Select Vizio 4K TVs now work with Alexa, thanks to a SmartCast skill released today. Customers with a P-, M- or E-series SmartCast display and an Amazon smart speaker can control their TV hands-free. Turn the display on and off, adjust the volume, channel and input and even tell your Alexa speaker to pause, fast forward or …
Read More »Tag Archives: alexa
Ex
Google’s announcement this week that it’s bringing Nest back under its wing has some former employees of the smart-thermostat maker saying the company never should’ve been spun off in the first place. Tony Fadell, co-founder and ex-CEO of Nest, said both companies’ efforts in connected gadgets were hurt when Google made Nest a separate business less than two years after …
Read More »Motorola slashes prices of Moto Z2, Moto Mods, Alexa smart speaker
Scoop up an unlocked Moto Z2 Play for $350, $150 off of its usual retail price. The offer is part of a Valentine’s Day promotion available now through Feb. 17, 2018. The deal covers the 64GB storage model with 4GB of RAM along with the 32GB handset that’s equipped with 3GB of RAM. Motorola is slashing the cost of its …
Read More »Apple HomePod preorders are now open for business
For Apple’s HomePod, it’s better late than never. The smart speaker became available for advance orders in the online Apple Store in the US, UK and Australia on Friday. While you can typically put in an order for new Apple products at 12:01 a.m. PT, the HomePod wasn’t available until just before 5:45 a.m. PT. A little patience was required …
Read More »Amazon’s Jeff Bezos faces disaster in Super Bowl ad teaser
Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that’s taken over our lives. A prime role for the CEO. Amazon/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET What’s the worst thing that could happen to your favorite tech company? For Samsung, it might be if its phones started exploding again. For Apple, it would surely be if people stopped obsessing over …
Read More »Get two Sonos Ones for the price of one Apple HomePod
In the same week Apple revealed the Feb. 9 availability of its first smart speaker, the HomePod, Sonos has a response: two Sonos One speakers for $349 or £349. The Sonos One smart speaker is $199 or £199 on its own, and the company says the bundle deal will be available from Friday, Jan. 26, for “a limited time.” The HomePod goes …
Read More »Amazon Alexa on Android can now find the best restaurants near you
Alexa on Android just got a little bit smarter. The digital voice assistant from Amazon will receive an update in the next few days that will allow users to ask aloud about restaurants nearby or what movies are playing. The feature will roll out to the Apple iOS app version as well. With this update, it will be easier and …
Read More »CES 2018: Vuzix Blade glasses are powered by Alexa
You can stick Amazon’s Alexa into all sorts of things: speakers, cars, phones, watches, robots and even refrigerators. Add smartglasses to that list. Vuzix, makers of various smartglasses and Google Glass-like head wearables for years, are now making smart eyewear compatible with Amazon’s Alexa. Bloomberg broke the news ahead of CES, but I got to wear the glasses in Las Vegas. Smartglasses, …
Read More »At CES, VR and AR are evolving right under your nose
When VR first made its major CES reemergence via Oculus Rift years ago, it was jaw-dropping. Those moments, since, are harder to come by. After a 2017 where VR hardware sales flagged and buzz quieted, AR started to gain steam via phone apps from Apple and Google. Meanwhile, the dream of some next-level “mixed reality” — a holographic blend of …
Read More »CES 2018: Optoma 4K projector responds to Alexa voice commands
If you want to fire up your 120-inch screen with a voice command like “Alexa, turn on the projector,” Optoma’s newest effort is at your beck and call. When it goes on sale in April for $1,700 (roughly converting to £1,240 in the UK and AU$2,150 in Australia), the UHD51A will be the first projector to feature direct compatibility with …
Read More »