digital assistants

How Secure Is Your Digital Assistant?

Chatting with Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri has become a part of our day-to-day life, whether we’re using our voices to turn on smart lights or ask our devices for the weather forecast. But what you might not think about daily is just how secure and private these three voice assistants actually are. What happens…

Gadgets David Nield Dec 11

Sharp’s New Alexa-Powered Microwave Is Even More Confusing Than Amazon’s

When Amazon released a cheap microwave with built-in Alexa integration, most of us scratched our heads for a second and then quickly moved on. But now Sharp has created its own microwave powered by Amazon’s digital assistant, and somehow it’s even more confounding than the original. Unlike the $60 Amazon Basics microwave with Alexa, Sharp’s…

Tech News Sam Rutherford Dec 9

Amazon’s Alexa Can Now Ask You Follow-Up Questions

Responding to demands from consumers for “an Alexa, but make it talk even more,” Amazon announced on Wednesday that its latest digital assistant model will be able to infer a user’s “latent goals,” and will use those to pose follow-up questions to users. If you ask your new Alexa how long it takes to cook…

Commerce Brianna Provenzano Nov 11

Siri Is What’s Really Holding the HomePod Back

It’s easy to dunk on Apple’s HomePod speaker. For one, it costs $300. Currently, it doesn’t support third-party music services (though that’s supposedly on the way). HomeKit is a mixed bag when it comes to controlling a smart home, and for the price, the Apple TV is arguably the smarter choice for a HomeKit hub.…

Tech News Victoria Song Oct 7

It May Be Time to Say ‘Goodnight, Sweet Prince Bixby’

Google and Samsung are apparently working out a deal that would give Google products a boost on Samsung smartphones, according to a Bloomberg report. That means Google might get greater access to Samsung users, while Samsung’s own ecosystem takes a hit. Samsung is the biggest smartphone maker in the world, and Google’s Android is its…

Tech News Victoria Song Jul 29

Google Assistant Is About to Get More Useful On Every Smart Device

Google Assistant is incredibly useful, but depending on which devices you own, you might not have access to all of its commands and features. Google plans to change that. In an update announced today, the company pledged to make more of its Assistant’s abilities available on as many devices as possible, starting with three important…

Tech News Sam Rutherford Jun 11

Unplug Your Smart Speakers While You’re Working From Home

Whether you just started working from home or have been for a few weeks now, it’s a good idea to turn off your smart speakers sooner rather than later; your Alexa or Google Home could be listening in on all those confidential work calls. Smart home devices not only listen to us when we don’t…

Privacy & Security Joanna Nelius Mar 23

Google Teases Feature That Allows Assistant to Read Webpages to You in Dozens of Languages

Google has unveiled a potentially helpful new feature that will allow Google Assistant to read websites back to the user as well as translate them to more than three dozen languages. During CES, which is currently ongoing in Las Vegas, the tech giant previewed a handful of tools coming to the Assistant later this year.…

Tech News Catie Keck Jan 9

How to Find and Delete Everything You’ve Ever Said to Your Digital Assistants

Most of us are comfortable using digital assistants to ask about the weather, or the traffic on the way to work, or just how many years it’s been since our favorite sports team actually won anything—but what’s happening to all of our voice commands and queries? And just how many human beings are listening in…

Gadgets David Nield Nov 6

Google Changing Privacy Protections for Assistant, Plans to Auto-Delete More of Your Audio Data

In recent months, it became clear that Google, Apple, and Amazon were all guilty of having humans review audio recordings collected by digital assistants. Today, Google’s trying to mitigate some of the backlash by updating and clarifying its policies on what it does with your audio data. In July, a Google subcontractor leaked over a…

Tech News Victoria Song Sep 23

Amazon’s Human Helpers Are Quietly Listening in on Some Alexa Recordings

There’s been a number of incidents where Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant has done things like misinterpret something it overheard and started sending random people recordings of private conversations, or audio files kept by the company wound up in the wrong hands. But a real-life stranger could potentially be listening to anything you tell Alexa by…

Commerce Tom McKay Apr 10

Here’s an Alexa Idea I Actually Like

While it’s hard not to roll your eyes at voice assistants getting added to every single thing in the smart home, a Los Angeles hospital is actually putting Amazon Alexa to good use. About 100 patient rooms at Cedars-Sinai will now be equipped with Amazon Echos to help patients and caregivers interact more efficiently. The…

Tech News Victoria Song Feb 26

Top Cortana Exec Out at Microsoft as Internal Shakeup Continues

The next VP to leave Microsoft is the current head of Cortana, Javier Soltero, according to multiple reports. The departure is part of an ongoing internal shakeup at Microsoft that has seen execs including 20-year vet Terry Myerson leave the company. Soltero joined Microsoft at the end of 2014 when the company bought out Acompli,…

Tech News Sam Rutherford Nov 6

The Complete Guide to Google Assistant in 2018

Beyond Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube, Google Assistant is shaping up to be one of the most important Google products in the years ahead, and it’s already more pervasive and more advanced than you might have realized. Here’s everything Google Assistant can do and everywhere you can find it. When you hear “Google Assistant” you…

Gadgets David Nield Oct 31

Google Assistant Just Got Upgraded With Better Touch Support and Richer Visuals

At first, the Google Assistant was designed primarily as a voice-based helper. However, after making its way to phones, smart displays, and whatever else Google can cram its assistant into, being forced to use your voice to access a lot of GA features hasn’t always offered the best experience. So today, Google has announced a…

Tech News Sam Rutherford Oct 3

Amazon Is Going to Drown Us in Alexa Crap

The digital assistant wars are in full swing, and with Google just recently notching the latest victory by finishing Q2 with the top-selling smart speaker in the world, Amazon is revamping its Alexa-powered roster in a very big way. At the start of its presentation, Amazon’s devices head David Limp set the tone by saying…

Commerce Sam Rutherford Sep 20

iPhone Confuses ‘Syria’ for ‘Siri’ During UK Defense Secretary’s Speech

For modern smartphone owners, it’s a common enough of an occurrence. You’re just sitting there, talking about whatever, when suddenly you say something that triggers the digital assistant on your phone. Now normally, you’d probably get annoyed for a second, tap a button to dismiss the interruption, and then continue with whatever you were doing.…

Tech News Sam Rutherford Jul 3

Google Just Turned a Huge Corner in the Smart Speaker Game

When Amazon launched the Echo back in late 2014, it kicked off one of the biggest trends in tech. Almost overnight, it seemed like every company wanted to get in on that sweet smart speaker action. However, largely because Amazon was first to market, the Echo has consistently been the top-selling smart speaker for the…

Tech News Sam Rutherford May 24

Microsoft Bought an AI Startup to Help Cortana Sound Less Robotic

At Google I/O 2018, Google announced that its digital assistant was getting upgraded with more natural-sounding speech in addition to six new alternate voices. Then, Google promptly scared the hell out of everyone by using the Google Assistant’s new skills to mimic a real voice so well, people on the other end of a phone…

Tech News Sam Rutherford May 21

Apple’s HomePod Will Finally Be Available on Feb 9th

When unexplained delays pushed Apple’s smart speaker back from a 2017 debut, Apple said it needed “a little more time before it’s ready” and promised an “early 2018″ release. Now it seems Apple is making good on its revised launch window, as the HomePod will officially go on sale on February 9th. Initially, the $350…

Tech News Sam Rutherford Jan 23

digital assistants

How Secure Is Your Digital Assistant?

Sharp’s New Alexa-Powered Microwave Is Even More Confusing Than Amazon’s

Amazon’s Alexa Can Now Ask You Follow-Up Questions

Siri Is What’s Really Holding the HomePod Back

It May Be Time to Say ‘Goodnight, Sweet Prince Bixby’

Google Assistant Is About to Get More Useful On Every Smart Device

Unplug Your Smart Speakers While You’re Working From Home

Google Teases Feature That Allows Assistant to Read Webpages to You in Dozens of Languages

How to Find and Delete Everything You’ve Ever Said to Your Digital Assistants

Google Changing Privacy Protections for Assistant, Plans to Auto-Delete More of Your Audio Data

Amazon’s Human Helpers Are Quietly Listening in on Some Alexa Recordings

Here’s an Alexa Idea I Actually Like

Top Cortana Exec Out at Microsoft as Internal Shakeup Continues

The Complete Guide to Google Assistant in 2018

Google Assistant Just Got Upgraded With Better Touch Support and Richer Visuals

Amazon Is Going to Drown Us in Alexa Crap

iPhone Confuses ‘Syria’ for ‘Siri’ During UK Defense Secretary’s Speech

Google Just Turned a Huge Corner in the Smart Speaker Game

Microsoft Bought an AI Startup to Help Cortana Sound Less Robotic

Apple’s HomePod Will Finally Be Available on Feb 9th

Jamie Dornan Is Your New Aragorn in ‘The Hunt for Gollum’

Trump’s Fed Pick Is Knee Deep in Tech and Crypto Investments

The First Trailer for ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Takes Terror Stateside

The Trump Phone Still Looks Like Total Trash

‘Masters of the Universe’ Really, Really Wants to Be the Next ‘Barbie’

Samsung’s Micro RGB TVs Provide So Much Color It May Be Too Much

The Crypto Bros Want to Get Their Hands on Anthropic’s ‘Super Dangerous’ Model

This Is What a Music Industry ‘Plant’ Looks Like in 2026

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

Let us help find what you are looking for...