Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: From mixtapes to streaming at Audiomack. Wondery CEO interview. Parrot racks up Amazon orders on owners’ Echo. Continue Reading
Amazon shared another set of eye-popping statistics from the holiday shopping season. The retailer reported that 2018 was a record-breaking holiday, with the most items ordered worldwide. The new iteration of the Echo Dot smart speaker was one of the best-selling products for the company. Continue Reading
Just how smart are smart speakers? Loup Ventures has released the results of its annual Smart Speaker IQ Test, and the report found that Google Assistant is currently the brainiest of the bunch. In a test of 800 questions, Google’s voice platform answered 88% correctly. Continue Reading
Apple Music will be arriving on Amazon Echo smart speakers by the end of the year. Access to Apple’s streaming service will begin for subscribers the week of December 17. Customers will be able to control playback from Apple’s library with voice commands on the line of smart speakers. Continue Reading
Tidal has made its streaming entertainment accessible on two new platforms. First, the company announced that Tidal is supported on all Amazon Echo devices. The second integration brings Tidal to Samsung Wearables. Continue Reading
Market research firm Strategy Analytics has another snapshot of the smart speaker market. The company released a ranking of the top smart speaker models in the United States from a poll of more than 1,000 people during July and August. The results for Amazon look positively rosy, full of potential for Google, and not-too-bright for Apple. Continue Reading
Sirius XM has entered a marketing partnership with Amazon to offer two potential deals in the crossover between satellite radio and smart speakers. The bundles are part of a major promotional initiative by Sirius XM called Bring Us Home, a campaign centered on encouraging listeners to use its satellite radio plans outside of cars. Continue Reading
Amazon announced both new updates to its Alexa voice platform and new devices that will integrate the AI. The tech conglomerate has released new versions of its existing smart speakers Echo Dot, Echo Plus, and Echo Show. The new devices include the previously leaked Echo Sub and Amazon Smart Plug. Continue Reading
Amazon may have held the lead as smart speakers entered the marketplace, but Google is hot on its trail. According to Strategy Analytics, the Google Home Mini was the top-selling smart speaker in the world during the second quarter. Continue Reading
Amazon is reportedly preparing to take its streaming music service to a more public position. Bloomberg reports that the tech giant will be launching a multimedia campaign in support of its streaming service. Continue Reading
New market research projects that Amazon will not hold its massive lead over the smart speaker space indefinitely. Strategy Analytics’ latest report expects that Google will pose the most immediate challenge to Amazon and Echo’s dominance. Continue Reading
Canalys, a British research firm, has released its latest projections for smart speakers. The company anticipates that the smart speaker installed base will reach 100 million by the end of 2018. By 2020, it estimates the installed base will reach 225 million units. Continue Reading