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Amazon Fire TV Blaster brings voice control to your TV for $35

Amazon’s latest Fire TV gadget combines is a $35 gadget called the Fire TV Blaster, and while the name makes it sound like some sort of gaming accessory, it’s really an add-on that lets you use your voice to control a TV, cable box, soundbar, and other accessories. Designed to be used with a Fire TV device […]

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Now you can turn off your PC by voice with Cortana (Insiders only… so far)

Microsoft’s latest preview build of Windows 10 includes improvements for Windows Ink, the Windows Game Bar, and support for new extensions in the Edge web browser. But some of the coolest new features in Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14986 include the Cortana digital assistant. Now you can use your voice to change the volume, […]

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Report: Google’s Amazon Echo-like product is code-named “Chirp”

Apple, Google, and Microsoft all have software that lets you talk to your phone to perform some actions or get answers to your questions. Siri, Cortana, and Google’s voice search tools can come in handy in the car, around the house, or in other places where you may not want to use your hands to […]

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Triby’s connected speaker with Amazon Alexa now available for $199 (or less)

Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant software lets you speak commands and questions to Amazon hardware including the Echo, Tap, and Echo Dot devices as well as Amazon Fire TV products. But Amazon offers tools that let third-party developers tap into is Alexa Voice service platform, and last year a company called Invoxia introduced the first device to do […]

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Report: Amazon’s next Echo could be a smaller, cheaper, portable voice-controlled speaker

A little over a year after the launch of the Amazon Echo, the Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon may have a new model on the way. The original $179 Amazon Echo is a tall, cylindrical speaker that sits in your home, connects tot he internet, and listens to your voice to answer your questions, play […]

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Triby is connected speaker with Amazon Alexa voice features

Amazon’s Alexa voice service debuted with the Amazon Echo internet-connected speaker thingamajig and it’s now available on the new Amazon Fire TV. But Amazon’s answer to Siri, Cortana, and Google Voice Search isn’t just limited to Amazon hardware. The company has released tools to let any device maker tap into the Alexa service, and the company […]

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Amazon wants Echo’s Alexa Voice Service on third-party hardware

As promised, Amazon is taking steps to let anyone incorporate the voice assistant software used by the Amazon Echo into third-party hardware. This could let computers, TV boxes, smart speakers, or pretty much any device with a microphone, speaker, and internet connection respond to voice commands by using Amazon’s technology. Amazon has launched a developer […]

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ZTE launches Star 2 smartphone with enhanced voice controls

Voice control features have been available for smartphones for a while, letting you do things like search the web or make phone calls just by talking to your phone. But the ZTE Star 2 takes things a bit further. You can unlock and turn on this 5 inch Android phone, take a picture, play music, […]

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Lilbits (3-28-2014): Microsofts reconsiders stance on email snooping

Microsoft recently made headlines for working with law enforcement to track down the source of Windows software leaks… and a lot of that press focused on the fact that the company read the emails of a Hotmail user as part of the investigation. Last week company officials defended the practice, saying they had enough information […]