Personal Assistant Systems
Google Pixel Wear OS smartwatch: rumored specs, price and release date
Google's line of smartwatches formerly known as Android Wear, now known as Wear OS, have suffered from sameness and repetition. But there are big changes coming this year. Google's confirmed there will be a revamp of Wear OS watches, starting with at least one product arriving this fall, maybe even up to three. Will it be Google's own Pixel watch to join the Pixel 3 phone and Google's growing line of self-made products like Google Home, Daydream View, Google Clips and the Pixelbook? Or, will it be made by others, like Google tends to do with some products?
How close are we to living in 'The Jetsons'? Checking in on our smart-home future
In the fall of 1962, The Jetsons debuted in primetime on ABC-TV as the network's first show to be broadcasted in color. It was the height of the Space Race, and Americans eagerly tuned in for a tantalizing view of the future. This particular future was Orbit City in the year 2062. The Jetsons were a nuclear family that lived, worked, and went to school in buildings high above the clouds. They commuted in flying cars, benefitted from abundant technology, and Rosie the robot did much of their housekeeping.
Alexa, send up breakfast: Amazon launches Echo for hotels
Alexa has a new job: hotel concierge. Amazon has launched a version of Alexa for hotels that lets guests order room service, ask for more towels or get restaurant recommendations without having to pick up the phone and call the front desk. Marriott has signed up for the service, and will place Amazon Echo smart speakers in 10 hotels this summer. It is another way for Amazon to sell its voice assistant to businesses and get Alexa in front of customers. Amazon already sells a version of Alexa for workplaces, and has struck deals to place Alexa in cars and refrigerators.
Alexa, send up breakfast: Amazon launches Echo for hotels
Alexa has a new job: hotel concierge. Amazon has launched a version of Alexa for hotels that lets guests order room service through the voice assistant, ask for more towels or get restaurant recommendations without having to pick up the phone and call the front desk. Marriott has signed up for the service, and will place Amazon Echo smart speakers in 10 hotels this summer, including its Westin and St. Regis brands. It is another way for Amazon to sell its voice assistant and devices to businesses and get Alexa in front of more customers. Amazon already sells a version of Alexa for workplaces, and has struck deals to place Alexa in cars and refrigerators.
Banking by smart speaker arrives, but security issues exist
Big banks and financial companies have started to offer banking through virtual assistants -- Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and Google's Assistant -- in a way that will allow customers to check their balances, pay bills and, in the near future, send money just with their voice. And with the rapid adoption of Zelle, a bank-to-bank transfer system, it soon could be possible to send money to friends or family instantly with voice commands. But the potential to do such sensitive tasks through a smart speaker raises security concerns. Virtual assistants and smart speakers are still relatively new technologies, and potentially susceptible to being exploited by cyber criminals. Regional banking giant U.S. Bank is the first bank to be on all three services -- Alexa, Siri and Assistant.
Google Home, Mini, Max Can Now Speak Spanish
More than 400 million people worldwide speak Spanish as their native language. However, those people have been left behind by tech companies who make products based on speaking and listening, like Google Home and Amazon Echo. On Tuesday, the former remedied the situation. Google announced in a company blog post Tuesday morning that its Home line of smart-speaker products would listen and speak Spanish, starting immediately. According to Google, it is as easy as going to the preferences section of the Google Home app and changing the digital assistant's language to Spanish.
Amazon Echo Look review: Good selfie taker, so-so stylist
Walking into my closet can sometimes feel like visiting Narnia. There are beautiful, whimsical friends in there, alongside a dizzying array of outdated pieces and random monstrosities from the early aughts. I'm someone who would benefit from Amazon's Echo Look, a standalone camera designed to snap photos of your outfits of the day and recommend clothes that suit your style. Aside from the chance to get reacquainted with my clothes, I also relished the excuse to take full-length selfies every day, all in the name of improving my already excellent taste. The Echo Look is a voice-enabled camera that's great for getting daily full-length photos and videos of your outfits. It also doubles as an Alexa speaker, which is nifty, although the audio quality is too poor to actually stream music.
Siri and Alexa walk into a bar: How AI assistants found their funny bone
Virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa are useful for a lot of things, like telling you what the weather's going to be or reminding you of an upcoming calendar appointment. But they can be entertaining too, providing the occasional fun fact or playing that hit song from Beyonce. Or, when you want a little levity in an otherwise crappy day, telling some really corny dad jokes. You've probably heard them before. Ask Siri, Alexa, Google or Cortana to tell you a joke, and you'll likely hear something like this: "I couldn't figure out why a baseball kept getting larger. "What do you call a talking dinosaur?
Google Assistant can speak Spanish on Home speakers
Today, Google announced that Assistant on its Home, Mini and Max products can now speak and understand Spanish. Additionally, consumers in Mexico will be able to find Google Home on store shelves starting today; the product launched in Spain last week. After saying the wake words "Ok, Google," users can use Spanish to speak with Assistant on the Home, Mini and Max. To hear about your schedule and appointments for the day, you can say, "¿Cómo será mi día?" Or to turn down the temperature, simply tell the Assistant, "Sube la temperatura del termostato." These features are available today on the afore mentioned Google Home hardware.
Virtual personal trainer uses AI to get you fitter - and it's free
Executing the perfect exercise move is as much about technique as it is strength. And fitness enthusiasts have been paying personal trainers for decades in order to learn how to correctly pull off the right moves. Now there's a free app that offers to do the same thing by using motion-tracking technology and artificial intelligence to help you perform the perfect squat. Called the Perfect Squat Challenge, it was developed by digital therepy company Kaia Health who consulted with physiotherapists and sport scientists to figure out a squat that most of us can achieve. Once you fire up the app, you're guided through the motion by a virtual assistant called Kaia.