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Tidal music streaming is now available on Amazon's Echo speakers
Amazon's Echo speakers have been gradually improving in quality, and it looks like Tidal wants to seize on that opportunity. The streaming service is now available on all Echo devices in the US through a dedicated Tidal skill. Link your account and you can play that Beyoncé or Jay-Z exclusive with a quick voice command. You can set it as your default music option if you'd like, but you can always add "on Tidal" to a command if the service remains secondary.
Huawei might try to take its voice assistant outside of China
Smartphone maker Huawei is planning on taking its popular voice assistant outside of China and competing with Amazon, Google and Apple internationally, according to a report from CNBC. The Chinese technology firm is apparently working on a version of its voice assistant Xiaoyi that will work outside of China, though it hasn't revealed what languages the AI will speak, nor when it will be available for other markets.
Amazon's Echo Buttons now perform whole routines with a tap
Amazon's Echo Buttons are now useful for considerably more than playing party games. The company has enabled support for performing Alexa routines by tapping a button. You can turn on the lights without talking to your speaker, or let guests cue music without having to remember the specific commands. In that sense, it's a more flexible alternative to the Hue Tap -- so long as you live in Amazon's ecosystem, of course.
Judge tells Amazon to provide Echo recordings in double homicide trial
Prosecutors are once again hoping that smart speaker data could be the key to securing a murder conviction. A New Hampshire judge has ordered Amazon to provide recordings from an Echo speaker between January 27th, 2017 and January 29th, 2017 (plus info identifying paired smartphones) to aid in investigating a double homicide case. The court decided there was probable cause to believe the speaker might have captured audio of the murders and their aftermath.
Spotify gives away Google Home Minis to US family plan subscribers
Spotify has a treat in store for Premium for Family subscribers in the US: you can claim a free Google Home Mini. The offer will be available for current and new master account holders starting Thursday, and you have until the end of the year to register for the smart speaker.
Those colorful Sonos One speakers go on sale November 5th
Sonos is finally breaking away from the bland black and white color schemes that typically accompany speakers and is spicing things new with new, vibrant options. In collaboration with Danish design brand HAY, Sonos is releasing a run of the Sonos One speaker that will be available in yellow, green, red, pink and gray. Despite originally being slated for a September release, the limited edition speakers will be available starting on November 5th.
Huawei cloned another famous smart speaker
Apple, Google, and Samsung all have smart speakers. Not to be left behind, fellow smartphone titan Huawei is playing catch up with another budget contender, following the reveal of its AI Cube (a speaker, 4G modem, WiFi router hybrid and Google Home clone, all rolled into one). The company teased the new gadget -- the Chinese name of which translates as "Huawei AI Speaker" -- at its Mate 20 series event in Shanghai, China, earlier today.
Google Home Hub hands-on: A surprisingly compact smart display
Sure, Google's new Home Hub wasn't a secret today -- but I was still surprised at just how tiny the device is in real life. I imagined a tablet-sized screen perched on top of something resembling the giant Google Home Max, but I couldn't have been more wrong if I tried. The Home Hub is positively dainty -- thin, light and unobtrusive. The photo below with my iPhone 8 Plus next to the Home Hub should give you an idea just how small this device is. It still feels like a Google Home product, with the same acoustically transparent fabric found on the Home Mini and Max. But, the display clearly sets it apart from Google's past smart speakers.
Google unveils the Home Hub smart display
Yes, those leaks of Google making its own smart display were true. The company has unveiled the Home Hub, which melds an Assistant-equipped smart speaker with a 7-inch touchscreen display. As with other smart displays, you can use to both get visual feedback for searches (such as the weather or recipes) as well as finding photos and videos. However, it does have a few stand-out features of its own -- including things that are missing.
Google Home Mini gets a new minty-fresh color option
When the Google Home Mini debuted last year, it was available in a dark "Charcoal" grey, a lighter "Chalk" grey and a pinkish orange "Coral." Today, a week before Google's annual Pixel event, the company is unveiling a brand new hue of the Home Mini -- a minty blue "Aqua."
Amazon's Echo Auto puts Alexa in any car
A growing number of cars have Alexa built-in, but what if yours doesn't? Amazon has its own solution: Echo Auto. The new peripheral uses your phone's cellular connection (through a Bluetooth link) to provide Alexa voice commands in vehicles where they normally wouldn't be an option. The device is ready as soon as you start your vehicle, and it now uses location-based routines to trigger events based on where you are. The lights can come on at home when you're about to pull into the driveway, as an example.
Amazon's new Echo Show packs a larger display and improved audio
Amazon's seemingly non-stop device announcements now include a revamp of its first smart display. The internet giant has unveiled a second-generation Echo Show that ditches the (frankly boring) look of the original in favor of a minimalist design with a much larger 10-inch display. And there's a good reason for that display -- the Echo Show offers web browsers (both Amazon's own Silk and Firefox) to help you watch YouTube and access other services that aren't built-in. It's also helpful for newly-added Skype video chat support, Vevo music videos and even live TV through new Hulu and NBC integrations as well as a just-introduced Fire TV Recast DVR peripheral.
Google Home Mini was the top selling smart speaker in Q2
Alexa had better watch out: Google, not Amazon, had the bestselling smart speaker worldwide in Q2 of 2018. The Google Home Mini had a 20 percent market share during that quarter, selling 2.3 million units. It was followed closely by the Amazon Echo Dot, at 2.2 million. Rounding out the top five were the Amazon Echo, Alibaba Tmail Genie and Google Home.
Apple's HomePod speaker will make and receive phone calls
We haven't heard much about Apple's HomePod speaker since it added multi-room support in May, three months after it launched in the US. Up until then, the device hadn't received much flair due to the lack of features that other smart speakers have out of the box. But for those of you who already have one, there is some good news. Apple has announced that the HomePod will soon be able to make and receive phone calls as well as search music by lyrics -- something rival speakers, like the Google Home, have been able to do for some time.
Google Home updates may help you wind down at night
While Google has yet to launch its digital wellbeing features on Android phones, it's already thinking of how to bring them to the smart speaker in your living room. The 9to5Google team has discovered material in the the latest Google app for Android that points to these digital health features coming to Home speakers and other Assistant-equipped devices. While the exact functionality isn't clear, there's a Downtime feature that could stop people from using Home at certain times of the day, such as when they're winding down at the end of the night. That could be particularly helpful if you have a bad habit of playing music or asking questions when you should be getting to bed.
Huawei's Google Home clone has Alexa inside
When Samsung launched the Galaxy Home speaker earlier this month, people were quick to point out how its name seemed ripped off from Google. Not to be outdone, Huawei is unveiling its own AI speaker here at IFA 2018, and it's clearly borrowed much more from the Google Home... just not the name. The AI Cube is a cylindrical speaker that looks like a stretched out version of Google's device, though it will offer Amazon's Alexa instead of Assistant. Like Samsung, Huawei is promising high-quality audio on its speaker. That's not all -- the AI Cube is also a 4G router.
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.
Bose's new smart speaker and soundbars offer Alexa control
Voice assistants don't seem to be going anywhere. If anything, they're becoming more and more ubiquitous. Case in point: Bose's new line of soundbars and speakers with Alexa and other smarts built in. Out of the box, the Home Speaker 500, Soundbar 500 and Soundbar 700 will react when you start shouting commands at Amazon's digital assistant this October. Bose promises that other voice assistants will follow at some ambiguous point, and early next year there will be an update that adds AirPlay 2 streaming.
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.
B&O's pricey Google Assistant speakers go on sale next month
When we saw Bang & Olufsen's Google-Assistant enabled BeoSound speaker at CES in January, they didn't have a price or street date. Seven months later, that's changed. Now we know the Google Assistant-enabled, 360-degree speakers will be available starting mid-September for the portable BeoSound 1, and early October for the BeoSound 2.
