Bose has a new wireless smart speaker, offering not only Alexa and Google Assistant support but a rechargeable battery to properly cut the cord. The new Bose Portable Home Speaker may not have an especially imaginative name, but it's certainly not short on features, and that seems more important overall.
In 2017, Google launched a small, relatively inexpensive smart speaker called the Google Home Mini. This UFO-shaped speaker offers users direct access to Google Assistant at a price point lower than the larger Google Home speaker. According to a new report, Google plans to update that device, launching it as the 'Nest Mini' with major new features.
Smart speakers are a hot topic these days and, unfortunately for their makers, not in a good way. Almost all three of the big names have been dragged into controversy but the very first one to be named was Amazon and its Alexa assistant. Given the heat, some might consider it bad timing to launch smart speakers using these AI assistants. That's not stopping cable provider Altice from announcing the Amplify home speaker. Fortunately, that's not its only selling feature.
Huawei had planned to unveil a smart speaker made in collaboration with Google at IFA later this year, a new report claims. This smart speaker project was reportedly worked on for around a year before it 'suddenly' came to a stop amid Trump's blacklisting of Huawei in May. Had the speaker been brought to market, the sources claim, it would have offered consumers Google Assistant as an alternative to the existing Home speakers.
Just three months ago, Amazon was revealed to be sending its presumed anonymous and very private Alexa recordings to humans that listen to and process the audio to help the assistant become smarter. It turns out that it might not be alone in doing so. A new report claims that even Google may be guilty of the same thing, with Google Home recording clips even without the customary "Hey Google" trigger.
Amazon has given its Echo Dot Kids Edition an update, with the child-friendly version of Alexa now louder and more colorful. The new smart speaker is based on the third-generation Echo Dot, doing away with the interchangeable bumpers of the previous Kids Edition model and replacing them with fixed fabric covers.
Samsung isn't giving up on its Bixby-powered smart speaker, with the company insisting that the Galaxy Home is still going to launch - albeit a little later than initially intended. The eye-catching speaker - which has been variously compared to an Alien egg, kettledrum, and a fancy essential oils vaporizer, among other things - was first previewed all the way back in August 2018.
Google Assistant turns three this year. Whether you love it or not, it’s the AI for everyone. Google’s intelligent little helper has been powering almost every other smartphone for the past few years, getting better and smarter each day. Despite its dominance on mobile devices, Google shows no signs of slowing down. Aggressive marketing, widespread device integration and new innovations show where Google is placing its eggs.
It's been quite some time since Samsung first revealed the Galaxy Home, its Bixby-powered smart speaker. That happened way back in August, and we still haven't been given a release date for it yet. Despite all of that, Samsung is already looking toward the future of the Galaxy Home brand. As it turns out, the company may be plotting a smaller Galaxy Home that's meant to better compete with budget speakers from Google and Amazon.
It would appear that Comcast wants to monetize your health. Word this afternoon is that Comcast is working on a smart home device not unlike that of the Amazon Echo and/or Google Home. Smart home speaker is the name of the game, and Comcast is aiming at making cash via hospitals. If they can keep you out of the emergency room, surely they deserve compensation for your health - and the health of your grandmother?
Bose smart speakers are getting a Google Assistant upgrade today, with the company's connected models adding Google's helpful AI, though you may want to wait until the summer for the newest Bose hardware. The update is being released today for existing Bose models, including both standalone smart speakers and the company's range of connected soundbars too.
Sonos' Google Assistant support is finally launching today, joining Alexa on the smart speakers. It's been a long time coming, too, Sonos electing to miss its original 2018 release in favor of spending more time making sure its two voice assistants would happily co-exist on the same hardware. Now, courtesy of a free software update, we can see how that works for ourselves.