Personal Assistant Systems
How millions of kids are being shaped by know-it-all voice assistants
As millions of American families buy robotic voice assistants to turn off lights, order pizzas and fetch movie times, children are eagerly co-opting the gadgets to settle dinner table disputes, answer homework questions and entertain friends at sleepover parties. Many parents have been startled and intrigued by the way these disembodied, know-it-all voices -- Amazon's Alexa, Google Home, Microsoft's Cortana -- are impacting their kids' behavior, making them more curious but also, at times, far less polite. In just two years, the promise of the technology has already exceeded the marketing come-ons. The disabled are using voice assistants to control their homes, order groceries and listen to books. Caregivers to the elderly say the devices help with dementia, reminding users what day it is or when to take medicine.
Line Reportedly Working On Its Own AI Alternative Androidheadlines.com
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the current big thing in the ever-evolving world of technology and it now seems the popular messaging app Line wants a piece of the action as well. Following in the footsteps of Apple with Siri, Amazon with Alexa, and Google with the Google Assistant โ which on a side note is now in the process of being rolled out to more devices. According to the information coming through, the Japanese messaging company's AI will be called'Clova' and is likely designed to be included in devices from LG Electronics and Sony. The new AI will have all the features one might expect with a virtual assistant, including the ability to pull weather and news, stream music, or update agendas. Likewise, this AI will reportedly make use of a now-typical use of speech recognition and an ability to understand natural language. Although, it is suggested that the team behind Clova also wants to include face recognition, as well as the ability to understand difficult questions.
Google begins adding its AI assistant to older handsets
Google is about to make more Androids even smarter. The tech giant is rolling out its Google Assistant to devices running on the Nougat and Marshmallow versions of its Android software. The firm first revealed the expansion at the Mobile World Congress and users in the US will be the first to receive the update โ Australia, Canada, the UK and Germany are set to follow. Google is rolling out its Google Assistant to devices running on Nougat and Marshmallow. The firm first revealed the expansion at the Mobile World Congress and users in the US will be the first to receive the update โ Australia, Canada, the UK and Germany are set to follow. Google has yet to reveal a detailed list of Android devices that are eligible to download Google Assistant.
Google Home Getting Multi-User Support Soon; Amazon Making Voice-Activated Alexa Camera
It appears Google is working on a new feature for its voice-activated smart speaker Google Home. A teardown of its latest update reveals multiple account support is underway. Meanwhile, Amazon could be releasing a voice-activated Alexa camera soon. On Thursday, Android Police reported about what it found after looking into the APK of Google Home's latest update. The teardown revealed a couple of empty strings that act as placeholders for what Google is working on.
Google Assistant starts rolling out to Android M and N devices
Users will need to be running Android M or N on a phone with Google Play services and at least 1.5GB of RAM and a 720p screen to get Assistant's new features. The rollout will also be staggered so that English language users in the US will see it show up first, followed by another wave of rollouts to Canadians and Australians. German users will also get the service in their native tongue, but other languages aren't expected until "the coming year." While the LG G6 gets to claim the title of first non-Google device to ship with Assistant, we can expect other manufacturers with recently released devices to start touting the new bonus feature soon.
Google Assistant starts rolling out to Android M and N devices
It's here: native support for Google Assistant officially started rolling out to Android phones running Marshmallow or Nougat on Thursday. As Engadget noted earlier in the week, Google's conversational digital assistant no longer needs a Pixel phone or the Allo app to work, but you may need to check your phone's specs before you get access. Users will need to be running Android M or N on a phone with Google Play services and at least 1.5GB of RAM and a 720p screen to get Assistant's new features. The rollout will also be staggered so that English language users in the US will see it show up first, followed by another wave of rollouts to Canadians and Australians. German users will also get the service in their native tongue, but other languages aren't expected until "the coming year."
Sony, LG And Line Working Together For New Smart Speaker, AI Assistant
Three heads are better than one. This is perhaps what electronics company Sony and LG and instant messaging app Line are thinking now that they have partnered together to develop a smart speaker that would rival Amazon Echo and Google Home and an AI assistant that would be worthy competitor for Alexa, Apple's Siri and Google Assistant. Leading this partnership is the popular chat app who is now ready to foray into the world of artificial intelligence. Line has a strong following in Asian countries, especially in Japan and South Korea. But it needs support to venture into this new market and realize its goal of launching its own intelligent assistant and smart speaker.
The Wirecutter's best deals: Save $30 on a Google Home smart speaker bundle
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here. You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we'll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot -- some of these sales could expire mighty soon.
AMD steps up to take on Intel with the Ryzen 7 CPU; How does it stack up?
If you use a computer, you've probably seen that little "Intel Inside" sticker on it somewhere, letting you know that your Facebook posts and cat videos are happening due to Intel's dominance in the computer chip business. But there's another computer chip maker, Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD, that we don't hear about very much, although that may be about to change. Here at DT, Matt Smith has been putting AMD's new Ryzen 7 1800X chip through its paces, and he's here to report that the CPU has what it takes to compete against Intel, and at a price that puts it in reach of most people who like to build their own computer systems. The Ryzen 7 packs eight cores against the 10 in Intel's top Core i7 model, and while it isn't quite as fast as Intel's fastest chip, it's still pretty damn fast and at a price far below Intel's premium offerings. Is it a viable non-Intel option for computer builders and OEMs to drop into their machines?
All Nougat and Marshmallow phones are getting Google Assistant
Beginning today, Google Assistant is opening up to new devices around the world. Both Nougat and Marshmallow-powered phones are gaining access to the artificial intelligence platform. Google is making the feature live in select countries to start, so you may not get to use Google Assistant for a couple of days, weeks, and or even months. The first set of people get it are English-speaking users in the United States. After that, English-speaking users in Australia will be next.