Tag: smart speakers
Tougher laws for UK’s internet-enabled smart devices
Manufacturers will have to follow stricter rules if they want to sell internet-enabled 'smart' gadgets such as smart speakers and security cameras as a new law comes into force. From today, manufacturers will be legally required to protect consumers from hackers and cyber criminals from accessing devices with internet or network connectivity - from smartphones…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Some Twitter accounts get blue ticks back
Some Twitter accounts with more than one million followers have had their blue tick badges re-instated by Twitter without paying to subscribe. Beyoncé, Harry Kane, Richard Osman and Victoria Beckham are among those to have their blue tick back. The BBC News Twitter account also has its gold badge again, but has not paid for…
Global installed base of smart home devices to exceed 2bn in 2022
The global smart home market is expected to experience consecutive years of softening growth starting in 2021 before an upward trajectory resumes in 2023 according to Omdia. The downward trend is attributed to a combination of factors including wage stagnation, increased unemployment, and a large decline in projected retail sales, especially in 2022. Strong growth,…
Holiday Hacks: 10 Tips to Cut Home Bills while on Vacation
As millions of Brits take to the skies, roads and seas for a summer break, thoughts of chores and bills will be left far behind. Yet just before a holiday is the time when a few quick home hacks can ensure you are keeping household costs as low as possible while you soak up the…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Amazon Echo speakers to work with Siri, Google Assistant
Amazon's Echo smart speakers are about to get a lot smarter. An upgrade to Matter – an open-source standard platform – should make Amazon's smart speakers work with more voice assistants, not just Alexa. Matter is the new name for Project Connected Home over IP (or CHIP for short). It's a coalition of big-name companies…
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…
How Tech is Making it Possible for More Seniors to Age in Place
By 2030, 21.8 percent of the UK population will be aged 65 or over, according to a report by Age UK. The senior population in the UK is growing rapidly thanks to advances in healthcare, and it is not expected to slow down any time soon. While this is generally good news, one problem…
Google to reduce stored voice data from AI assistants
Google has said it will reduce the amount of voice data it stores, following a scandal linked to AI assistants and how audio data from users was being listened to by human reviewers. The technology giant said that while its own Voice and Audio Activity (VAA) programme has always been opt-in, it will now ask…
