voice assistant
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Garmin hopes Alexa will convince you to buy a dedicated GPS
There's no question that dedicated GPS units are on the decline in an era when your smartphone is often good enough for navigation, if not better. Garmin, however, thinks it can stave off obsolescence in a simple way -- by adding a voice assistant you'd use on your phone. The new DriveSmart 65 is the company's first full-display GPS (but not its first ever) to incorporate Alexa, and uses the AI helper to handle the tasks that would normally require staring at your phone or infotainment system.
Samsung delays its Galaxy Home smart speaker to Q3
Samsung has delayed the release of its Galaxy Home speaker. The Bixby-powered device should be on shelves sometime between July and September. Official confirmation of the delay shouldn't be too much of a surprise, as Samsung previously told Engadget it planned to put the speaker on shelves in the first half of the year, and there's still no whisper of a confirmed release date.
The successor to Bose's QC35 noise-cancelling headphones arrives June 30th
Bose has a spiritual successor to its well-regarded QC35 wireless headphones... plus a little more. The company's newly unveiled Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 tout a serene listening environment like their ancestors, but now use a total of four microphones to isolate your voice and "dramatically improve" quality. You shouldn't have to raise your voice to be heard clearly over a loud city or chatty commuters. While that's useful for calls, Bose pitches it as particularly handy for voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant (both built-in like with the QC35 II) as well as Siri.
Alexa's intercom-like broadcasts come to more non-Echo devices
Amazon has slowly been expanding the circle of devices that can use Alexa Announcements, but now it's throwing the gates wide open. The company has made the intercom-like feature available to any device with Alexa support built-in -- you could use your thermostat or fridge to tell the kids that dinner is ready. In theory, you won't have to visit a specific room like you might today.
UN study finds female voice assistants reinforce harmful stereotypes
For the record, the appropriate response to being called a slut isn't, "I'd blush if I could." But that's what Siri is programmed to say. According to a report by the United Nations, the fact that most voice assistant are gendered as young women is reinforcing harmful stereotypes that women are docile and eager to please, even when they're called lewd names.
This week in tech history: Google Assistant is born
At Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, anniversaries and advances from the recent and not-so-recent past. This week, we're looking at the Google Assistant, which was announced three years ago today.
Spotify's first hardware is a voice-controlled device for your car
Spotify will begin testing its first hardware device today. Dubbed "Car Thing," it's a voice-controlled music and podcast assistant that reportedly plugs into a car's 12-volt outlet and connects to both the car and the user's phone via Bluetooth. The select group of Premium users who will test Car Thing will be able make requests by saying "Hey, Spotify." And the device will tap into the user's Spotify account for easy access to playlists.
Google Assistant finally controls Sonos speakers
It took well over a year, but Sonos is finally ready to offer native voice control on its speakers beyond Alexa. Sonos is rolling out a promised software update that enables Google Assistant control, whether it's directly through supporting speakers (like the One or Beam) or through connected Google Home devices. Notably, this makes Sonos the first company to offer a choice of voice assistants on a single speaker -- you can choose whichever AI helper makes sense to play songs or check the weather. This also lets you use different assistants in different rooms, even if you're controlling the same task.
Alexa Guard is ready to turn your Echo into a home security device
It took more than half a year to come to fruition, but Amazon's Alexa Guard is finally a reality. Starting today, Americans can use their Echo speakers as home security devices -- tell Alexa "I'm leaving" and your devices will alert you through phone notifications if they hear glass breaking, a CO2 alarm or a smoke alarm. You can use a Drop In call to verify if there's anything wrong, and send alerts to ADT or Amazon's own Ring if you have professional security services through either brand.
Google trains its AI to accommodate speech impairments
For most users, voice assistants are helpful tools. But for the millions of people with speech impairments caused by neurological conditions, voice assistants can be yet another frustrating challenge. Google wants to change that. At its I/O developer conference today, Google revealed that it's training AI to better understand diverse speech patterns, such as impaired speech caused by brain injury or conditions like ALS.
Google Assistant can tell apps to order food or track your run
Google Assistant's Actions are about to become decidedly more useful in daily life. Google has expanded App Actions' reach to offer shortcuts for health, finance, food and ridesharing. You could tell your fitness app to start tracking a run, pay a friend for last night's dinner or order your favorite tacos without having to wade through their respective apps first.
Alexa takes hands-free voice commands on Windows 10 PCs
Amazon's Alexa app for Windows 10 now behaves more like you'd expect it to -- that is, it behaves more like an Echo speaker. An update to the software has introduced the option to invoke Alexa solely through your voice, whether or not the app is in the foreground. As long as you're within earshot of the microphones, you won't have to sit right at your PC to turn on the lights or check the weather. Push-to-talk is still an option if you don't want to risk accidentally waking your voice assistant.
Google Assistant's bedtime stories come to iOS and Android
Once upon a time (well, in 2017), Google Assistant learned a new trick on Google Home devices: how to tell stories to kids. Ahead of National Tell a Story Day taking place on Saturday, youngsters now have more ways to hear a bedtime tale. As of today, the feature will be available on iOS and Android phones in English in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and India.
Amazon Alexa auditors could reportedly access user locations
It emerged earlier this month that thousands of Amazon employees are reviewing some Alexa recordings (which are captured after you've said the wake word). The auditors transcribe, annotate and analyze a selection of commands to help improve Alexa. But it seems these workers could view users' personal information too, according to Bloomberg. At least some employees are said to have had access to location data, addresses and phone numbers.
UK offers government info through Alexa and Google Assistant
You now have access to a treasure trove of government info through your smart speaker if you live in the UK. The British government has made over 12,000 pieces of Gov.uk information available through Alexa and Google Assistant, saving you the trouble of wading through official pages. Some of them are simple questions like the next bank holiday, while others are more involved questions such as obtaining a passport.
'Child's Play' trailer shows Chucky controlling smart homes and drones
A reboot of the Child's Play franchise will hit theaters this summer and while we already had a good idea killer toy Chucky would be more of a robot with AI capabilities this time around, the latest trailer provides further confirmation he'll be able to control smart homes. Terrifying.
Alexa can finally control Apple Music on Sonos speakers
Amazon may have been a little optimistic when it said Alexa would "soon" control Apple Music on third-party speakers, but that feature is here at last. Listeners in the US, UK and Ireland can now use Alexa to steer Apple's service on Sonos speakers like the One and Beam, giving you the convenience of voice control while providing more oomph than most Echo speakers. Think of it as a more frugal alternative to owning a HomePod.
Google Home can gently wake you up using Philips Hue lights
Smart lights still tend to offer a rude awakening if you tie them to your alarm, but Google wants to fix that. It's delivering a promised Gentle Sleep & Wake feature for Home speakers that gradually dims or brightens your Philips Hue lights to provide a more natural rest. Say the right command (such as "turn on Gentle Wake Up," "wake up my lights" or "sleep my lights") and the lights will change over the course of half an hour. You can set specific times if you intend to use it as part of your daily routine.
Amazon Alexa provides more detailed news briefings in the US
Voice assistants usually only give you brief summaries of the news -- helpful if you're in a hurry, but that's about it. Amazon is betting that you'll want something deeper. It's rolling out an Alexa feature in the US that provides long-form news from Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, Newsy and NPR. Ask Alexa to "tell me the news" or to "play news" from a specific outlet and you'll get detailed audio from all providers, and video from CNBC and Newsy. You can skip stories if you'd rather not examine every story in vivid detail.
Amazon's first HIPAA-compliant Alexa skills help track your healthcare
Alexa's involvement in healthcare is about to extend well beyond putting Echo speakers in hospital rooms. Amazon has unveiled the first-ever HIPAA-compliant Alexa skills, letting you use the voice assistant to take care of sensitive medical issues. Providence St. Joseph Health's skill can book a same-day appointment, for example, while Cigna and Express Scripts have introduced skills that respectively track wellness incentives and manage prescriptions. Livongo, meanwhile, has a skill for diabetics that can provide blood glucose readings and health tips.
