Netflix’s support for Amazon Alexa just got a whole lot more powerful, with an update to the streaming app that more tightly integrates voice control. The update comes as Amazon launches its latest set-top box, the Fire TV Cube.
If the Fire TV Cube caught your eye, but your TV itself is due an upgrade, Amazon and Toshiba are hoping their new smart TV collaboration will fit the bill. The Toshiba 4K Ultra HD Smart TV Fire TV Edition may not have an elegant name as it begins shipping today, but as I discovered with an early play, it does a surprisingly smooth job of integrating Amazon's set-top box at an affordable price.
Alexa is coming for your living room and, just like the Borg cube that the Amazon Fire TV Cube might remind you of, resistance is futile. Amazon's virtual assistant may not be an entirely new addition to the TV experience, thanks to integrations into early Fire TV adapters and dongles, but the Fire TV Cube ousts buttons completely in favor of end to end voice control.
Yamaha has announced its new YAS-108 sound bar, a low-profile audio offering designed to blend seamlessly with a home entertainment setup. The company calls the YAS-108 a reimaging of its most popular sound bar, one that adds a single-chassis design with a low profile and "simple TV connections."
Sonos has built its reputation on making streaming, whole-home music easy: now, with the Sonos Base, it wants to oust remote controls from your coffee table. Revealed today, the shrunken speaker bar relies on Amazon Alexa and some clever connectivity to streamline the living room, but as I discovered that doesn't mean Sonos has forgotten about sound quality too.
Sonos has revealed its latest speaker, the Sonos Beam, a smaller soundbar that wants to be both your music and your home entertaining speaker. Unveiled in San Francisco, CA today, it also includes the same Alexa support - with more smart assistants in the pipeline - as the Sonos One.
Sonos is bringing AirPlay 2 to its speakers in early July, allowing its connected devices to be linked with Apple's own HomePod in multi-room systems. Launched back in late May, AirPlay 2 saw Apple expand its streaming system from its own hardware, allowing third-party speakers to be linked in multi-room configurations and remotely controlled, en-masse, from an iOS or macOS device.
A 4K Sony TV has seldom looked so appealing, with upgraders hoping to jump onto the Ultra HD bandwagon getting a tasty Amazon deal today. The Sony XBR55X900E 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV packs Alexa support as well as a bundle of apps, but it's currently down more than $700 over its usual price.
Spotify is dumping its controversial artist conduct policy, which saw R. Kelly and others denied promotion on the streaming music service. The company had launched its new guidelines around hateful content and conduct only a few weeks ago, effectively threatening to bury the music of artists with little route to recourse.
Your Philips Hue bulbs are about to get a lot more interesting, with Hue Sync launching to expand the colors from your PC or Mac into the room. Designed to deliver a more immersive viewing experience, whether you're watching movies or playing games, Hue Sync offers a DIY approach to Philips' Ambilight TV sets.
If one HomePod sounds great, how about two of Apple's speakers set up as a stereo pair? With the arrival of AirPlay 2 this week, right on the cusp of WWDC 2018, Apple finally delivers on music promises it made back when it first announced HomePod at WWDC 2017 last year.
Bang & Olufsen have dated their AirPlay 2 update, detailing the list of connected speakers which will work with Apple's new multi-room music streaming system. Eleven of B&O's models - spanning its core BeoSound and BeoVision range, and its more affordable Beoplay speakers - are expected to work with Apple's technology.