voiceassistant
Latest
Google Assistant no longer needs every 'hey' and 'OK'
At last, you don't have to call out Google Assistant by name every time when you want to issue a command. As promised at I/O, Google has made Assistant's Continued Conversation available for US English speakers using a Home speaker. Enable it in your preferences and you don't have to use "hey Google" or "OK Google" for follow-ups, even if you have multiple requests. Ask if it'll be sunny tomorrow and you can both remind yourself to go to the beach and put sunscreen on your shopping list, all without having to start the chat from scratch.
Alexa and Echo will arrive in Italy and Spain later this year
Amazon's plan to put Alexa everywhere is extending from homes to hotels and, soon, the Mediterranean. It will bring Alexa and the various Echo devices to Spain and Italy later this year. Sonos and Bose will also start selling their Alexa-enabled devices in those countries before the year's out.
Alexa unofficially works on your Apple Watch
Even though Siri's getting a massive update in iOS 12 later this year that makes it far more versatile, it's not quite the most powerful voice assistant around at the minute. Until now, it was the only one available on Apple Watch. If you've wanted to use Alexa on Apple Watch, though, third-party app Voice In A Can brings Amazon's tool to the device.
Bonjour, Alexa: Amazon's Echo finally comes to France
While all my American and UK colleagues have had access to Amazon's Alexa for years, I've been left out of the party here in France. At last, however, folks in the nation (and Monaco) can parlez Francais with Alexa on Amazon's Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Spot. Those devices are now up for pre-order on Amazon at half price, with delivery set at June 13th for Prime members.
Xbox One may work with Alexa and Google Assistant
You can already use Cortana if you want to command an Xbox One with your voice, but that's not very practical now that Kinect is no longer an option for the console. Microsoft may have a simple solution: take advantage of the smart speakers you already have. A Windows Central source has leaked details of what appears to be Xbox One support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant in addition to Cortana. Reportedly, you have to enable the feature in the system's preferences and then install the relevant skill for your AI helper of choice.
Russian search giant Yandex built a smart speaker for its AI assistant
Russia isn't going to sit on the sidelines while American companies like Amazon and Google conquer the smart speaker world. Search giant Yandex has launched the Yandex.Station, billed both as Russia's first smart speaker and the company's first hardware product. The device uses Yandex's in-house voice assistant, Alice, to handle upwards of 4,000 skills like checking traffic, ordering pizza or finding flights. However, its real specialty is video -- it's an unusual bridge between audio-only speakers and smart displays.
Samsung wants AI features in all its devices by 2020
Samsung hasn't been shy about wanting to spread AI features like Bixby beyond its mobile devices. But how far is it willing to go? Very far, actually. The company's Kim Hyun-suk told the Wall Street Journal that he expects AI features to be available in all Samsung products by 2020. It'll accomplish that in part by building up a team of 1,000 AI-focused engineers in the same time frame, including reassignments for some staff. In theory, that makes it easier to use Samsung's many, many devices, and gives it a way of standing out compared to its less-connected peers.
Acer offers the first laptops with Alexa built-in
HP may have been the first to offer an all-in-one with Alexa built-in, but Acer is determined to do the same for the laptop realm. It just revealed that several of its laptops are the first to ship with Amazon's voice assistant already installed. The Spin 3 and Spin 5 should be available at stores right now, while the Nitro 5 Spin convertible will pack Alexa when it arrives in June. Aspire, Switch and Swift PCs (including Aspire desktops) will offer Alexa with shipments over the "next few weeks."
Samsung will debut Bixby 2.0 with the next Galaxy Note
Samsung has been teasing its upgraded Bixby 2.0 assistant for several months now, but when is it actually going to show up in something you can buy? It shouldn't take too much longer. The company's AI research center head Gray G. Lee told the Korea Herald that the new AI helper will arrive with the upcoming flagship phone in the second half of 2018 -- in other words, the next Galaxy Note. While Lee didn't show all of Samsung's cards, he promised better natural language processing, faster responses and better results in noisy environments.
Alexa skills can talk to you using different voices
Do you wish Alexa would respond to your commands with different voices? You'll get your wish soon. Amazon has released a developer preview that lets Alexa skill developers use a selection of voices from Polly (Amazon's text-to-speech service). An adventure story can give each character a different voice, for instance. Creators could already 'hack' additional voices in through MP3 recordings and similar techniques, but this is decidedly more elegant.
Alexa can unlock Yale's smart deadbolt locks
Amazon's Alexa has been useful for locking Yale's smart deadbolts, but what about unlocking them when there's a guest at the door? You're set after today. Yale has introduced Alexa support for unlocking its Assure Locks with voice commands. You'll need to set and remember a four-digit code, but that still makes it easy to let someone in without moving from the couch. You can always launch the app if you're not within range of a smart speaker.
HP's new Envy PC is the first all-in-one with Alexa built-in
If you treat your all-in-one PC as the central hub of your home, shouldn't it double as a voice control hub, too? HP thinks so. It's launching a new version of its 34-inch curved Envy all-in-one with Amazon's Alexa built-in -- the first AIO with Alexa, in fact. Talk to your desktop and you can play music or check the weather, complete with Alexa's signature blue light to confirm that it's listening to your commands.
Meet the dominatrix living inside an Echo Dot
NSFW: This article contains links to and descriptions of explicit sexual acts including BDSM play that some may find uncomfortable. The individuals included in this report are consenting adults who observe proper safety procedures in their play. A dining room table in a quiet British town is the birthplace of one of the most interesting developments in sextech. It's here where a hobbyist has built the world's first digital, voice-controlled dominatrix capable of delivering very real punishment, and she sounds weirdly familiar. Say hello to 'Mistress Alexa'.
Alexa becomes a playtime storyteller for Lego Duplo blocks
It's not just Amazon setting out to make Alexa kid-friendly. Lego has unveiled an Alexa story skill that guides younger children (aged 2 to 5) through playtime with Duplo blocks. Kids and their parents can walk through customizable stories themed around animals or vehicles with Amazon's voice assistant encouraging "constructive, exploratory and roleplay" experiences. It can ask them to build creatively and recognize colors, for example.
Alexa will soon have a memory
You'd be forgiven for thinking that Amazon's Alexa was an amnesiac: it can't remember important long-term info, or even that you started talking to it a few moments ago. Soon, though, it'll be considerably less forgetful. Amazon's Ruhi Sarikaya has detailed a string of upgrades to Alexa that promise more natural conversations, particularly about familiar subjects. Most notably, Alexa devices in the US will soon have a memory: you can tell the voice assistant to remember an important fact (say, a friend's birthday) and bring that up later.
LG appliances now respond to both Alexa and Google Assistant
LG has officially joined the ranks of appliance makers that support more than one voice assistant. The electronics giant has announced that its current collection of ThinQ-branded appliances now takes commands from both Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. The amount of control you'll have will vary, of course, but there are common elements: you can make ice in your fridge door, turn off the oven or cool down with your air conditioner.
Alexa now recaps NBA and NHL game stats
Voice assistants aren't great for sports buffs. They can provide the latest scores or tell you when your favorite team will play, but they rarely dive headlong into stats. Amazon, however, thinks it can dig a little deeper. It just gave Alexa the ability to recap NBA and NHL games, including the stats for individual players. You can find out how many points LeBron James scored in his last game (as of this article, 26), or have Alexa summarize the latest Maple Leafs match (they won).
Google Assistant finally works on Pixel C tablets
Google Assistant has been available on Pixel phones from the get-go and has spread to virtually every device that's even vaguely capable of handling it, but there has been a glaring exception: the Pixel C. Yes, while other Android tablets have had the AI helper for a while, Google's own slate has gone without. That glaring omission might not exist for much longer: Pixel C owners have reported that their devices now have Assistant access. Google Lens isn't accessible (unsurprising when it only just started reaching non-Pixel handsets), but you can use Assistant in landscape where other tablets require portrait mode.
Microsoft AI knows when to (politely) interrupt conversations
Most AI assistants can't really hold a conversation. They're fine with I-go-you-go dialogue, but most humans aren't quite so timid -- they know when to interrupt, and when to restart chat when there's an awkward pause. Microsoft wants to fix that. It just upgraded its Xiaolce chatbot AI with "full duplex" conversation that lets it start speaking when it's listening to what you're saying. As it can predict what you're likely to say next, it knows when to interrupt you with important info or say something more when both sides suddenly go quiet. Think of it as that friend who knows when to speak up without being overly rude.
Command Nest's security system with Google Assistant
You'd think Nest's Secure alarm system would have worked with Google Assistant out of the box, but no -- you've had to arm it the old-fashioned way. Now, however, it's decidedly more convenient. Nest has quietly introduced Google Assistant support that allows voice control over Secure from a supporting device. You can arm the system whether you're home or away, check its status, or cancel it within seconds of making a mistake.
