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Google won the voice assistant popularity contest at CES
CES 2018 kicked off with a major Google presence on the show's front doorstep. Nathan's already explained why the company may have decided to appear at the world's biggest tech show with such strength, but halfway through the show, I get the feeling that the gambit's paying off. Google Assistant is eroding the lead established by Amazon's Alexa, arguably the internet company's biggest voice assistant rival, and it's doing it with better devices, wider functionality... and free donuts for anyone at CES.
TiVo DVRs will take commands from Alexa and Google Assistant
You won't have to use TiVo's in-house voice control to steer your DVR in the near future. TiVo has unveiled plans to add smart home integration, including voice control through Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. If you have a supporting device like your phone, an Echo or Google Home, you can control your DVR without reaching for the remote. PCMag describes the functionality as different depending on which voice assistant you choose. Alexa is more about straightforward navigation control while the Google Assistant support is more about searching for shows and tying in with other devices (such as dimming the lights when you're ready to watch). However, it's also adding IFTTT support that could deliver a lot more when combined with speakers and other smart home devices.
Dish DVRs will soon work with Google Assistant
Never mind using Google Assistant on your TV -- Dish thinks you should talk to your set-top box instead. In the wake of Alexa support, the satellite TV provider is promising Google Assistant control for its Hopper DVR, Joey client and Wally receiver. You can soon search for shows, change the channel (by name or number) and control playback just by talking to your phone or a smart speaker like a Google Home. There's no mention of recording, but that limitation is present with Amazon's AI helper as well.
Qualcomm is making Cortana smart speakers easier to build
Alexa and Google Assistant are appearing on what seems like every single gadget at CES 2018, but Cortana's absence from the party has made it the butt of jokes. Luckily, Qualcomm has announced that its Smart Audio Platform, which includes microphone, speaker and voice-recognition tech, now supports Cortana. That will make it a lot easier for smart-speaker manufacturers to build devices around the neglected bot, instead of Google and Amazon's more popular platforms.
Putting Alexa inside a pair of smartglasses makes a lot of sense
Vuzix has been a regular at CES for years, crafting head-mounted displays and smartglasses often aimed at businesses -- or very enthused wearable fans. The Vuzix Blade, its latest pair of augmented reality spectacles, tries to balance that B2B / consumer sales pitch by adding a voice assistant. Amazon Alexa's newest home is a pair of smartglasses.
Hogar's Google Assistant speaker has a built-in smart home hub
Hogar Controls has unveiled the Google Assistant-powered Milo Smart Home Speaker with a built-in home hub that supports the Z-Wave Plus and Zigbee home automation standards. The versatile device can get you the news and weather from Google's AI, stream music across Bluetooth and WiFi, and control your blinds, lights, locks, thermostats and other devices via the hub.
Whirlpool plugs Alexa and Google Assistant into its appliances
Whirlpool's smart appliances have already had some voice assistant control, but they're about become particularly AI-savvy. The company has unveiled a 2018 lineup where many appliances support both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, letting you control most of your home using the smart speaker (or mobile app) you prefer. You can check the time left on the washing machine, start the dishwasher or change the temperature of your fridge without lifting a finger.
Alexa is coming to Windows 10 PCs from HP, ASUS and others
Amazon's Alexa recently arrived on headphones and even toilets, but it's about to become much more ubiquitous by hitting Windows 10 PCs later this year. HP, ASUS and Acer have revealed that the voice assistant is coming to various models, including ASUS's ZenBook and VivoBook lineup, the HP Pavilion Wave, and select Acer Spin, Swift, Switch and Aspire notebooks. Amazon will release a special Alexa app in the spring, and laptop builders are tapping Intel's Smart Sound tech to make sure that the app can pick up your voice when you're not right next to your PC.
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.
Google Assistant will unlock Schlage Sense deadbolts
Schlage's Sense smart deadbolt now works with (almost) any virtual assistant under the Sun. The lock maker has revealed that Sense will support Google Assistant early in the first quarter, letting you check on your door (and, of course, lock it) from your Google Home or mobile apps that use the AI helper. You'll need the Sense WiFi adapter to make this work, but it'll give you the choice of Assistant, Alexa or Siri (via HomeKit) -- not bad when some rivals only offer one or two options.
Google sold a Home speaker every second since the Mini launch
It's been difficult to gauge how well smart speakers are selling outside of unofficial estimates, but Google just provided a clearer picture. The search firm revealed that it has sold "more than one" Home speaker per second since the Home Mini started shipping on October 19th. If you perform some back-of-the-napkin math, that suggests Google sold at least 6.4 million speakers between the Mini's debut and the end of 2017. Google hasn't split those sales by device, but it's safe to say that many (if not most) were Minis.
A quick chat with Alexa can start charging your EV
If you drive an electric car and would rather not venture into the garage (or wade through a phone app) to start charging, you can now rest easy. ChargePoint has introduced Alexa support to its Home system, giving you voice control over your EV charging. You can start charging, stop charging or find out whether you're plugged in just by talking to a device like an Echo speaker. If you have Nest hardware, you can link charging to multiple parts of your home. And if you top up at ChargePoint stations away from home, you can check your balance or see how much you've spent on electricity so far.
Amazon Alexa now controls your microwave
Alexa's smart home skills aren't just for turning on the lights or locking your door these days -- now, they can help fulfill your culinary ambitions. Amazon has added cooking abilities to its Smart Home Skill framework, letting you control microwaves (and eventually conventional ovens) with your voice. Instead of pressing umpteen buttons, you can simply ask Alexa to "defrost 3lbs of chicken." Suffice it to say this could be helpful if you don't want to start cooking right away, or if you just hate your microwave's interface.
Hisense's latest 4K TVs will include Amazon Alexa
We've found the running theme for TVs at this year's CES: built-in voice assistants. Hisense has revealed that some of its 2018 4K TVs will include Amazon Alexa, letting you control both the set itself and your smart home. You can change inputs, stream online radio or turn on your lights without budging from the couch. Hisense isn't saying much about the TVs themselves, but it does note that a 100-inch laser TV will be one of those receiving the Alexa treatment.
Roku aims to take over home audio with its wireless speaker platform
No, Roku isn't building a wireless speaker, despite rumors hinting at that. Instead, it's approaching home audio similar to how it tackled TVs: By offering its technology to other companies. Specifically, Roku is unveiling a new wireless audio platform, Roku Connect, that it'll license to third parties. The company also put together a hardware reference design for a smart soundbar and speaker, which will guide partners as they develop their own hardware. The goal? To make it even easier for consumers to put together their own theater systems and spread speakers throughout their homes.
Alexa and Cortana still don't work together
Remember how Amazon and Microsoft unveiled a team-up that would let Alexa and Cortana talk to each other by the end of 2017? As you might have noticed, that didn't quite work out as planned. Thurrott has pointed out that the voice assistant crossover still isn't available as 2018 begins. It's not clear why, either. Both Amazon and Microsoft have said that they expect to say more "soon," but that's no guarantee of news at CES or another imminent event.
Hyundai and Kia will offer AI assistants in 2019 cars
Hyundai and Kia both have reputations as early adopters of in-car tech, and that's truer than ever now that voice assistants are becoming a practical reality on the road. The Korean automakers have revealed that they plan to include AI assistants in their new cars starting from 2019, with every vehicle being 'connected' by 2025. As Hyundai explained, they've been working with SoundHound to create an Intelligent Personal Agent (based on Houndify) that both makes proactive suggestions (such as reminding you of a meeting) and offers remote control of both your car and your home.
Google enables third-party Assistant devices in Japan and the UK
The Assistant SDK is the key to enabling Google's AI helper in third-party devices. It's a big deal, then, that it's now available in more corners of the world. Google has expanded the developer toolkit's support to several new countries, including Australia, Canada (both English and French), Germany, Japan and the UK. While Assistant-enabled devices have certainly been available in other countries, this makes it easier for hardware companies in those countries to get the ball rolling and cater to local audiences. On top of this, the SDK itself is becoming more powerful.
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.
Google Assistant on phones now offers a choice of hotwords
Google created a mild amount of confusion when it launched its Home speaker. You could say "hey, Google" to start a command with the living room device, but you still had to use the time-honored "OK, Google" on your Android phone. Needless to say, that could be confusing if you used both platforms. However, Google is finally sorting things out. Many Android phone users have reported that Assistant is asking them to reconfigure the voice modeling, and is giving them a choice between "hey, Google" or "OK, Google" afterward. You can embrace consistency across devices or stick to tradition, in other words.
