Posted inNews

HomePod is Apple’s answer to the Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Sonos speakers

Apple is launching its first Siri-powered home speaker. It’s called HomePod, and on the one hand it seems like a rather late entry into the space first created by the launch of the Amazon Echo in 2014. But Apple thinks HomePod will stand out in a few ways. The company says the HomePod offers the kind […]

Posted inNews

Apple’s Siri-powered Echo competitor’s key selling point: It’s an Apple product

Amazon may have launched the smart speaker market with the introduction of its first Echo device a few years ago. But these days you can also opt for a Google Home with similar functionality, and soon you’ll start to find speakers that use Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant. Apple wants in on the action too. There’ve […]

Posted inNews

Amazon’s iPhone app now includes Alexa Voice service

Remember when Amazon tried to launch a smartphone? That didn’t go so well. But maybe Amazon doesn’t need to build and sell its own phones in order to get into your pocket. The company offers Amazon shopping, video, Kindle, and other apps for Android and iOS. And starting today Amazon’s iPhone app also includes the […]

Posted inNews

Bloomberg: Apple has a Siri-based Amazon Echo competitor too

Earlier this year Google announced plans to launch an internet-connected speaker that would sit in your home, play music on command, and respond to questions or requests that you voice. It’s called Google Home, and if it sounds familiar, that’s because it’s basically the company’s answer to an existing product: the Amazon Echo. But Google […]

Posted inNews

UE Boom speakers now have “voice integration” for Siri, Google voice search

The Ultimate Ears UE Boom 2 and Megaboom are popular, well-reviewed cylindrical Bluetooth speakers that allow you to stream music from your phone, tablet, computer, or other gadgets without wires. Their shape also makes them look a bit like Amazon’s Echo or Amazon Tap devices… and now you can UE’s speakers a lot like an […]

Posted inNews

Apple unveils iOS 10, opens Siri and Maps to 3rd-party developers

The next version of Apple’s operating system for iPhones and iPads includes support for new 3D touch gestures, the ability to wake your phone simply by raising it, and more. Apple is also opening up Siri and Apple Maps to third-party developers, allowing you to interact with more apps using Apple’s voice assistant, book a […]

Posted inNews

What are the coolest features your smartphone has… that you don’t use?

These days you can ask most smartphones questions as if you were speaking to another person, use your phone as a GPS navigation device, tap a button on your phone to instantly get contextual information about whatever’s on the screen, and do a whole bunch of other cool things. But a recent study from Creative Strategies suggesting […]

Posted inNews

Viv is a new virtual assistant from creators of Siri

Before Siri was a virtual assistant built into the operating system that powers iPhone and iPads, the software was a standalone app developed by a team including Dag Kittlaus and Adam Cheyer. Apple bought the company and the rest is history… except that Kittlaus and Cheyer weren’t finished coming up with new ways for your device […]

Posted inNews

Apple wants Siri to transcribe voicemails like Google Voice already has for years

Apple may be working on a visual voicemail service that will automatically create transcripts of your voice messages. How is this different from Google Voice, which has been available for Android users for years? According to a report from Business Insider, Apple’s service will put Siri in charge of the transcription. Apple employees are reportedly already testing this […]