voice assistant
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Huawei made its own Siri rival called Celia
Given there's no Google Assistant on Huawei's latest devices, including the P40 series, the company has revealed its very own voice assistant called Celia. She/it/they will understand commands in English, French and Spanish and will behave an awful lot like Siri did at launch, namely some pretty basic voice interactions with core phone features. Think: weather updates, texts and phone call requests. It'll also set reminders, interact with your calendar and even translate. Huawei is hoping its attempts go better than Samsung's own Bixby voice assistant.
Qualcomm’s latest Bluetooth chips could bring ANC to lower-cost earbuds
Today, Qualcomm unveiled its next-generation of ultra-low-power Bluetooth Systems on a Chip (SoCs). The SoCs are designed for true wireless earbuds and hearables, and they could make top-end features, like active noise cancellation (ANC) and voice assistant support, more universal.
Apple's Siri helps Americans wondering if they have COVID-19
It's not just Alphabet's Verily offering a COVID-19 screening tool. Apple has quietly updated Siri in the US to provide a questionnaire (using US Public Health Service and CDC data) when they ask if they have the coronavirus. The voice assistant will ask if you're exhibiting symptoms like a fever or respiratory problems, and advises you to avoid contact with others if you appear infected. Siri also urges you to call 911 if your symptoms are extreme, and will point you to the App Store to download telehealth apps for remote consultations.
Line messenger now works with Google Assistant on Android
If you use Line's Android messaging app, you can now ask Google Assistant to send and read text messages. It's as simple as saying, "Hey Google, send a Line message to..." or "Hey Google, read my Line messages."
Alexa-powered Lego challenge winners include a game system and waffle iron
Amazon and Lego have unveiled the winners of their Alexa-focused Mindstorms challenge, and they're as clever and oddball as you'd hope. The grand prize winner is Jason Allemann's Game Station, a project that uses Alexa for a five-game console -- you can play the likes of Simon, trivia or Race to the Top while Alexa issues commands, plays music and checks answers. It's straightforward, but shows that the voice assistant can provide the 'glue' for a gaming system. This is also lucrative for Alleman, who gets $20,000 in Amazon gift cards, Lego models and a trip to Lego's headquarters in Denmark.
Microsoft contractors reportedly reviewed Cortana clips on insecure PCs
New details have emerged about how Microsoft operated its Cortana and Skype grading programs in the past. Building on a Vice report from last summer, The Guardian says that for several years, the tech giant contracted a company in China that used almost "no security measures" to protect the recordings.
What happened to the doughnut-shaped Olly speaker?
A few years back, CES attendees went mad for Olly, a doughnut-shaped speaker with a voice assistant that adapted to your personality. It was a refreshing change to the seemingly infinite hardware packing Alexa and Google Assistant, and visitors were charmed by its ability to stand up and spin around a circular stand. Olly's creator, a London-based startup called Emotech, offered two prototypes at the show -- one that was excitable and spoke quickly and another that seemed a little more placid -- to demonstrate how Olly would mimic its owners. As TechCrunch reported, the company wanted to start its initial production run later that year.
Crock-Pot's latest slow cooker comes with Alexa voice control
Belkin has quietly unveiled a 6 quart Crock-Pot slow cooker with a new twist: you can control it with Amazon Alexa. Using the voice assistant, you can not only set cooking times and heat settings, but ask it to check the status of your meal, as well. Otherwise, it very much resembles Belkin's WeMo-enabled Crock-Pot cooker with a stainless steel finish and six-quart capacity that can fit a six-pound roast and serve up to seven people.
Alexa voice control is coming to Lamborghini and Rivian cars
Alexa is about to come to some particularly posh cars, and it'll handle more than you might think. Both Lamborghini and Rivian have announced that Amazon's voice assistant will be integrated in their vehicles by the end of 2020. It'll perform common Alexa tasks like calls, navigation and even paying for gas (for Lambos, that is), but you can also use it for climate control, windows and other basic car functions. You might not have to touch a button if you're just trying to warm up on a cold day.
Alexa will help pay for your gas at ExxonMobil pumps
It could soon be decidedly easier to fill up if you're driving a gas-powered car. ExxonMobil and Fiserv have teamed up on an Alexa skill that will pay for gas at Exxon and Mobil stations across the US. Once you tell Alexa in your car or phone to "pay for gas," the voice assistant will confirm both the station and pump number -- do that and it'll both activate the pump and use Amazon Pay to cover your purchase. You won't have to leave your car alone when all you want is a quick top-up.
Honda will show off its in-car AI assistant at CES
At CES 2020, Honda says it will finally show off its long-promised in-car personal assistant. The automaker has been working on its own digital helper since 2018 when it announced a partnership with SoundHound. Aside from the usual claims of "unprecedented" speed and accuracy, the company doesn't say too much about how the tool compares to AI like Google Assistant and Siri. It does note you'll be able to wake it by saying "OK Honda," and that it'll be able to infer context about a question based on your current location, as well as any previous queries.
Facebook is working on its own operating system
In an attempt to free itself from other tech giants like Google, Facebook is developing its own operating system (OS), The Information reports. In the future, Facebook's hardware products, like Oculus and Portal devices, could run on the OS, Facebook exec Ficus Kirkpatrick said.
Roland's Alexa-powered keyboard is available for $500
It took nearly an entire year, but Roland's voice-savvy GO:PIANO keyboard is now available. Spend $500 (and enable a Roland skill) and you can use Alexa to choose sounds, turn on the metronome and control numerous other settings while you play -- you don't have to lift your fingers off the keys or wade through indecipherable menus. This also turns your keyboard into a full-fledged Alexa speaker, making it one of the few Amazon-powered devices that you can use to perform alongside the music you're listening to.
Citizen has a fancier alternative to Amazon's Alexa wall clock
If you find Amazon's Echo Wall Clock a tad too drab but still like the idea of a connected timepiece on your wall, Citizen might have what you're looking for. The company has introduced a Smart Clock thatcan accept Alexa commands through other devices to set timers, much like its Amazon counterpart, but offers a more stylish package that could better fit in with your decor. Set a timer and blue LEDs in the minute markers will show the remaining time without making you reach for your phone or twist your arm to look at a watch -- helpful if you're cooking or otherwise don't have a hand free.
Alexa can refill your prescription and remind you to take it
Amazon's healthcare push now includes a simple but important convenience: the ability to manage y our prescriptions from your smart speaker. The company has partnered with Omnicell to let Alexa not only remind you when to take your medication, but to refill it when you're running low. Once you've linked your pharmacy account and enabled your pharmacy's skill, you'll get reminders based on your prescription data -- if you're not sure what you're supposed to take, you can ask. If you need more, you can tell Alexa to "refill my prescription" to put the pharmacy to work.
Alexa can reorder your go-to Chipotle meal
It just became disconcertingly easy to have Mexican food show up at your door. Chipotle has introduced an Alexa skill that lets you reorder your favorite meals for delivery. If you're fond of a particular burrito bowl, you can have it sent without lifting a finger. You can't start an order from scratch, unfortunately, but it beats having to wade through the mobile app when you're already starving.
Cortana app will stop working on phones in some countries (updated)
Microsoft's changing Cortana strategy is about to have consequences for some phone users. The company has revealed that the Cortana app will stop working after January 31st, 2020 for people in Australia, Canada and the UK. Lists, reminders and other Cortana content won't pop up in either the app or Microsoft Launcher, and a version of the Launcher will arrive after January with Cortana removed. You can still expect Cortana material to show up in the To Do app, but you won't have a central place to create it on your phone.
Google's compact, Pixel 4-like Assistant starts reaching older phones
If you're not in a rush to get a Pixel 4 but would like a small taste of its Assistant upgrades, you're about to get your fix. Google is rolling out a compact, more Pixel 4-like version of its AI helper to older Android phones, so far focusing on Pixel 3 owners. The new version no longer monopolizes the screen when it provides an answer -- instead, it occupies only the space it needs. You might not feel quite so lost when you ask a question.
Cortana will offer to read your emails in Outlook for iOS
We've all been there: You're about to leave the office, or close your laptop and make a snack, when the phone in your pocket vibrates. Another email. You could stop and dig it out, interrupting your flow for the umpteenth time that day. Or, with Outlook for iOS, you can now ask Cortana to read everything in your inbox out loud. Microsoft says this "voice-forward" feature was designed for commuting and general multitasking. You can reply with your voice and use the on-screen interface -- which looks a bit like a music or podcast player -- to pause, flag and archive messages.
Alexa can use smart lights to wake you or lull you to sleep
It's getting a bit easier to fall asleep or wake up in sync with your lights -- if you have an Alexa-powered device. Amazon has introduced a trio of Alexa options that can gradually adjust smart lights to suit your daily habits. Wake-up lighting brightens the bulbs grouped with your Alexa device when you tell the voice assistant to set an alarm "with lights." You can add lights to sleep timers if you want them to gradually dim as you call it a night. And if you want Alexa to gradually change lighting as part of a larger action, you can add brightening or dimming bulbs to routines -- say, a morning routine that plays the news and ramps up the lights as you struggle to get out of bed.
