Breaking News
virtual assistants
5 mistakes you may be making online and how this one brand can help protect you from yourself (and others)
Scroll on (safely) with this affordable VPN.
Meet Fedha, a Kuwaiti news outlet's new AI-generated presenter
Fedha, an AI-generated news anchor, made her debut on a Kuwaiti media outlet – virtually asking viewers for story suggestions.
Siri leaks date of next Apple event — and it’s just around the corner
Siri can't keep a secret. Apple's virtual assistant appears to have leaked the date of the iPhone maker's next product launch event — and it's only a week away. Asked...
Beware of the smart device: Ways to stay private and safe
NEW YORK — Did someone invite a spy into your home over the holidays? Maybe so, if a friend or family member gave you a voice-controlled speaker or some other...
Smart speakers were some of the holiday season's top stocking stuffers in 2019
It looks like Santa was busy stuffing stockings with smart speakers and wearables this Christmas. Amazon’s Echo line of products, along with Google’s Nest family, were popular gifts this season,...
Apple apologizes for letting contractors eavesdrop on Siri's sex recordings
Sorry we’ve been eavesdropping on your sex life. Apple on Wednesday apologized to its users for employing third-party contractors to listen to audio recordings picked up by its Siri voice...
Apple no longer letting humans grade Siri recordings amid privacy concerns
Apple has temporarily halted the practice of having humans grade Siri recordings following a report that the automated assistant secretly listens to users having sex. “While we conduct a thorough...
Apple's Siri routinely records you having sex
Hey Siri, I need some privacy. Apple's "Siri" automated assistant routinely records people having sex, as well as making drug deals and discussing confidential medical information, according to a recent...
Amazon sued for recording children's voices via Alexa
Amazon was slapped with a pair of class-action lawsuits this week over its Alexa voice assistant, which is getting accused of recording and storing the voices of children without their...
Google’s AI Assistant aims to transcend the smart speaker
SAN FRANCISCO — When Google launched its now distinctive digital assistant in 2016, it was already in danger of being an also-ran. At the time, Amazon had been selling its Echo...
Congress wants Google to explain how it 'forgot' about Nest mic
A week ago, we learned that there is, in fact, a microphone Google included with its Nest Secure home security system that the tech giant says it forgot was there...
Google didn't tell users its Nest security system has a mic
Here’s one way to let users know that the gadget you sold them includes a microphone that you forgot to tell them about: You can announce an over-the-air software update...
Amazon says it will allow Apple Music on Alexa devices
Amazon said Friday that Apple’s music-streaming service will soon be available on its Alexa-powered devices, signaling a further thaw in the relationship between the tech titans. The announcement also ends...
Google Assistant will now reward you for good manners
Google is bringing an update to its Assistant that includes a number of new holiday-themed features, as well as some new abilities for the company’s helpful digital assistant that are...
Amazon Echo may have captured audio of murder
An Amazon Echo may have captured audio of a cold-blooded killing in New Hampshire, and prosecutors have won the rights to the recordings, a judge ruled Friday. Authorities investigating a...
Nearly half of the country will have a smart speaker by the end of this year
There’s been a bit of conventional wisdom out there up to this point that most people who own smart speakers — which isn’t a majority of consumers, by any means...
Sonos' pricey new speaker is a sound investment
At first glance, the new Sonos Beam doesn’t look like a bargain. It’s a new smart speaker from a company whose reputation is for making sleek home audio setups, rather...
Google Home virtual assistant learns to speak Spanish
Hola, Google! The search giant announced Tuesday that its popular Google Home line of smart speakers is now even smarter, having added Spanish-language skills to its repertoire. The addition comes...
Hackers can use white noise to break into your Alexa
You know how only dogs can hear a dog whistle? Well, it turns out that there are certain types of white noise that only services like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s...
This gadget will let you talk to yourself without speaking
Alexa, Siri and other virtual assistant apps are great for small tasks no matter where you are, but actually talking to your AI helper in public is still sort of...well,...