Alexa

Amazon is set to release a revamped version of its Alexa voice assistant this October that will be powered by AI models from Anthropic's Claude, rather than Amazon's in-house AI technology, reports Reuters. Amazon's Echo device with Alexa The decision to use Claude's AI models comes after Amazon's internal software reportedly struggled with performance issues during initial testing. Sources...

Apple competitor Amazon is working on a revamp of its Alexa assistant, and the new version could cost up to $10 per month, according to a report from Reuters. The upcoming version of Alexa will support conversational generative AI, and Amazon is planning for two tiers of service. There will be a free tier and a second, premium tier that is priced at $5 at a minimum, with Amazon considering...

Alexa now natively supports Apple Podcasts on Amazon Echo and Amazon Fire TV devices in over 40 countries following the latest expansion of this integration. Apple Podcasts for Alexa is now available in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan,...

Amazon has added a new feature to its Alexa app for iOS devices, which is designed to allow users to type Alexa commands rather than having to use voice commands to interact with the personal assistant. In a statement provided to The Verge, Amazon says that Type with Alexa is a new feature that's available as of today in public preview capacity in the United States. Alexa iOS users can type...

Apple recently released the HomePod mini, a new $99 version of the original HomePod that's smaller, cuter, and, most importantly, competitively priced. At $99, the ‌HomePod mini‌ can better compete with affordable smart speakers from companies like Google and Amazon. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The ‌HomePod mini‌ has been praised for its high-quality sound at...

Amazon today unveiled a new version of its Alexa mobile app for iOS and Android users, which as TechCrunch explains, is designed to offer a more personalized experience that provides better instruction on when and how consumers can use Alexa. There's a new home screen with a large Alexa button at the top that encourages users to tap the button or say Alexa to get started. Amazon recommends...

Amazon's Alexa assistant will soon be able to open Android and iOS apps using voice commands, thanks to a new feature called Alexa for Apps that Amazon is launching for app developers as of today. With Alexa for Apps, iPhone and Android users can make requests using the Alexa app, Alexa built-in phones, or Alexa accessories like Echo Buds and interact directly with mobile apps similar to Siri...

Amazon is making it possible to use Alexa "hands free" from within its Alexa mobile app for iOS, reports TechCrunch. Up until now, you had to tap the blue Alexa button at the bottom of the screen before you could issue a voice command. After updating the app, users will be able to simply speak to Alexa to make lists, control smart home devices, and more, without having to touch their iPh...

The British government this week launched a coronavirus information service on WhatsApp to help users access information about the disease from their smartphones. WhatsApp users in the U.K. can access the service by tapping this link. Alternatively, start a new chat in WhatsApp, select New Contact, and add the number (+44) 7860 064422 to the Mobile field. The number will appear at the bottom...

Apple, Amazon, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance today announced a new working group that plans to develop and promote the adoption of a new IP-based connectivity standard for smart home products, with a focus on increased compatibility, security, and simplified development for manufacturers. Zigbee Alliance board member companies such as IKEA, Legrand, NXP Semiconductors, Resideo,...

Apple Music will be available to stream on German Echo devices via Alexa from today, reports regional tech blog ifun.de. We've not received official confirmation, but if Germany's Alexa rollout follows a similar pattern to other countries, it should mean ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers who own an Echo device, Amazon Fire TV, or Alexa-enabled Sonos speaker will soon be able to ask Alexa to play...

From this week, users of Alexa devices in the United Kingdom will be able to get expert health advice from the voice-activated smart speakers, thanks to a partnership between Amazon and the National Health Service. When health-related queries such as "Alexa, how do I treat a migraine?" or "what are the symptoms of flu?" are put to the devices, Amazon's algorithm will use information from the ...

Alexa now supports Apple Music in Australia and New Zealand on Amazon Echo and Amazon Fire TV devices, and compatible Sonos speakers, as reflected in a recently updated Apple support document. This means ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers who own one of those devices in those countries can now ask Alexa to play songs, artists, playlists, and more from ‌Apple Music‌. This functionality first launched...

Amazon announced this morning that Alexa Guard is now rolling out to all Echo device owners in the U.S. The free feature update, which has been trialed by a select few over the last few months, turns Echo speakers into security devices when no-one's home by allowing them to listen for key sounds indicating danger or intrusion. Users need to say "Alexa, I'm leaving" to set Alexa Guard to...

Earlier this month, Bloomberg shared details on the thousands of employees that Amazon employs around the world to listen to voice recordings captured in the homes of Amazon Echo owners when the Alexa wake word is spoken, with the purpose of improving the service. There was some concerning information in the report, including employee access to private recordings, recordings that are upsetting ...

Amazon Echo devices have been able to use Alexa-based voice commands to control Apple Music since December, but the feature has been limited to Amazon's own devices until today. Sonos One and Sonos Beam owners in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland are now also able to use Alexa to control ‌Apple Music‌ after adding the ‌Apple Music‌ skill to the Alexa app. In the US, UK, and ...

Amazon has thousands of employees around the world that listen to voice recordings captured in the homes of Amazon Echo owners, reports Bloomberg. Voice recordings are captured when the Alexa wake word is spoken and then a subset of those recordings are listened to, transcribed, annotated, and added back into the software as part of Amazon's effort to help Alexa better respond to voice...

Amazon Echo and Fire TV devices in the UK and Ireland are now compatible with Apple Music, reports Pocket-lint. In the United States, Amazon Echo models have supported ‌Apple Music‌ since December of last year, allowing Echo speakers to integrate directly with Apple's music service, but the functionality was not made available in other countries. Amazon Echo owners in the UK can now instal...

Apple analyst Gene Munster of Loup Ventures recently tested the accuracy of digital assistants on four smart speakers by asking Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, and Cortana a series of 800 questions each on the Amazon Echo, HomePod, Google Home Mini, and Harmon Kardon Invoke respectively. The results indicate that Siri on the HomePod correctly answered 74.6 percent of the questions, a dramatic ...

Amazon has confirmed that Apple Music will eventually be supported on additional Alexa-enabled speakers, according to a tweet from Mashable's Raymond Wong spotted by AppleInsider. Amazon didn't provide a timeframe for the rollout. A variety of third-party Alexa speakers and devices are available from brands such as Sonos, JBL, Ultimate Ears, and First Alert. 🚨UPDATE!!!🚨Amazon has ...