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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.
Samsung could release a wireless AR headset before Apple
Just two weeks after rumours surfaced that Apple is working on a wireless AR/VR headset, Samsung has charged into the ring with its own concept. According to The Korea Times, the company is working with Microsoft to develop a "powerful" headset that supports both augmented reality and virtual reality, and unlike Apple's offering, which is slated for 2020, Samsung plans to debut its version at the IFA tradeshow in Berlin this August.
One year later, Bixby is still half-baked
Oh, Bixby. What am I going to do with you? It's been a year since we first tried the virtual assistant on the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, and since then we've seen relatively little in terms of substantive improvements. It certainly doesn't help that Injong Rhee, Samsung's CTO and Bixby's de facto steward, recently left the company for a gig at Google. Few things seem more disheartening for Bixby's future than that.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus review: Excellent, not monumental
When my mom asked if she should upgrade from her Galaxy S8 to an S9, I struggled to find an answer. After spending about ten days with Samsung's latest flagship, I'm still torn. Besides the fact that I'd rarely recommend people upgrade from a year-old phone in general, this generation of the S series also lacks any thrilling new features. I'm not going to fault Samsung for that, though. It's basically impossible to dream up revolutionary new technology every year. And sometimes it's the small improvements that count. But with the Galaxy S9 and S9+, none of the new additions are must-haves. That's not to say these are underwhelming devices -- the Galaxy S flagships are still among the best Android phones around.
Samsung spills some details on its 2018 QLED TV lineup
Sure, Samsung showed off its MicroLED wall and 8K consumer TV at CES this year, but what about TVs for the rest of us? Those details were scant in Las Vegas, but now the company is ready to talk about its QLED lineup. There are some similarities across the entire range, like Ambient Mode where the display will mimic the wall color or pattern behind it (like a chameleon) so the TV blends into your living room rather than looking like a black mirror when there's no programming running to it.
Samsung says its smart speaker will arrive in the second half of 2018
We've known for awhile now that Samsung was working on its own smart speaker, an answer to Apple's HomePod. It appears that the speaker, which will run Samsung's voice assistant Bixby, will debut in the second half of 2018 according to The Wall Street Journal.
Samsung's Bixby leader leaves for Google
Samsung's ambitions in services just took a bit of a blow. ZDNet has learned that Samsung's software research CTO Injong Rhee has left the company to become an "Enterpreneur in Residence" at Google. The 7-year veteran was important to the development of Samsung Pay and the company's Knox security platform. He also led the initial deployment of Samsung's in-house AI assistant, Bixby. Whatever you think of those products, he made them stand out -- no mean feat in a company better-known for its cutting-edge displays and processors than its software.
Samsung's Bixby-powered Family Hub fridge is great at blasting tunes
The company is eagerly trying to squeeze Bixby into just about everything, and its latest Family Hub fridge is no exception. Now, this isn't the first time we've had the opportunity to yell at a refrigerator -- that was last year -- but Samsung promises we'll soon be able to ask for daily rundowns and control SmartThings-compatible gadgets, like connected lights and thermostats. In other words, you can expect the full-blown Bixby experience, not just the limited list of voice commands we got last time.
Samsung is teaching Bixby to count the calories in your food
Samsung has made it clear that it wants to get its Bixby virtual assistant on nearly every product it makes, but it hasn't forgotten about the AI's smartphone roots. To that end, the company dedicated a corner of its cavernous CES booth to a surprising new Bixby feature: the ability to identify your food and spit out a calorie count.
Watch the best of Samsung's CES 2018 press conference in 12 minutes
Some of Samsung's biggest announcements broke cover before the company's big CES press conference, but that didn't stop a parade of execs from sharing their vision of a Samsung-fueled future. If they have their way, we'll be brainstorming on connected whiteboards, commuting in DRVLINE-powered autonomous cars and talking to Bixby a lot. More than anything, though, Samsung tried to paint a picture of how it will take all of its disparate products and weave them together into a cohesive ecosystem. It's fascinating stuff, but we're not sure the presentation had to be an hour long. To prove it (and to help you easily catch up on the company's biggest news), we put together a 12-minute supercut you can check out above. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.
iHeartRadio now works with Samsung's Bixby
This week at CES, iHeartMedia announced quite a few new integrations for iHeartRadio, its all-in-one digital streaming service. From Bixby, Samsung's new voice service, to a Facebook Messenger bot, to a new Roku app, it's clear that iHeartMedia is looking to expand its footprint and made iHeartRadio a real contender in the digital music landscape.
Live from Samsung's CES 2018 press conference!
Samsung press conferences rarely disappoint, and we're hoping that'll be the case today -- the company's big CES 2018 keynote is about to kick off, and we'll be bringing you all the news live. Samsung hasn't made too many pre-CES announcements, aside from a couple laptops, so most of what's coming here should be a surprise. But we know we'll see some massive, beautiful TVs as well as some home appliances that are "smarter" than they have any right to be. But the story will likely be how all of Samsung's devices play well together and make up an ecosystem throughout your home. And who knows, we may even end up with a Galaxy S9 sneak peak. Stay tuned -- the event kicks off at 5PM ET / 2PM PT, and we'll bring you all the news right here.
Samsung's 2018 4K TVs add Bixby AI
Even if you can't spring for an 85-inch 8K TV or a screen large enough to be called The Wall, Samsung still has something new for your next TV. Its 2018 Smart TV platform is getting an upgrade with the addition of its Bixby AI voice control platform, as well as integrated with its SmartThings smart home platform. That home automation hub support will "offer easier sharing, connectivity, and an overall simplified way to control the television and sync with other devices," according to the company. As Samsung explained during its launch event on Sunday at CES, it's replacing all of the current mobile apps with one SmartThings app, that will help you login to services, set up WiFi on your new TV, and more. Finally, a new universal guide will keep up with the likes of Apple, Roku and TiVo by searching for content within apps and suggesting new things you to watch.
Samsung adds Bixby voice control to its Family Hub smart fridge
Samsung is fulfilling its promise of spreading Bixby beyond mobile devices -- it just unveiled a Family Hub 3.0 refrigerator whose star attraction is (you guessed it) Bixby voice control. The company hasn't said exactly what its in-house voice assistant allows, but it will personalize responses to individual voices: you can ask what's new and get your personal calendar and news updates.
Samsung's Bixby assistant loses its former development chief
Samsung's very own voice assistant continues to evolve and bolster itself with new acquisitions and staff, but it's now losing Rhee In-jong, the original head of Bixby development and Samsung's chief technology officer. This isn't a case of the CTO being kicked out of the company due to the challenges of making the voice assistant a proper competitor against Alexa, Siri and the rest, however.
Samsung bolsters Bixby with another AI startup
Samsung may have botched the launch of its virtual assistant Bixby, but it has already promised to patch things up with the next release, which will leverage "deep linking capabilities and enhanced natural language abilities" in order to deliver "a predictive, personalized experience." In addition to integrating Viv's technology for Bixby 2.0, the Korean giant has now acquired Fluenty, an AI startup co-founded by local accelerator FuturePlay.
Google Assistant for Android now supports Spanish and Italian
Google announced today that its virtual assistant will now support two new languages -- Spanish for users in the US, Mexico and Spain as well as Italian for those in Italy. These languages will be rolling out over the next few weeks, according to Google, and while initially they'll only be available for Android, the company says iPhone support will be released later this year.
Bixby 2.0 and Project Ambience push Samsung's vision of connected devices
To compete with the likes of Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa, Samsung has to get its own version of a smart voice-powered assistant, Bixby, to as many devices as possible. It also needs to make Bixby work as well as its competitors, something Samsung has had trouble with since launch. At the Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, the tech company announced two initiatives that will do just that: Bixby 2.0 and Project Ambience.
Galaxy S8 owners can finally disable the Bixby button
I really dig my Galaxy S8 smartphone, but for one thing: the incredibly annoying Bixby assistant. Now, Samsung will let you disable the dedicated Bixby key, making it much harder to summon the helper by accident, as Sammobile noticed. As for what purpose that key can serve after you disable Bixby, the answer, for now, seems to be... nothing. Last we checked, Samsung had "no plans" to allow you to remap it, but maybe now it's changed its mind.
Samsung wants to launch a foldable Galaxy Note in 2018
Samsung's much-rumored foldable smartphone has been in the pipeline since the company first debuted its flexible display prototype, Youm, in 2013. Now the Korean tech giant says the almost-mythical device could launch next year under its Galaxy Note brand. Emphasis on the "could", though, as Samsung president Koh Dong-jin has been sure to mention the hurdles that stand in the way. Speaking at a news conference announcing the Galaxy Note 8, he said of the foldable smartphone, "I can say our current goal is next year. When we can overcome some problems for sure, we will launch the product."