Amazon has expanded its free local news coverage on its Fire TV streaming device.
Better Late Than Never: Amazon Fire TV Cube Supports Zoom Two-Way Calling
Amazon has announced its Fire TV Cube now supports two-way Zoom video calling.
Siri May Soon Whisper and Shout
Apple may be on the verge of a significant improvement to Siri, giving the virtual assistant the ability to whisper or shout depending on circumstances.
Amazon’s Alexa Has ‘Hunches’ and Acts On Them
Amazon’s Alexa has crossed a significant milestone, having “hunches” regarding what needs to be done and taking the appropriate action.
Amazon’s Head Alexa Scientist: ‘The Turing Test Is Obsolete’
Amazon’s head scientist of Alexa is arguing that the Turing Test is obsolete as an AI test and should be replaced.
AWS Moves Majority of Alexa to Custom Silicon
Amazon has migrated the majority of Alexa to the next generation of its custom silicon chips.
CES 2020: Samsung Unveils Neon: A Virtual, ‘Artificial Human’ Avatar
Leading up to CES 2020, Samsung teased Neon, an artificial human. Details were sparse, and Samsung said little other than to confirm Neon was an all new endeavor and had nothing to do with their existing AI engine, Bixby. At…
CES 2020: Alexa-Enabled Shower Head Is The Bathroom Accessory You Didn’t Know You Needed (And Probably Still Don’t)
The days of taking your phone into the bathroom to listen to music while you shower are over: Kohler has introduced the world’s first Alexa-enabled shower head at CES 2020. Kohler’s latest smart device is the Moxie, a shower head…
CES 2020: Alexa Coming To A Fuel Purchase Near You
Amazon has teamed up with ExxonMobile to give drivers the option of using Alexa to pay for fuel, according to CNN Business. The new feature should be available at 11,500 Exxon and Mobil gas stations beginning in April. According to…
Baidu Takes AI Crown, Achieves New Level of Language Understanding
The ability to talk with an artificial intelligence (AI), be it a computer or robot, has been a staple of science fiction for decades. Despite modern advances, anyone who has used Siri, Alexa, Cortana or the Google Assistant knows we’re…
Echo Becomes the First Non-Apple Device to Support Apple Podcasts
Starting Friday, Amazon Echo has become the first device aside from Apple’s HomePod to offer full support for Apple Podcasts. Prior to this announcement, the only way to play Podcasts on an Echo was to AirPlay them from another Apple…
Amazon Bringing Alexa Functionality to IoT Devices
In the battle for smart speaker dominance, estimates show that Amazon’s Alexa has a dominating lead with 70 percent of the market. Based on Amazon’s recent announcement, that market share may increase even more. The company recently announced Alexa Voice…
Amazon Announces Voice Interoperability Initiative—Leaves Out Apple and Google
There’s no doubt that virtual assistants and AI-based voice services are one of the next big things in the technology industry. Long the stuff of science fiction, voice-based computing represents the next leap in computer interface and usability paradigms. As…
AI-Powered Conversational Bots Are Changing the Game, Says LivePerson CEO
You are messaging them. You are doing what’s natural to you. That’s really what we see as changing the game. We made a big pivot two years ago and launched a whole new platform. There’s a bigger future in bots and AI than there was in chat.
Long-Term Goal With Alexa Is To Invent the Star Trek Computer, Says Amazon SVP
“The long-term goal (with Alexa) was to try to invent the Star Trek computer,” says David Limp, Amazon’s SVP of devices and services. “I grew up watching Roddenberry and loved it. We all loved watching it and the science had moved up enough where we thought we had a shot at it.”
Deepak Chopra Delivering Reflections on Alexa via LivePerson
Personal transformation guru and popular author Deepak Chopra has partnered with LivePerson to provide insights on demand through Amazon Alexa. “I have this little microphone attached to this little phone and I just speak out to what I’m thinking and what my intention for the day is,” says Chopra.
Amazon Will Soon Add Alexa to Wearable Devices
Amazon’s digital assistant is branching out. In a January 5 announcement, Microsoft revealed a new developer kit aimed to help device manufacturers integrate Alexa’s functions into their wearable devices, which will essentially create a new, mobile version of the popular…
Voice Commerce: The Next Wave in eCommerce
There was some skepticism over the idea that voice commerce would be the future of retail. This wasn’t surprising, given the limitations that AIs like Cortana and Siri exhibited. However, recent improvements made to the technology hinted that big changes…
Microsoft and Amazon’s AI Assistants are Teaming Up
Usually, tech companies keep each other at arm’s length, unwilling to share new technologies with the hope of besting their competitors. However, it appears that Microsoft and Amazon, two of the major players in the AI digital assistant arena, are…
Best Christmas Sales Ever for Amazon and Its Own Devices Lead the Way
Amazon had a record Christmas and its own Alexa devices, Echo Dot, Fire TV Stick, Fire tablet and Amazon Echo, lead the way. Sales were up over last year’s holiday season an amazing 9 times. “Echo and Echo Dot were…