Mobile app stores are filled with a combination of free and paid apps and games, with many of the free titles subsidized by ads or optional in-app purchases. But so far we haven’t really seen that replicated in the brave new world of third-party apps or “skills” for smart speakers and voice interfaces. You can […]
voice assistant
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Sony Xperia Hello is like a $1300 Amazon Echo on wheels (for Japan)
Part of the appeal of Amazon Echo and Google Home-style speakers is that you can place them anywhere in your home and interact with them just by talking. Sure, you can use Siri, Gooogle Assistant, or Cortana on your phone. But not having to actually pull out and unlock your phone makes the feature a […]
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Samsung unveils Bixby 2.0 virtual assistant platform
Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant is growing up… a little bit. First unveiled along with the Galaxy S8 earlier this year as a way to control your phone with your voice, Samsung’s virtual assistant has only been available in the US for a few months. Now Samsung says Bixby is available in more than 200 countries […]
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Moto Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa coming in Nov for $150 (Moto Mods)
As expected, one of Motorola’s next modular accessories for its Moto Z line of smartphones is a smart speaker that works with Amazon’s Alexa Voice Assistant. It’s called the Moto Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa, and it’s designed to bring better audio quality to a Moto Z smartphone while also picking up your voice from […]
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Google Assistant for phones gains Chromecast support
Have a Google Home smart speaker and a Chromecast? Then you can talk to the speaker to play music or videos on any Cast-enabled device. “OK Google, Play Game of Thrones” beams it to your TV, or “OK Google, play Tom Petty on my Living Room speakers” should send music to your ChromeCast audio device. […]
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Amazon’s Alexa can now tell household members apart by voice
Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant lets you ask supported speakers, tablets, or TV devices all sorts of questions… including personalized ones like “what’s on my schedule today?” But if your household has more than one Alexa user, there’s been a limit to that personalization, because Alexa couldn’t tell one voice from another. Now it can. Amazon […]
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Amazon Music apps for Android and iOS gain Alexa voice assistant
Amazon really wants you to use its Alexa voice assistant. The service, which first debuted on the Amazon Echo speaker in 2014 is now available on Amazon tablets, TV boxes, and third-party hardware and the company also offers Alexa apps for Android and iOS. Now Amazon has also added Alexa to its Amazon Music app […]
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Amazon’s new $150 Fire HD 10 has full HD display, Alexa voice controls
As expected, Amazon is launching an updated Fire HD 10 tablet. What’s a little unexpected though, is that the new model has a higher-resolution display, a faster processor, more memory, and new features… and it’s still cheaper than the model it replaces. The new Amazon Fire HD 10 is up for pre-order for $150 and […]
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Now you can disable Samsung’s Bixby Button
Samsung may envision Bixby as a “smarter way” to interact with mobile devices using just your voice. But plenty of folks don’t… at least not yet. So when Samsung started shipping Bixby-enabled phones like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8, the company added a dedicated Bixby key to the side of the phone. Developers […]
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1 Comment on DolphinAttack: Siri and other voice assistants can be controlled via ultrasonic commands
DolphinAttack: Siri and other voice assistants can be controlled via ultrasonic commands
1 Comment on DolphinAttack: Siri and other voice assistants can be controlled via ultrasonic commandsOver the past few years we’ve seen voice assistant software baked into everything from smartphones and watches to smart speakers. They make it easy to control media playback, launch apps, check the weather, and even control smart home devices including locks, lights, and thermostats. And it turns out they’re generally vulnerable to a relatively simple […]