Apple's Siri-infused Amazon Echo competitor is reportedly in prototype testing

Apple is pressing on with development of its very own competitor for the highly successfulAmazon Echo smart speaker. We first heard about Apple working on such a product back in May, but the Siri-infused device still hasn't been made official.
According to the latest rumor, that's not because the company has discontinued its efforts in the space - it's apparently just taking it a while to have it ready for the masses. The speaker has reportedly left Apple's R&D lab and is now in the phase of prototype testing, some unnamed "people familiar with the matter" said.

Amazon Echo
The project has been in development for two years already, so this is certainly one product with which Apple is taking its sweet time. The device will control appliances, locks, and lights through Siri, which will be voice activated. One thing to note is that Apple allegedly hasn't finalized plans for this speaker, so in it could still get scrapped in the end.
On the other hand, that's probably rather unlikely, given the Echo line's success, and also the fact that Google is working on such a device of its own - called Google Home and expected to be fully unveiled at the October 4 event.
Apple wants to differentiate its offering through the use of facial recognition, as well as "more advanced microphone and speaker technology", whatever that may mean.
Source

Comments

Post a Comment

Kindly Comment Only related to Post

Popular posts from this blog

TCL (alcatel) is probably making BlackBerry's next smartphone

Image
The next BlackBerry smartphone will be unveiled next month, according to the company's CEO. He's also previously said to expect two cheaper offerings this year compared to the high-end Priv - one with a physical keyboard and one without. That all-touchscreen model could be the one seeing the light of day in July, as it turns out. And TCL, the Chinese company best known elsewhere for making alcatel-branded phones, might be the one manufacturing it. There's not a lot of evidence for this yet, however, and what we do have is mostly circumstantial, as they'd say. But bear with us. A TCL device with the product name DTEK 50 has been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, which is odd because DTEK is the name of the privacy suite that ships on the BlackBerry Priv. But wait, there's more! The model number for TCL's device is listed as STH100-2, which strangely manages to fully adhere to BlackBerry's way of using model numbers for its products (case in ...
Read more

Skylanders Swap Force Review

Image
Everything AND the kitchen sink.  Skylanders Swap Force delivers almost everything fans could want. There are fantastic new characters, a funny story, and a complete disregard for the boring rules that say robots and wizards shouldn't be part of the same world. It also delivers everything Activision, its publisher, could want. There are loads of new toys that you need to complete the optional challenges, a brand-new portal that you can only purchase in the starter packs, and a fanbase that has already made the previous games runaway bestsellers. The initial appeal of Skylanders has always been in putting that physical toy on the portal and then watching it come to life in the digital world. While I'm still fascinated by the hardware and software that makes that transition possible, Skylanders' real magic is its unrestricted embrace of everything in the toy box. When my k...
Read more

Nexus 5 Snap Case now available on Play Store

Image
Google has added a new case for the Nexus 5 on the Play Store. Called the Snap Case, the new case is made from a harder material and unlike the previous Bumper Case or the QuickCover does not wrap completely around the device. The new Snap Case is lighter and thinner than the other two cases and is designed to offer protection without adding too much to the size and weight of the phone. There are already several variations of this design available for the Nexus 5 from third party manufacturers. The Snap Case is available in black, white, grey, aqua and clear for $29.99, which is a bit steep as you can get a similar case from other manufacturers for half the price.
Read more

Android N Developer Preview now available on Sony Xperia Z3

Image
Android N is yet to be officially named later this year, but it was already detailed last month. It offers multi-window (split-screen) multitasking, improved Doze mode, better notification handling among others. The Android N Developer Preview was seeded to Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, and Pixel C in early March. The Preview even saw its first firmware update in mid-March. Surprisingly, Sony made the Android N Preview available to the Xperia Z3 model earlier today. If you own the D6603 or D6653 flavors of the Xperia Z3, then you can easily install and run Android N. Here is how: Connect your compatible Z3 device to a computer with a USB cable. Xperia Companion will open automatically. Make sure you have Xperia Companion version 1.1.24 or later. If not, download the latest version from here . Hold down the ALT key on your computer and click on Software repair on the home screen, then follow the guide. You’ll be asked to disconnect and turn...
Read more

Microsoft Band 2 receives an official price cut, now available for $175

Image
If you recall, Microsoft was offering a $50 discount on its Band 2 fitness wearable until February 20. However, if for some reason you failed to take advantage of that promo, here's a new deal: the device is now officially available for $174.99. Yes, the new deal is an even better one, as the total discount in this case comes out to be $75 - Microsoft usually sells the wearable for $249.99. The promo runs through March 26 9pm PST, and is available for purchases made through online as well as retail Microsoft stores in the US. Aside from Microsoft, third party retailer Best Buy also has the device listed for $174.99. Source (Microsoft US) | Best Buy
Read more

Microsoft promo shaves $150 off the prices of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book

Image
This isn't the first limited time price cut that Microsoft applies for the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, and it clearly won't be the last. It is a pretty sweet deal however, so if you've been eyeing either of these devices it would be a pity not to take advantage of it while it lasts. Through Microsoft's online store, you can now buy select Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book models for $150 less than before. This means that, for example, the Surface Pro 4 with 128GB of storage, Core i5 processor, and 4GB of RAM can be yours for just $849 (was previously $999). Get the tablet with the same CPU but 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and you'll shell out $1,149, down from $1,299. Move up from that to a Core i7 and pay $1,449, and not $1,599. Or just splurge for the i7 paired with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage if you can part with $1,649. The situation is similar for the Surface Book. It now starts at $1,349 (not $1,499), with a Core i5, 8GB of RA...
Read more