Amazon has rolled out its Echo smart speaker line in Japan. The Amazon Echo, Echo Plus, and Echo Dot are now available by invitation in the country. The devices will begin shipping in Japan next week. Continue Reading
Google Assistant is getting its own song recognition software. The technology was first available on the Pixel smartphones last month, but it is now rolling out to all other Android mobile devices. Continue Reading
Samsung announced that it is upgrading its Bixby voice assistant platform and adding support for more connected devices. Bixby debuted last year, but was only available on Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone line. Now it will be made open to developers of any other smart devices. Continue Reading
Spreaker has launched its first foray into Amazon Alexa skills. The company’s entire catalog of English-language podcasts can now be accessed by voice commands on Alexa-enabled devices. That catalog includes Spreaker-hosted programs, and many popular podcasts hosted elsewhere, such as the TED Radio Hour. Continue Reading
XAPPmedia announced a new platform for creating voice skills across multiple systems called One Voice AI. The service is now operating more than 450 voice apps, up from 119 at the company’s previous update in early September. At last month’s announcement, the company was mostly focused on supporting the Amazon Alexa system. One Voice AI offers expanded reach that includes Microsoft Cortana and Google Assistant. Continue Reading
Google’s media event earlier this week showcased the company’s voice assistant and voice-control technology. Two music and audio services – iHeartRadio and Spotify – are part of tie-ups around Google Assistant. Continue Reading
Sonos hosted a press event today to announce its latest developments in implementing voice controls into its wireless speaker product line, a pivot the company first announced in March 2016. First, the company introduced a new smart speaker with voice controls. Continue Reading
NPR and Edison Research have released the second part of their study on smart speakers and voice control. The first part was released during RAIN’s Podcast Business Summit in New York this June. The latest presentation of The Smart Audio Report focused on the specific activities and details of how and why people are using this new product segment. Continue Reading
Amazon’s Alexa voice control system can now be used to control the Amazon Music app on both Android and iOS mobile devices. This mobile integration is being rolled out in the U.S., UK, Germany, and Austria. Alexa can respond to the same range of queries as on the smart speaker of an Amazon Echo: asking for music from a certain artist, album, genre, time period, or activity will bring up songs that meet the criteria. Continue Reading
SoundHound has revamped its mobile app to place a heavier focus on music playback and voice controls. The company’s software was a long-time rival to Shazam, but more recently SoundHound doubled down on the development of its Hound voice assistant program. The new features still complement its core function of identifying audio. Continue Reading