I didn’t think the HomePod mini could replace my soundbar — but it did
Sometimes you need better audio than your TV can muster. The HomePod mini provides exactly that, while also serving as an able replacement for soundbars.
HomePod Mini: Everything we know about the Apple’s next smart speaker
Apple has given no official statement on a HomePod Mini, but the rumor mills are churning with information on its design, pricing, and availability.
Five reasons why HomeKit in iOS 14 is a small update with huge rewards
The recent release of iOS 14 brought with it changes to the layout and user interface of HomeKit that make it a stronger competitor.
It’s time to give Siri, Alexa, and other smart home devices a feminist reboot
Dr. Yolande Strengers and Dr. Jenny Kennedy talk about their new book, Smart Wife: Why Siri, Alexa, and Other Smart Home Devices Need a Feminist Reboot.
Siri and Google Assistant say they now support Black Lives Matter
By asking Siri and Google Assistant if Black lives matter, the voice assistants answer in support. The assistants also have an answer for, "Do all lives matter?"
Digital Trends Live: COVID-19 impacts, new Google site, Curiosity selfie, more
On this Digital Trends Live, we talk the top tech news, including coronavirus impacts on tech, Google launches its screening site, Siri screens, and more.
Apple’s Siri now helps you to check coronavirus symptoms
Apple has updated its Siri digital assistant to offer more help to anyone worrying they may have contracted the coronavirus, formally known as COVID-19.
Avoid saying these words near your smart speaker, if you don’t want it to listen
If you are worried about privacy, beware of using these words around your voice assistants. The device might mistake them for a wake word.
Amazon Echo still king among smart speakers despite declining U.S. market share
The Amazon Echo is still king (or perhaps queen) among smart speakers and will continue to be for several years, according to a report from eMarketer. Google Assistant and Siri, however, are predicted to take a bigger slice of the market for themselves.
Siri helped save a teenager after his vehicle crashed into icy river
Apple's digital assistant Siri helped save 18-year old Gael Salcedo, who found himself in a freezing river after losing control of his Jeep. The teenager could not locate his phone after the accident so he asked Siri to call 911, sending firefighters to the scene to carry out the rescue.
What Blade Runner got right (and wrong) about 2019
1982's Blade Runner is rightly considered a masterpiece among science fiction movies. But how accurate were its predictions about the future? With November 2019 being the far-flung month and year in which the movie is set, here’s what the movie got right and, in one case, very wrong.
Your Alexa speaker can be hacked with malicious audio tracks. And lasers.
Smart speakers are awesome. But they're also subject to some pretty terrifying vulnerabilities, as two recent proof-of-concept demonstrations show. Whether it's adversarial sound attacks or laser hacks, here are two ways researchers have found to exploit smart speaker weaknesses.
Don’t be surprised that Amazon workers are watching footage from the Cloud Cam
After the public outcry against the practice of using human reviewers on voice and video recordings, Amazon gave users the ability to opt out of human review, but it's important to understand what the review is for. Human reviewers improve an A.I.'s ability to understand and respond to users.
The Spotify-Siri integration that Apple users have been asking for is here
After years of waiting, a new Spotify update adds the ability to use Siri to summon up your favorite artists, album, and tracks. The feature works on mobile devices with iOS 13, including vehicles equipped with CarPlay, and there's also a new Spotify app for Apple TV and Apple TV 4K.
5 ways that future A.I. assistants will take voice tech to the next level
Since Siri debuted on the iPhone 4s, voice assistants have gone from sci-fi gimmick to the basis for smart speaker technology found in one in six American homes. But what will it take to drive these A.I. assistants to the next level? Here are 5 challenges just waiting to be solved.
Apple reprogrammed Siri to never say the word ‘feminism’
According to a new report, Siri was programmed to deflect questions related to feminism and the #MeToo movement. While Siri will say that it "believes all humans should be treated equally," the digital assistant will not say the word feminism -- even when asked directly about the topic.
Nike tightens its grip on smart shoes with new laces controlled by Siri
Nike's newest shoe is a modern take on a the classic Huarache sneaker with laces that can be controlled by Apple's Siri. The Nike Adapt Huarache, which the company announced on Thursday, uses FitAdapt self-lacing technology that is paired with Apple’s Siri to tighten or loosen your laces.
Apple apologizes for letting contractors listen to Siri recordings of sex
Apple issued a rare apology for allowing contractors to listen to Siri recordings and announced Wednesday they won't be listening to your Siri conversations by default anymore. The contractors had overheard recordings that included couples having sex, discussions of private medical information, and even drug deals
The results are in: Alexa is legitimately dumber than Siri and Google Assistant
If you’ve always thought Alexa was dumber than the other voice assistants in your house or on your phone, a new test performed by Loup Ventures might prove your theory correct. Amazon Alexa scored last in an IQ test against Google Assistant and Siri.
Arlo’s smart security cams take a bite out of Apple, finally add HomeKit support
After announcing at CES earlier this year that it was launching support to add its popular smart security cameras to Apple's HomeKit smart home platform, device manufacturer Arlo has delivered on its promise in its latest update by enabling users to add cameras to the platform.
Apple contractors will no longer be able to listen to your Siri recordings
Last week, it was revealed that Apple uses human contractors to review Siri recordings, contractors that often end up hearing everything from drug deals to sexual encounters as a result. Now Apple says it has suspended the use of those contractors and is reviewing the program
Apple contractors listening to Siri requests hear sex, drug deals, and more
Apple contractors routinely hear sensitive things like confidential medical information, couples having sex, and drug deals as part of their work related to quality control for the company’s virtual assistant Siri. It was revealed that earlier this year that humans also evaluate things overheard by Amazon's Alexa
How to use Siri on a Mac
Siri is Apple’s built-in assistant on MacOS. It can help you with a whole heap of tasks, from finding files and changing settings to launching apps and getting the latest sports results. We’ll guide you through setting Siri up, plus some great timesavers to help you get the most out of Siri on you Mac.
Apple’s new Seattle campus may mean big things for Siri, artificial intelligence
Apple plans to hire 2,000 more employees for a new Seattle campus, the company announced Monday, with a significant number of those jobs focused on the Siri voice assistant and artificial intelligence. The new campus marks a major expansion right in Amazon and Microsoft's backyard.
A new survey by Adobe shows an evolving market for voice applications
It's not breaking news that consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable with conversing with their smartphones, digital gizmos, smart home devices, and smart speakers but a new survey from Adobe Analytics is showing a desire for more diversity in where voice technology is applied and used.
As Google keeps racing ahead, where is Apple’s A.I. strategy?
As the Google Assistant continues to grow and improve, Apple’s Siri is lagging behind. While Google prizes artificial intelligence and machine learning, Apple is still focused on hardware. Just what is Apple’s A.I. strategy? Can it catch up, or even close the gap, and why does it matter anyway?
UN finds voice assistants aren’t helping combat sexist gender stereotypes
Most voice assistants have a female-sounding voice. While you may not think much of it, the United Nations believes it is reinforcing negative gender stereotypes that place women in antiquated roles. The study also argues that companies haven't done enough to have A.I. rebuff hostile language.
LG’s 2019 TVs slide Alexa next to Google Assistant, with Siri on the way
LG has announced that Alexa will be the next voice assistant on its 2019 lineup of ThinQ A.I. TVs, joining Google Assistant. Users will be able to control their TVs and thousands of smart home devices with just their remote, no external speaker required. AirPlay 2 and Siri support is still expected later this year.
Survey says Siri and Google Assistant are the most used voice assistants
Alexa might be extremely popular because of smart speakers, but it still has a way to go to catch up to voice assistants the are built into smartphones. A recent survey conducted by Microsoft found that Apple's Siri and Google Assistant tied for the most used voice assistants on the market.
There will be 200 million smart speakers by year’s end, analysts say
The research and analysis firm Canalys predicts that the worldwide market for smart speakers like Amazon's Echo devices and Google Home smart speakers will reach a massive crescendo this year, topping 200 million smart speakers by the end of 2019 with the U.S. accounting for nearly half the market.
Alexa, Google, Siri put their bilingual skills to the test in translation battle
One Hour Translation, an online translation company, compared how Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Siri stack up against one another in regard to translation capabilities. Google Home performed the best in three out of four languages, but none of the devices managed to perfectly translate the quotes.
Can a slew of high-tech new features save the HomePod from extinction?
Though well-received by Apple fans, the HomePod hasn't exactly met expectations as far as sales go. But a newly discovered patent suggests that Apple might be about to dramatically overhaul the smart speaker with everything from facial recognition to a high-res touchscreen. Will it be enough?
Which A.I assistant is smarter than the others? One company found the answer
This year's results are in for Loup Ventures' annual Smart Speaker IQ test. The test, which consists of 800 annually updated questions, measures how well the digital voice assistant employed by each device understands each question and answers each question correctly. Who won? Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, or Cortana?
Privacy is becoming obsolete, but not everyone thinks you should fear its demise
Privacy often seems to be at odds with government surveillance and smart assistant technologies like Siri and Cortana. But do we need to sacrifice one for the other? We asked experts in a variety of fields to find out what a future without privacy might look like and whether that's really such a bad thing.