Nowadays, there are already plenty of choices when it comes to pet trackers, and some can even monitor heart rate, but apparently none could detect atrial fibrillation (AFib) until now. At CES 2024, GPS tracker specialist Invoxia unveiled the Minitailz, the world's first pet tracker that can keep an eye out for early heart disease symptoms on your cats or dogs. Together with other vital stats and activity log, the companion app then uses conversational generative AI to generate easy-to-read reports on your pets. According to the French company, Minitailz is able to track respiratory and heart vitals with an accuracy of 97 to 99 percent, thanks to its advanced biometric sensors combined with AI. Using deep learning algorithms, the set of data is then used to spot digital biomarkers that indicate stress, aging and pathologies.

An Apple Watch-style smart collar for dogs will be able to track its heart rate and other vital signs when it goes on sale in the summer, its developers claim. Built by GPS tracking company Invoxia, the smart collar will also double as a GPS and activity tracker, and is expected to cost at least $99 when it goes on sale. Previous generations of dog fitness trackers relied on a combination of GPS sensors and an accelerometer, but the new device also makes use of artificial intelligence. The Invoxia team, based in Issy les Moulineaux, France, used radar sensors that use light to send signals into, and receive data back, from the skin of the dog. They worked with veterinary cardiologists to train AI that can gather data from the sensors and and fill in any missing information blocked by fur.

Invoxia attended CES this year to showcase its successor to its Triby connected speaker. The new device, called Triby IO, is said to be a powerful hub for third-party smart home devices. The new Triby looks exactly the same as its portable predecessor, but it supports a wider range of smart devices compared to the latter. Invoxia said that its new smart portable speaker is basically "aimed at tech enthusiasts." It can be noted that when the company introduced the original Triby, it emphasized how it was a connected speaker for the kitchen, "where family life happens."

Users who don't want to pay the 180 for the Amazon Echo smart-speaker can now test the system's features in their web browser with Echoism, according to Mashable. Amazon's 9.25-inch cylindrical Echo speaker uses voice interaction, where users ask Alexa questions or request music. Browser testing of these features is just one way Amazon is trying to get Alexa into cars, homes and phones. Popular Science reported Amazon's release of two seperate toolkit packages: Alexa Voice Service and Alexa Skills Kit. These will allow companies to add new functionality and integrate Alexa into various devices including smart yard products and robotic vacuums.

Essentially a niche-market Bluetooth speaker with some kiddie appeal, I just didn't find it to be all that compelling. Now that it's become the first third-party device to include Amazon's Alexa digital voice assistant, it's gone from dust-collector to prima-donna status. My early impression of the Triby was that it was a modern interpretation of the transistor radio that graced many kitchen countertops in the last century. Maybe it was the look? Maybe it was because the Tirby's features assume you're placing it in your home's central thoroughfare?

When Amazon released the Echo, with its Alexa assistant, that may have marked the introduction of always-on artificial intelligence to the home. And when Amazon added the more affordable Echo Dot and the Tap, it made AI even more attainable to the masses. But the Amazon-branded products are somewhat limited. Invoxia announced the Triby, a 199 rounded square device that matches the Echo functionality and then some. The device looks like a portable radio, complete with a handle, although it can also be mounted on a wall.

It runs Amazon's Alexa Voice service. For the first time, Amazon's voice-activated virtual assistant Alexa is available on a non-Amazon device. Invoxia, a Paris-based developer of speakers and telecommunication devices, on Thursday announced that Amazon's Alexa Voice Service (AVS) is now available on the company's radio-like Triby. It's conceived as kitchen device that combines music, messaging and communication functionality. Prior to this Invoxia was most known for its teleconferencing devices. Invoxia describes the Triby as a digital assistant, internet radio, connected speaker, hands-free speakerphone, and connected message board all rolled into one.

Amazon is spreading the Alexa love. The voice service is now available on the Triby. This small, family-focused message board, internet radio and VoIP device is the first device available for purchase not made by Amazon to feature the company's clever voice service. Using the Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS), Invoxia, the maker behind the Triby, built the voice capability into the device. Now with Alexa, the Triby is an even better kitchen device allowing owners to tell it to set timers, play music or read sports scores.