 9 event in New York City, Samsung finally revealed the Galaxy Home smart speaker, a clear rival to the Apple HomePod, the Google Home and the Amazon Echo line. The device, which features the rumored tripod design with a round body, is powered by Harman's AKG audio and was engineered to "make music sound amazing."
Samsung will reportedly launch foldable-screen phone in early 2019
Samsung has been teasing the prospect of a foldable-screen smartphone for years, and even hoped to launch one this year. Now, however, it looks like that pipe dream might become a reality... if a little later than expected. Wall Street Journal sources have claimed that the folding-screen handset (codenamed "Winner") is now slated to arrive sometime in early 2019. It would have a 7-inch screen and would fold in half "like a wallet," with a compact "display bar" on one side of the folded phone and cameras on the back. It sounds somewhat like the design from a 2016 Samsung patent application, although there's little doubt that the real world product would vary sharply.
Bixby will start collecting sports scores and news next month
Bixby Home is getting smarter. Well, in the sense that now in the US, Samsung's virtual assistant will offer sports scores and up-to-the-minute news coverage through a partnership with theScore. Swiping right on "select" Galaxy device home-screens including the S9 and S9 Plus gives access to the stats and news. To make the feature a little more useful, you can even follow your favorite teams and leagues so only the news that matters to you will show up.
Samsung won't reward you for using Bixby anymore
Facing stiff competition from Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, Samsung had to try something to get people to use its own Bixby voice assistant instead. Its solution was to reward users with background color options for the Bixby interface and Samsung Pay points for discounts and contest entries just for using Bixby. But the freebies are coming to an end, as the My Bixby Level program is shutting down August 10th, according to The Verge.
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.