Alexa

Editorial: After taking the premium tier, HomePod will expand in markets Amazon and Google can't

3 years ago

Editorial: After taking the premium tier, HomePod will expand in markets Amazon and Google can't

For years, this new Apple product was derided as too expensive to compete against cheaper alternatives. Yet by targeting the premium high end first, it was able to establish itself and then attract an even broader audience of users at broader price points in the future. No this isn't about iPod, or iPhone, or iPad or Apple Watch. It's a look at HomePod, Apple's home audio device featuring HomeKit and Siri functionality, often confused with merely being a Wi-Fi microphone.

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 3 years ago

ICYMI: Native Union cables, iDevices Instinct Alexa-powered switch & more

3 years ago

ICYMI: Native Union cables, iDevices Instinct Alexa-powered switch & more

Here are our top picks for new gear from the last seven days you should check out including an Alexa-powered switch, new USB-C to Lightning cables, and a smart water leak detection system.

By Andrew O'Hara | 3 years ago

Amazon Alexa can now play Apple Music in France, Germany, Italy, Spain

3 years ago

Amazon Alexa can now play Apple Music in France, Germany, Italy, Spain

Amazon is continuing its international rollout of the Apple Music on Alexa skill, with it now available in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

By Mike Wuerthele | 3 years ago

Amazon, Google follow Apple's lead on voice assistant review policies

3 years ago

Amazon, Google follow Apple's lead on voice assistant review policies

Following Apple's decision to temporarily halt Siri grading as it evaluates the program's privacy safeguards, Amazon and Google this week followed suit and updated their respective policies on human reviews of recorded voice assistant audio.

By Mikey Campbell | 3 years ago

Apple listens to Siri, Apple's $53.8B quarter & more on the AppleInsider Podcast

3 years ago

Apple listens to Siri, Apple's $53.8B quarter & more on the AppleInsider Podcast

This week on the AppleInsider Podcast, Brian Roemmele joins us to talk about Apple listening to some Siri recordings and why they don't need to. William is back to talk Apple Earnings reports and why selling fewer iPhones doesn't spell doom.

By Victor Marks | 3 years ago

Review: Awair's Glow C sensor makes sense only for problematic air

3 years ago

Review: Awair's Glow C sensor makes sense only for problematic air

Announced on Wednesday, the Awair Glow C is an air sensor, smartplug, and nightlight all in one, and works well at diagnosing air quality issues — but there's no HomeKit support, and you'll want an attached fan, dehumidifier, or other accessory to make the most of it.

By Roger Fingas | 3 years ago

Review: Amazon's Echo Show 5 is a quality bedside companion

3 years ago

Review: Amazon's Echo Show 5 is a quality bedside companion

Despite some interface issues, Amazon's Echo Show 5 is one of the best smart displays under $100, whether or not you're hooked into the Alexa ecosystem.

By Roger Fingas | 3 years ago

Hands on: Amazon's compact Echo Show 5 smart display

3 years ago

Hands on: Amazon's compact Echo Show 5 smart display

Not to be outdone, Amazon recently launched its answer to the Lenovo Smart Clock, the Echo Show 5 — coming in much cheaper than other Alexa-equipped smart displays.

By Roger Fingas | 3 years ago

Amazon sued because Alexa may be violating child privacy protection laws

3 years ago

Amazon sued because Alexa may be violating child privacy protection laws

Two class action suits were filed against Amazon on Tuesday, alleging that Alexa-enabled devices illegally record the conversations of children without parental consent, which would constitute a violation of the assorted state laws prohibiting recordings made of a minor without consent.

By Amber Neely | 3 years ago

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Belkin ships three-way, HomeKit-ready Wemo Smart Light Switch

3 years ago

Belkin ships three-way, HomeKit-ready Wemo Smart Light Switch

Belkin on Monday shipped the new Wemo Smart Light Switch, compatible with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.

By Roger Fingas | 3 years ago

Fifth-gen ecobee thermostat with HomeKit promises better Wi-Fi, added Alexa & Spotify features

4 years ago

Fifth-gen ecobee thermostat with HomeKit promises better Wi-Fi, added Alexa & Spotify features

ecobee's fifth-generation thermostat, compatible with Apple HomeKit, should be mostly an evolutionary device but include important upgrades in wireless, Spotify, and Amazon Alexa connectivity, according to a product leak.

By Roger Fingas | 4 years ago

How to delete all the audio recordings that Amazon Echo's Alexa has been making of you

4 years ago

How to delete all the audio recordings that Amazon Echo's Alexa has been making of you

Every time you call out 'Alexa' — or your Echo thinks you have — you get recorded and those audio snippets are kept. Here's how to delete them and why Amazon says you shouldn't.

By William Gallagher | 4 years ago

Apple's Siri ties with Google Assistant for most-used voice assistant

4 years ago

Apple's Siri ties with Google Assistant for most-used voice assistant

A Microsoft study suggests that Apple's Siri is on par with Google Assistant for worldwide usage, despite the latter being available on a wider range of devices.

By Roger Fingas | 4 years ago

How to decide if investing in a big Homekit setup is right for you

4 years ago

How to decide if investing in a big Homekit setup is right for you

Apple's HomeKit is growing, and there is now a range of smart devices for every function. Yet there are both potential savings and hidden costs that will make or break your decision on whether to invest. Plus, HomeKit is still more complicated than it should be.

By William Gallagher | 4 years ago

Alexa voice recognition audit teams had access to customers' location data

4 years ago

Alexa voice recognition audit teams had access to customers' location data

More allegations about how owners of the Amazon Echo smart speaker range are having their privacy infringed by the retailer have surfaced, with the latest claim involving an internal team of Alexa auditors having access to customer data that can reveal their home address.

By Malcolm Owen | 4 years ago

Amazon offers ad-supported music service to Echo owners at no charge

4 years ago

Amazon offers ad-supported music service to Echo owners at no charge

Amazon is attempting to attract customers in the United States yet to sign up for Amazon Prime or Amazon Music Unlimited to use its music streaming service instead of using Apple Music or Spotify, by providing access to a selection of tracks on its Echo range or other Alexa-enabled devices.

By Malcolm Owen | 4 years ago

Sonos speakers enable voice control for Apple Music via Amazon's Alexa

4 years ago

Sonos speakers enable voice control for Apple Music via Amazon's Alexa

Owners of Sonos speakers in the U.S. and U.K. can now use Alexa voice controls for Apple Music, continuing the rollout of Apple's service across Alexa-capable devices.

By Roger Fingas | 4 years ago

Editorial: How AirPods and Shortcuts shifted Apple's Siri story and blunted Amazon's Alexa Echo threat

4 years ago

Editorial: How AirPods and Shortcuts shifted Apple's Siri story and blunted Amazon's Alexa Echo threat

Two years ago there was no shortage of media coverage imagining that Apple's entire hardware business was about to be eclipsed by a new voice-first world where Amazon's Alexa, Google's Assistant and perhaps even Microsoft Cortana would shift consumer and developer attention away from iPhone apps and toward stationary Internet-connected microphones running ambient "skills." Why didn't that actually happen?

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 4 years ago

Keyboards, MacBook Pro rumors, Amazon has people listening to you, and more on the AppleInsider Podcast

4 years ago

Keyboards, MacBook Pro rumors, Amazon has people listening to you, and more on the AppleInsider Podcast

This week on the AppleInsider Podcast, William and Victor are back, talking about William's favorite keyboard, the rumored 17-inch MacBook Pro and whether or not it might get a new keyboard when the screen gets larger, Wi-Fi security risks, and the risk of speaking around an Amazon Echo device.

By Victor Marks | 4 years ago

Thousands of Amazon workers are listening in on Echo audio, report says [u]

4 years ago

Thousands of Amazon workers are listening in on Echo audio, report says [u]

In a bid to enhance its in-house Alexa voice recognition technology, Amazon reportedly employs thousands of people around the world to listen, transcribe and annotate audio clips recorded by Echo devices.

By Mikey Campbell | 4 years ago

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