Microsoft’s Cortana app was supposed to be the company’s answer to Siri or Google Assistant, and then some. But to me it’s always just been that annoyingly loud voice you hear that offers to help you through the setup process of a new PC until you silence it. Soon that voice will go silent for […]
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Humane demos a wearable AI assistant with a speaker and projector but no screen
Smartphones have dramatically altered the way we interact with the digital world (and each other) over the past two decades. And while we’ve seen the rise of wearable devices like smartwatches that let you do more without looking at your phone, they’re still basically smartphone companions with wearable displays. A startup called Humane is working […]
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17 Comments on Crowdfunding fail: Mycroft Mark II open source smart display is no longer shipping to Kickstarter backers
Crowdfunding fail: Mycroft Mark II open source smart display is no longer shipping to Kickstarter backers
17 Comments on Crowdfunding fail: Mycroft Mark II open source smart display is no longer shipping to Kickstarter backersThe Mycroft Mark II is designed to be an open source, privacy-focused alternative to smart speakers and smart displays powered by voice assistant software from Amazon, Apple, or Google. The developers of the open source Mycroft voice assistant launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the Mark II in 2018 and, after a series of setbacks, […]
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Mycroft Mark II privacy-focused smart display begins shipping (nearly four years late)
5 Comments on Mycroft Mark II privacy-focused smart display begins shipping (nearly four years late)The Mycroft Mark II is a smart display with a 4.3 inch screen, stereo 5 watt speakers, dual microphones with noise cancellation features and a 5MP camera for video calls. It supports WiFi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet connections, and responds to voice and touch input. But unlike most other smart speakers and displays, the Mycroft Mark […]
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Lilbits: Google buys Raxium, Thunderbird is going mobile, and Zoom puts time limits on free 1:1 calls
2 Comments on Lilbits: Google buys Raxium, Thunderbird is going mobile, and Zoom puts time limits on free 1:1 callsZoom became a household name shortly after the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, as folks flocked to the easy-to-use software for hosting group video calls. The company’s freemium model doesn’t hurt: calls up to 40 minutes are free, while you have to pay for a subscription for longer group video calls. Up until this […]
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Mycroft, an open source voice assistant works with Linux smartphones like the PinePhone
1 Comment on Mycroft, an open source voice assistant works with Linux smartphones like the PinePhoneApple’s smartphones have Siri. Most Android phones have Google Assistant. And Samsung phones have Bixby. Voice assistant software has become an increasingly common feature for modern smartphones. But what about Linux phones? While none of the GNU/Linux distributions available for smartphones like the PinePhone or Librem 5 have a voice assistant baked in, these are […]
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Amazon Show Mode turns some Lenovo laptops into Alexa smart displays
A handful of PC makers have been shipping computers with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant software pre-installed for a few years. Now Lenovo is going a step further and adding support for Amazon’s Show Mode software, effectively letting you use some recent Lenovo Yoga, IdeaPad, and ThinkPad laptops as smart displays. The upshot is that if […]
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Microsoft is pulling the plug on Cortana for Android, iOS, and the Harman Kardon Invoke smart speaker
7 Comments on Microsoft is pulling the plug on Cortana for Android, iOS, and the Harman Kardon Invoke smart speakerMicrosoft’s Cortana virtual assistant software isn’t exactly dead, but it’s not exactly living its best life either. Earlier this year Microsoft announced that it was killing off some key features including support for third-party Cortana skills and support for using Cortana to control music playback and smart home devices. Now Microsoft has confirmed that all […]
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Microsoft Cortana is losing music and smart home features (in shift to productivity aid)
3 Comments on Microsoft Cortana is losing music and smart home features (in shift to productivity aid)Cortana started off looking like Microsoft’s answer to Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. These days it’s looking… a lot less useful. Microsoft has announced a few new scheduling and task management features for voice and keyboard users… but the company has also revealed that it’s pulling the plug on a whole bunch of other features. […]
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Microsoft is killing its standalone Cortana apps for Android & iOS (in some regions, at least)
1 Comment on Microsoft is killing its standalone Cortana apps for Android & iOS (in some regions, at least)Microsoft is pulling the plug on its Cortana apps for Android and iOS according to supports pages on the Microsoft Australia, Canada, and UK websites. It’s possible the app will live on in the US and other markets, but I’m not holding my breath. Does this mean Microsoft is giving up on supporting the smartphone […]