Tag Archives: alexa

TiVo boxes will soon let Alexa be your remote

DVR manufacturer TiVo appears to have set up a placeholder app for Alexa last weekend, Dave Zatz reports.  TiVo announced at CES in January that it would be bringing Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant to its boxes, old and new. Last March Amazon announced the skill programming interface (Google translation from Spanish) that would make it possible. …

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You can now make Alexa your default assistant on Android

Android phones allow for greater flexibility with voice assistants than Apple’s iPhone, giving you the freedom to pick the specific helper that answers the call whenever you give the home button a long press. Alternatives like Microsoft’s Cortana were already available to play with — but now, Amazon’s Alexa is in the mix, too. Enlarge Image Android users can now swap Alexa …

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Microsoft Build 2018, Day 1: Everything that was just announced

Now playing: Watch this: Microsoft reveals mixed reality tech for the workplace 3:13 Developers conference season is upon us. Facebook’s F8 kicked it off last week with dating, the Oculus Go and AI, AI, AI. And now it’s Microsoft’s turn.  Build 2018 kicked off today with the first of two keynotes. The focus of this year’s conference shifts from Windows to …

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How to make Alexa, Cortana your Android phone’s assistant

Amazon recently updated the Alexa app for Android devices, adding the ability to set it as the default personal assistant on phones and tablets. Now playing: Watch this: Amazon introduces new, easy Alexa Skill builder 1:33 Users have had the option to use Microsoft’s Cortana in place of Google Assistant since 2017, but with Alexa’s popularity, it’s nice to see …

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Cortana and Alexa courtship still not ready for consummation

Macs have Siri built in, and Windows PCs have Cortana, so almost everyone with a laptop or desktop already has access to a voice-activated smart assistant. But that hasn’t stopped other assistants from trying to get a foothold in computers. Amazon’s Alexa is coming to select laptops later in 2018, and more interestingly, Amazon and Microsoft have promised Alexa/Cortana integration, …

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Sonos invite hints at new Playbar 2 with Alexa voice control

Sonos could be ready to announce a new home-theater speaker with voice control next month. In an invitation that went out to journalists Thursday morning, the audio company has scheduled an event for June 6 in San Francisco. The invite features a table-full of remotes with the tagline “You’re better than this.” The Sonos invite that was sent to journalists  …

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Gmail gets a big reboot (The 3:59, Ep. 392)

Now playing: Watch this: Gmail gets a big reboot (The 3:59, Ep. 392) 4:19 On this podcast, we talk about: The new Gmail and what features it comes with A hack that turned Amazon’s Alexa into a listening device How digital currencies are helping the poor out of poverty The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top …

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A Prime number for Amazon: 100 million plus (The 3:59, Ep. 389)

On this podcast, we talk about: Amazon’s CEO for the first time reveals that his company has over 100 million Prime members. Qualcomm’s multibillion-dollar acquisition of NXP continues to face challenges amid US-China trade issues. Amazon unveils a new way to make your own custom Alexa skills. The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the …

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The best

CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter! Sarah Tew Which would you rather have: a cheap speaker that sounds like a cheap speaker or an …

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The Rova Viva adds Alexa to your car for $38.99

CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter! Enlarge Image Viva Alexa! Roav I’m back! Hope everyone had a wonderful week. Special thanks to “the Davids” …

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