Category: smart speaker
Smart speaker shipments slow down as market matures
The US smart speaker market continued to contract during 2Q22, posting a decline of 14% year-over-year (YoY) according to Omdia’s latest quarterly smart speaker tracker. Although Amazon-branded smart speakers grew 33% during the quarter relative to last year, other brands like Google and Apple were down 31% and 57%, respectively. Given the rapid growth in…
Charity develops smart speaker tool for product recalls
A new development for smart speakers could help to prevent fires in UK homes. The add on, compatible with Google Home and Alexa, will inform users, when prompted, if a manufacturer has issued a product recall. The response rate to electrical product recalls in the UK is typically low mainly due to products not being…
Deezer now compatible with Apple HomePod and HomePod Mini
Music streaming service Deezer is now compatible with Apple's HomePod and HomePod mini smart speakers. Music lovers can set Deezer as their default music service and ask Siri to play any song from its global catalogue of 73 million tracks. All paying subscribers with iOS 14.3 and above and the latest software on HomePod can use…
1 in 5 US adults now own Amazon Echo
Smart home technology industry has grown incredibly in the last decade with homes becoming more and more interconnected than ever before. The most popular smart home device by far is the smart speaker, with the Amazon Echo dominating its competitors. According to data presented by Trading Platforms, 20% of Americans surveyed now own an Amazon…
Amazon Alexa accused of spreading antisemitism
Amazon has been accused of spreading antisemitic messages through its Alexa voice assistant by MPs who warned they would be contacting police over the incidents, according to The Telegraph. In a letter from the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism, the MPs said they had found that Alexa was answering questions about Jewish people using information from antisemitic…
Smart home payments to exceed $164 billion by 2025
A new study from Juniper Research has found that the total transaction value of smart home payments - those that occur via smart home devices - will exceed $164 billion in 2025, up from $22 billion in 2020. Increasing use of voice assistants via smart speakers for eCommerce, propelled by rising user and merchant acceptance, will…
Number of voice assistants set to overtake world population by 2024
The number of voice assistants is set to overtake the world population, reaching 8.4bn units by 2024. A new report from Juniper Research has found that consumers will interact with voice assistants on over 8.4 billion devices by 2024; overtaking the world’s population and growing 113%, compared to the 4.2 billion devices expected to be…
Ofcom report reveals increasing online concerns
More parents than ever feel their children’s online use now carries more risks than benefits, according to the latest Ofcom report into children’s media and online lives. Parents and carers are becoming more likely to trust their children with greater digital independence at a younger age. But far fewer believe the benefits of their child…
BBC launches interactive voice news for Alexa
The BBC is launching an interactive voice news service for Alexa, allowing people to skip stories or ask for more details about the items they are interested in. From Wednesday, Alexa-enabled devices can ask “Give me BBC News” and take control of their news agenda, unlike the existing radio-like flash briefing bulletin offered by the…
Amazon products coming to UK – including Echo Buds, Echo Studio
Amazon has announced a number of new Echo smart speaker and Alexa-enabled devices as the company continues to expand the ways in which users can interact with the virtual assistant. Here is a closer look at all the new devices which are coming to the UK. Echo Buds (Amazon) The first Alexa product to be…