Last month, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee fired off a letter to Apple following reports that phones and other devices, such as smart speakers, can listen in on conversations. Now, the tech giant has sent the Representatives its response: iPhones, it says, don't listen to people's conversations and don't share people's spoken words with third-parties. In what could be interpreted as a dig at its staunchest competitors, Cupertino explains in the letter (courtesy of CNET) that the customer is not its product and that its business model "does not depend on collecting vast amounts of personally identifiable information to enrich targeted profiles marketed to advertisers." In the original letter the lawmakers sent, they specifically noted reports that third-party apps could access the data devices supposedly collect while listening for their "trigger words," such as "Hey, Siri, "OK Google" and "Hey, Alexa." During Facebook's congressional hearing back in April, Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) even asked Mark Zuckerberg whether the social network listens in on people through their phone mics in order to serve relevant ads.

Avocado toast is the hottest lunch trend to hit my apartment in years, and Lenovo just kicked it to a new level. After sticking Lenovo's Smart Display in my kitchen this week, my snack of choice has only gotten better, and I couldn't be happier. With the screen's built-in recipe search and step-by-step guide to cooking, I learned that rubbing the bread with some cut garlic adds a lot of flavor, and finishing it off with a sprinkling of parsley, lime, and chopped tomatoes does wonders. I may even toss a fried egg on my green toast this week. I could have looked up all these avocado toast recipes on my Android phone, but I never did.

If you had your very own home robot, what would you want it to do, exactly? Yeah, me too, but that kind of robot is a long, long ways off. Consider Jibo, essentially a dancing Amazon Alexa. And Kuri, a miniaturized R2-D2 that roams around your house taking pictures. If that doesn't sound particularly impressive to you, well, the market felt the same way.

Your questions will never go unanswered again by Alexa. Amazon is rolling out a feature called'Answer Update' that notifies users when Alexa learns the answer to a question that it didn't know right away. The feature, which was first spotted by Voicebot, should start appearing for users in the coming days. Amazon is launching a feature called'Answer Update' that notifies users when Alexa learns the answer to a question it didn't know right away. Users can opt in to the feature by asking their Echo device to'turn on Answer Update.' Alexa will then respond by explaining what the feature is.

Bose revealed that its QuietComfort 35 IIs would get outfitted with Google Assistant last September. Starting today, owners have another voice assistant option: The wireless headphones now support Amazon Alexa. Users must open their paired Bose Connect app and update its software. Then, an option to use Alexa will appear under the app's See My Options tab. Users will have to pair their headphones to the Alexa app, too.

Marriott recently teamed up with Amazon to offer a hospitality version of the e-commerce giant's Echo devices in select hotel rooms. Now, when guests want to order room service or housekeeping, they can simply ask Alexa, the voice of their disembodied personal concierge. Travelers with an Alexa device at home can book a car rental or hotel through Expedia and Kayak. Similarly, Google Assistant, which can be used via Google Home devices, smartphones, or smartwatches, can track flight prices and status, suggest nearby restaurants, convert currency, give directions, and provide same-day updates on traffic to airports. On many fronts, artificial intelligence-powered smart speakers and apps seem poised to become the world's virtual travel agents. If consumers start turning regularly to smart speakers for their travel needs, they could end up interacting less and less with traditional airline, hotel, and even online travel agency brands.

Over the past few decades, machine learning has emerged as the real-world face of what is often mistakenly called "artificial intelligence." It is establishing itself as a mainstream technology tool for companies, enabling them to improve productivity, planning, and ultimately, profits. Michael Jordan, professor of Computer Science and Statistics at the University of California, Berkeley, noted in a recent Medium post: "Most of what is being called'AI' today, particularly in the public sphere, is what has been called'machine learning' for the past several decades." Jordan argues that unlike much that is mislabeled "artificial intelligence," ML is the real thing. He maintains that it was already clear in the early 1990s that ML would grow to have massive industrial relevance.

If the 2016 election made one thing clear, it's that people in this country are getting their news from very different sources. But with the growing popularity of smart speaker-delivered morning briefings, this may be about to change. As digital assistants becomes the go-to news source for more and more people, so too does NPR. And while there's nothing wrong with millennials rediscovering public radio, some are raising the alarm about media diet conformity. Reporters Without Borders, the Paris-based NGO that promotes freedom of information, has voiced concerns about voice assistants, suggesting they present a "threat to pluralist news and information."

In yet another evolutionary step in the artificial intelligence contest between Amazon and Google, Amazon confirmed this week that a new feature called "Answer Update" will enable Alexa to percolate on a question she doesn't know the answer to, and inform users once she's learned the answer. Factual questions only, please; we don't think it's healthy to ask a robot if it loves you and then stew on it for a while. We've seen that movie already. The feature, first spotted by Voicebot, was prompted after listening to a news item and asking follow-up questions. The intelligent assistant first asks if users want to enable "Answer Updates," a feature that users can also opt out of on command. Amazon says the new feature is a way to expand Alexa's "Knowledge Graph," an informational database containing general knowledge facts and figures that the smart assistant uses to answer everyday questions.

These days, there are plenty of ways to keep your phone charged up on the go, and today two enticing, yet totally different USB chargers are on steep sale at Amazon--but only if you know the correct discount codes. Aukey's huge 10,000mAh portable charger drops all the way down to $12.87 with the code 73YLYYV3, from a list price of $23, and Anker's Roav Viva car charger with Amazon's Alexa is $38 with the code VIVAAUDL, down from a list price of $59. Aukey's portable charger comes with dual ports to keep multiple devices charged up simultaneously. It's also designed to fit in your pocket, with a smooth, streamlined design built to match your phone's form factor. A built-in LED indicator will help you keep tabs on battery life, with a built-in flashlight as well in case of emergency.