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Jarvish's smart motorbike helmets hit Kickstarter with deep discounts
Jarvish announced two new smart motorcycle helmets earlier this year -- the Jarvish X and Jarvish X-AR, which offer a plethora of helpful riding features, such as voice activation and support for Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa, a 2k front-facing camera, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, a retractable heads up display in the more expensive model, a lightweight carbon fiber design and hours of battery life. These are, arguably, the smartest helmets on the market. Now, bikers can finally put their money down to get in line to own one themselves -- and for a big discount on regular retail prices.
Alexa is about to hit more Bluetooth headphones and wearables
Alexa connectivity looks set to arrive on a new wave of Bluetooth headphones, smartwatches and other devices after Amazon opened up its Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit. The software development kit was announced in January, and companies including Bose, Jabra and iHome have already committed to using the SDK in their devices.
Microsoft is selling Amazon Echo speakers in its stores (updated)
Microsoft's deepening relationship with Amazon's Alexa now extends to its stores. WalkingCat and others have noticed that Microsoft is carrying both the new Echo Dot and the regular Echo in its online and retail stores. The company isn't just supporting Alexa, then -- it's encouraging you to buy into Amazon's ecosystem.
Alexa can wake up more of your smart home devices
You can certainly use Amazon's Alexa to turn on some devices, but that support is frequently limited. What if a device is in a low-power state and won't respond to your hue and cry? Amazon now has a solution. It recently added a "wake-on-LAN" control method that can turn on sleeping connected gadgets in the home that otherwise won't respond to voice control. Device makers just need to craft Alexa skills that use the new control to have it turn on TVs and other hardware on the local network.
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.
Microsoft releases its redesigned Cortana app for iOS
Microsoft has released its updated Cortana app for iOS, which includes a design overhaul and new features, including music and podcasts support, an option to set up Cortana-enabled devices and a so-called conversational experience for the voice assistant. Those might prove especially useful for those who buy Microsoft's Surface Headphones, which will ship next week.
Volkswagen owners can use Siri Shortcuts to unlock their car
If you're a Volkswagen driver, you now have another way to lock and unlock your car, start and stop electric charging and check your remaining estimated mileage. That's because VW has added Siri integration to its Car-Net app.
Amazon releases Alexa app for Windows 10
Amazon has released its Alexa app for Windows 10, which is now available from the Microsoft Store. Alexa was already on some Windows 10 machines, but now all users in the US, UK and Germany can grab the app, with availability expanding next year.
Amazon's Alexa and Echo launch in Mexico
Amazon's Alexa is available in numerous countries, but there are still major expansions left to go -- case in point, Mexico. The company has launched both Alexa and its Echo range of smart speakers in the country, complete with a new voice, Mexico-oriented Spanish, local knowledge and the Alexa skills to match. Amazon Music (including both Music Unlimited and Prime Music) is arriving in the country, too, providing millions of tunes as well as locally curated playlists and stations.
Microsoft's Cortana boss is reportedly leaving the company
Cortana's role at Microsoft is evolving (who'd have thought Alexa and Cortana would play nicely?), and the team in charge of the AI assistant looks to be changing as well. ZDNet sources claim that Microsoft's Corporate VP of Cortana, Javier Soltero, is leaving by the end of 2018. The executive, who came to Microsoft when it bought mail startup Accompli in 2014, reportedly plans to return to entrepreneurial pursuits.
Samsung will reportedly open its Bixby assistant to developers
Samsung apparently has enough confidence in its half-baked voice assistant, Bixby, that it plans to open it up to developers, according to the WSJ. At its San Francisco developer conference next week, it plans to roll out new features for the assistant and open it up completely to developers, much as Amazon and Google have done with Alexa and Google Assistant. It will reportedly show developers how they can create Alexa-like skills for ordering food or hailing rides, called "capsules."
Google Assistant now controls your Roku devices
After a few weeks of waiting, Roku's promised Google Assistant control is here. If you're using a TV or player running at least Roku OS 8.1, you can link the Google Home app to your Roku account and control core functions using only voice and an "on Roku" suffix. You can launch channels, search for shows and control playback on most devices, while TV owners can turn on the set, adjust volume or switch inputs.
Google Assistant may soon have a web app for lists and notes
Google Assistant might soon have its own list- and note-taking functions instead of leaning on third-party apps. The 9to5Google team has sifted through the Google search app's code to discover an unannounced "Lists and Notes" web app for Assistant that lets you jot down important information to sync across devices. It's extremely basic (you can't do much more than add titles), but there's a degree of polish that suggests it's not just an experiment.
Microsoft's Cortana mobile beta adds conversational voice control
Microsoft just made Cortana considerably more useful on smartphones -- provided you're an early adopter. It has announced a version 3.0 beta for Android and iOS that delivers a major interface overhaul with some valuable features. Gone is the blue-laden (and slightly dated) look you see above. Instead, you'll see a more modern-looking (if slightly plain) design with a prominent voice command button. More importantly, the interface now enables "conversational experiences" (that is, a more back-and-forth chat) with Cortana as well as a dedicated place to set up your Cortana-capable devices.
Pixel Buds live translations work with any Google Assistant headphones
To date, using Google's real-time translations has officially required a set of Pixel Buds. But what if you'd rather not use the official audio gear ? You might not have to. Droid Life has noticed that Google quietly changed a support page to state that real-time translation is available for "all Assistant-optimized headphones and Android phones," not just Pixel Buds and Pixel phones as the page said as recently as October 11th.
Google-powered smart displays will support multi-room audio
Google is shifting its focus from a smorgasbord of new hardware to a slew of Assistant- and software- based features. To begin with, it's rolling out multi-room audio support to all smart displays. Like audio-only Assistant speakers, you can add the screen-equipped devices to speaker groups and play music wherever you are in your home. Also, smart displays and smart speakers alike are receiving a previously hinted-at "Downtime" feature to block access during key hours. A "Filters" option, meanwhile, manages permissions for kids.
The first Made-for-Google lightbulbs don't require a hub
To date, using Google Assistant to control your lighting away from your phone has typically meant shopping for both a smart speaker and bulbs with a hub serving as a go-between, such as Philips' Hue line. You won't have to spend quite so much cash going forward, because GE has unveiled the first Made-for-Google lightbulbs, and they don't require a hub at all. It's updating its C by GE lineup to automatically pair with any Google Home speaker through Bluetooth and show up in the Home app, making Assistant control almost as simple as screwing in the lights.
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 Assistant has bigger images and new interactive elements
While Google Assistant can respond to voice commands, you still probably interact with it by touch on your phone. In fact, the tech giant noticed that nearly half of Assistant interactions use voice and touch, which is why it gave the high-tech helper a makeover with much bigger images and more visuals. If you use the Assistant on your phone to control smart devices, you'll now see new controls, including sliders to adjust your lights' brightness or your speakers' volume.
If Amazon wants Alexa everywhere, it needs better language support
I can't profess to fully understand all of the complexities of localizing services for various languages, nuances, accents and dialects where voice recognition is concerned. However, with Amazon's Alexa ambitions ramping up after its hardware event Thursday, it's worth questioning why the voice assistant's language support is so abysmal.
