Once again, Seattle’s tech scene provides the backdrop for a high-profile movie on HBO Max — but this time, it’s serious. Oscar-winning film director Steven Soderbergh’s tech-noir thriller, “Kimi,” echoes… Read More
Researchers at the University of Washington have figured out a way to use machine-learning algorithms to turn smart speakers into sensitive medical devices that can detect irregular heartbeats. The scientists… Read More
Microsoft will shut down Cortana on a wide range of devices, reflecting the challenge for third-party voice assistants attempting to compete with built-in programs like Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant.… Read More
The listening capacity of digital assistants like Alexa and Siri has become a major privacy sticking point in the last year. A group of researchers out of Northeastern University and Imperial… Read More
Amazon’s head of devices is maintaining an amicable tone toward Sonos despite accusations of stolen technology and bullying from the speaker company. In an interview with GeekWire at the Consumer… Read More
What were the top tech stories of the past decade? I’ve been discussing this topic with others recently on LinkedIn, and as I was editing GeekWire contributing writer Christopher Budd’s… Read More
Despite a growing list of challengers, Amazon remains the dominant force in the global smart speaker market, accounting for more than a third of all sales in the quarter, according… Read More
Alexa could soon be the ultimate baby monitor. Researchers at the University of Washington created a speaker system that is capable of monitoring the breathing and movement of sleeping children.… Read More
Baidu is now the No. 2 smart speaker seller in the world, roaring past Google and trailing only Amazon. According to a new study from Canalys, Baidu shipped 4.5 million… Read More
At the onset of a heart attack, people often have a few telltale symptoms: pain in the chest or arm, heartburn, shortness of breath. But only one of these is… Read More
Walmart today unveiled a new partnership with Google’s virtual assistant to let customers shop via voice command, the latest integration between the two companies as they both battle Amazon. Under… Read More
The Google Assistant finished tops among the digital brains that power smart speakers in an extensive Q&A test, answering nearly 88 percent of queries correctly. The test by Minnesota venture… Read More
It seems like smart assistants are learning new tricks every day, from cooking microwave popcorn to helping users get flu shots. But all those bells and whistles don’t hold a… Read More
Microsoft announced a strange new subscription-style plan for Xbox this week, called All Access. It basically bundles existing gaming subscriptions with an installment plan to buy a new Xbox One… Read More
While the quarter-by-quarter battle for smart speaker market share gets all the attention, the longer-term struggle to change consumer behavior has just begun. There is little question that smart speakers… Read More
Google is aiming to challenge Amazon’s Echo Show by releasing its own smart speaker equipped with a screen in time for this year’s holiday season, Nikkei Asian Review reported today.… Read More
Samsung is making its entry into the competitive smart speaker market with the announcement of Galaxy Home, taking on fellow tech giants Amazon, Apple, Google and others. Samsung unveiled the… Read More
Amazon showed up all over tech expert Mary Meeker’s massive annual Internet Trends report this year, demonstrating how much the tech giant has branched out in recent years. Presented at… Read More
Roxy, a Seattle startup that offers a customizable voice assistant and touch screen smart speaker for the hotel industry, added a new voice calling feature in a bid to eliminate the… Read More
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the size of the funding round. Roxy, a Seattle startup that offers a customizable voice assistant and touch screen smart speaker… Read More
A new study sheds some light on why tech companies across the world are in the midst of a digital assistant arms race and battling to build the best smart… Read More