Tag: Alexa
Tech Digest daily roundup: Watching TV in self-driving cars will be allowed
People using self-driving cars will be allowed to watch television on built-in screens under proposed updates to the Highway Code. The changes will say drivers must be ready to take back control of vehicles when prompted, the government said. The first use of self-driving technology is likely to be when travelling at slow speeds on…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Meet Astro, Amazon’s house robot
Amazon is launching Astro, its first household robot, powered by its Alexa smart home technology. The company said it can be remote-controlled when not at home, to check on pets, people, or home security. It can also patrol a home automatically and send owners a notification if it detects something unusual. Amazon said it was…
Tech Digest daily round up: Alexa to get male voice, Ziggy
Amazon is rolling out a brand new voice for Alexa that will give users a more masculine option over the assistant’s default voice, and it even comes with its own new wake word. Named Ziggy, this deeper-voiced alternative has certainly been a long time coming for Alexa compatible devices. Much like the celebrity voices of Shaquille O’…
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…
Tech Digest daily round up: Branson goes into space before Bezos
Billionaire Sir Richard Branson has announced his plan to reach space nine days before Amazon boss Jeff Bezos by taking part in a test flight for his company Virgin Galactic. In a video posted on Twitter, the Virgin Group founder introduced himself as "Astronaut 001" and said he will be "evaluating the customer space flight…
Tech Digest daily round up: AirCar completes 35 minute flight
A prototype flying car has completed a 35-minute flight between international airports in Nitra and Bratislava, Slovakia. The hybrid car-aircraft, AirCar, is equipped with a BMW engine and runs on regular petrol-pump fuel. Its creator, Prof Stefan Klein, said it could fly about 1,000km (600 miles), at a height of 8,200ft (2,500m), and had clocked…
Ring unveils £49 wired video doorbell
Video doorbell company Ring has announced its smallest wired doorbell yet. Called the Ring Video Doorbell Wired, it features HD video, Two-Way Talk, Live View, Advanced Motion Detection, Customisable Privacy Zones and more. An affordable solution that connects to existing doorbell wiring, the Ring Video Doorbell Wired is much smaller than other Ring designs. Standard…
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…
Skoda introduces remote electric car charging via Alexa
Drivers of ŠKODA’s all-electric Citigoe iV and Superb iV plug-in hybrid can now use Amazon Alexa voice assistants for remote charging, as well as checking on the remaining range of their cars - all from the comfort of their home. The new features are part of a raft of upgrades added to the ŠKODA Connect…
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…
