VoiceControl
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Apple reportedly begins production of its Siri speaker
Those rumors of Apple unveiling a Siri-enabled speaker just got a little more tangible. Bloomberg sources claim that Apple has started manufacturing the voice-controlled device. It might be announced at WWDC on June 5th, the insiders say. Just don't expect to buy one right away, though. If the rumor is accurate, the speaker "will not be ready" to ship until later in the year. Your patience may pay off, though, as there are reportedly a few features that will help it stand out next to the Amazon Echo and Google Home.
Amazon Echo supports iCloud calendars ahead of rumored Siri speaker
Amazon's Echo speakers give you voice control over calendars from Google and Microsoft, but there's long been a notable exception to that rule: Apple. Thankfully, Amazon just filled that gap. The internet giant has quietly added support for linking Alexa to your iCloud calendar, letting you add events or check appointments that should promptly show up on your iOS devices and Macs. You'll need to switch on Apple's two-factor authentication, but you're otherwise off to the races. It's a big deal if you're heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem, although the timing is definitely... convenient.
Ask Alexa to play your favorite shows on a Dish Hopper DVR
If you're a Dish subscriber, it just got ridiculously easy to control your TV. The satellite provider has introduced an Alexa skill that lets control any Hopper DVR or Wally using an Amazon Echo. You can ask the set-top box to tune into a specific channel, search for shows (including on Netflix) or directly control playback without touching a thing -- you just need your voice. You can't record shows, alas, but this could be worthwhile if you want to change channels from the kitchen.
Ecobee's Alexa thermostat is essentially a wall-mounted Echo
If you're Ecobee and you have to compete against an Alphabet-backed heavyweight like Nest in the smart home space, what do you do? Simple: add built-in voice control that Nest can't currently match. The new Ecobee4 thermostat incorporates Amazon's Alexa. That gives you hands-off control over your home's climate, of course (such as saying when you're away), but it also turns your thermostat into a sort of wall-mounted Echo -- you can use just about any Alexa skill that makes sense. If you want to set a reminder or fetch a recipe, you might not need a separate device.
Amazon Echo Look is a voice-controlled camera for fashion tips
Amazon's Echo smart speakers just went in an unusual (but potentially very helpful) new direction. Meet Echo Look, an Alexa-powered camera designed around taking your own fashion photos and videos. If you want to show off your daily wardrobe, you just have to ask the Look to take a snapshot -- you don't have to take a selfie in front of a mirror to get a full-length picture. And since it includes a depth-sensing camera, it can blur the background to make shots pop. The real party tricks come when you're not sure about your outfit, however.
Alexa can finally set specific smart bulb colors
Alexa has been able to control Philips Hue, TP-Link and other smart lights for a while, but control was limited to on/off and dimming, not color -- a bummer, since the bulbs also emit up to 16 million hues. However, Amazon has now added the ability to change colors to Philips, TP-Link Kasa and LiFi Labs LIFX bulbs, giving you full voice control of your lighting at last.
Google conquers more of your smart home with Logitech and Wink
A number of connected home devices already work with Google's smart speaker and today a few more are being added to the fold. Logitech's Harmony line and Wink's lighting gear and thermostats can now be controlled with voice commands from Google Home. "Ok Google, ask Harmony to..." can control your connected speakers, fire up a specific app on Roku, skip forward/backward on content and more for devices that work with Logitech's smart home platform.
Next up in your News Feed: Gear VR livestreams
It looks like announcing 360-degree photos and videos for the Gear VR app was a teaser of what Oculus had in mind for this week. Now, Facebook's $2 billion baby is pulling back the curtain on the mobile VR live-streaming it teased last October. Assuming you aren't stateside, it's rolling out to the public today. Domestic users will be able to livestream their VR gameplay from Face Your Fears or Wands, a sorcery simulator, directly to Facebook "in the coming weeks," according to TechCrunch.
Amazon Echo can add to your Office 365 calendar
Amazon's Echo speakers and other Alexa devices can already control your Outlook.com calendar, but what about your schedule at work? You're covered there, too. Alexa now supports Office 365's calendar functions, giving you a hands-free way of checking on your next meeting or scheduling that all-important business lunch. This won't see too much use right away when most offices aren't exactly teeming with Echo speakers. However, that's likely part of the point -- this gives the corporate crowd an excuse to bring the Echo into the workplace, even if it's just in private offices (open spaces will likely require multi-voice support).
Wink's connected home tech uses Alexa to lock your doors
You can already use Alexa to control Wink-compatible connected lights, switches and thermostats, but now the IoT company is letting you use the virtual assistant to lock your doors. Wink announced today that you can employ those handy voice commands to make sure your doors are locked. The company says that smart locks from the likes of Schlage, Kwikset, and Yale that are compatible with its tech are privy to the update.
You don't need to touch the Amazon Tap to use Alexa anymore
Having to touch a device to use voice commands kind of defeats the purpose of having voice commands at all. For example, my use of "Okay, Google" went down dramatically once I switched from Android to iOS. Amazon realizes this problem is a problem too, and the latest over-the-air update for the Tap speaker nixes the need to touch the device to start pestering the Alexa digital assistant. So, like its Echo cousins, now all you have to do to change a song or order dehydrated cereal marshmallows in bulk is use the device's trigger word. Shazbot! I won't judge your shopping habits if you don't judge mine.
Control your connected home with a wave of your hand
The IoT-powered smart home has caught the tech world's fancy for years, promising domestic command at your fingertips. But beyond set-and-forget environmental preferences, connected devices are usually configured via smartphone app or voice-controlled through a hub. But if you want to flick on your IoT machines with a wave or table tap, Hayo has launched an Indiegogo campaign to bring spatial remotes to your living room.
Vizio devices now take voice commands from Google Home
Vizio's living room devices already play nicely with Google services, but wouldn't it be nice if you could use Google voice control as well? You can now. All of Vizio's SmartCast-equipped devices, including recent TVs, soundbars and speakers, just got support for Google Home. If you want to watch a movie on Netflix, you don't even have to wake your TV -- say the right words to Google's smart speaker and it'll start playing on your set. You can also pause, skip songs and tweak the volume without touching a button.
Adobe demos a virtual assistant for voice-based photo edits
If CES was any indication, voice control and virtual assistants will rule in 2017. While some companies seem to be adding the tools just for the sake of doing so, others are finding some implementations that could actually be useful. Adobe falls into the latter category and the company is showing off what it calls "a first step" towards voice-controlled edits in its design apps.
Nokia appears to be working on its own AI assistant
It seems that just about everyone wants to get into the AI assistant game. Nokia (the networking giant, not HMD Global's brand) has applied for a trademark on "Viki," a chat- and voice-based helper for smartphones and the web. Details are scarce -- this is a trademark, not a patent -- but there's little doubt as to what it's for. The question is, what will Nokia do with it?
Amazon's Echo attempted a TV-fueled shopping spree
It's nothing new for voice-activated devices to behave badly when they misinterpret dialogue -- just ask anyone watching a Microsoft gaming event with a Kinect-equipped Xbox One nearby. However, Amazon's Echo devices is causing more of that chaos than usual. It started when a 6-year-old Dallas girl inadvertently ordered cookies and a dollhouse from Amazon by saying what she wanted. It was a costly goof ($170), but nothing too special by itself. However, the response to that story sent things over the top. When San Diego's CW6 discussed the snafu on a morning TV show, one of the hosts made the mistake of saying that he liked when the girl said "Alexa ordered me a dollhouse." You can probably guess what happened next.
Tell this robot to graffiti a wall for you
We've seen our fair share of weird things at CES this week, but there was one thing outside the Las Vegas Convention Center that surprised even us Engadget editors. As we were walking toward the building, we came across an unattended (and seemingly unnamed) robot that takes voice commands to show off its spray painting skills. While it's obviously no Banksy, it's yet another example of how Bluetooth devices are being used to control stuff around you. Sure, this isn't the most practical use for voice commands, but you can't deny how neat the project is.
Alexa offers voice-controlled takeout from Amazon Restaurants
At CES 2017, it's pretty much "Alexa this" and "Alexa that" as Amazon's voice assistant insinuates itself into cars, smartphones and refrigerators. Now the device works as a waiter of sorts, letting you place a takeout order from any of Amazon's affiliated restaurants. There are some limitations: You need to be an Amazon Prime member, and you can't order anything new -- it'll only let you repeat an order you've placed in the past.
NVIDIA Spot brings Google Assistant to every room in your home
There's a common gripe with the Amazon Echo, Google Home and other voice-guided helpers: You have to stand within their listening range to make use of them. Not quite the Star Trek future you were promised, is it? NVIDIA, however, might have a fix: It just introduced the Spot, a hybrid mic and speaker that brings Google Assistant to every nook and cranny in your home. You need the new Shield TV to serve as the central hub, but you're otherwise free to turn on lights, ask questions and otherwise use Assistant knowing that you'll be heard.
Samsung goes big on smart fridges with 10 new models
Samsung must have done alright with its crazy WiFi-connected smart fridges last year, because it's launching six more in 2017, for a total of 10. That includes both three-door, four-door and four-door "flex" models with dual freezers (shown above). It's also updated the fridge's OS to Family Hub 2.0 with a new interface that lets everyone have a profile, complete with avatar. From there, you can share photos, calendars and handwritten memos on your fridge's giant 21.5-inch LED touchscreen. Voice control and entertainment apps like Pandora are on offer as well.
