Tags: Voice assistant

Microsoft introduced its Copilot Fall Release on Thursday, spotlighting a new AI chatbot persona named Mico. Designed as an expressive, customizable companion, Mico serves as the official successor to the classic Clippy. The optional avatar can change colors, animate, and even perform cartwheel‑like motions, aiming to make voice interactions feel more natural. A hidden Easter egg lets users tap the avatar until it temporarily transforms into Clippy, while a "real talk" feature promises conversational nuance. The announcement video highlights Mico at the 42‑minute mark, underscoring Microsoft's push toward a more personable AI experience. Read more

Microsoft introduced Mico, an expressive, customizable visual avatar designed to accompany the Copilot voice assistant. Positioned as a modern take on the classic Clippy, Mico appears as a responsive blob that changes color and expression based on user interaction. The AI companion aims to provide respectful, supportive guidance, even pushing back when needed. Integrated with Copilot’s new Learn Live feature, Mico serves as a Socratic tutor, guiding users through concepts with questions, visual cues, and an interactive whiteboard. Initially available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, users can enable or disable the visual presence at will. Read more

Google has begun rolling out its Gemini AI upgrade to select Google TV devices, with early availability on TCL's QM9K model and reports of the feature appearing on Sony Bravia TVs running Android TV 14. The update introduces a new conversational voice interface, a suite of botanical-themed voice options, and expanded capabilities such as answering content queries, summarizing headlines, generating screensavers, locating YouTube clips, and creating images. Google plans to expand Gemini to additional TCL models, upcoming Hisense TVs, the Google TV Streamer, and Walmart's onn 4K Pro streaming box over the coming months. Read more

Google has reaffirmed its dedication to smart displays, linking them to the new Gemini for Home platform. Anish Kattukaran, head of Google Home, emphasized the multi‑modal strengths of displays—combining microphones, speakers, screens and cameras—to deliver a richer home experience. While no specific hardware has been announced, the company signals that future smart displays will be integral to its AI‑driven home strategy, positioning them as the ultimate form factor for interacting with Gemini and the broader Google ecosystem. Read more

OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, is partnering with designer Jony Ive to develop a palm‑sized, screen‑less AI gadget that can sit on a desk or be carried. The device will interact through microphones, speakers and cameras, aiming to offer a conversational experience that feels like a helpful friend rather than a generic digital assistant. Engineers are wrestling with challenges around the device’s voice, personality, engagement timing, privacy and the massive compute power needed to run advanced language models. The first unit is slated for release in late 2026 or early 2027. Read more

Google is rolling out Gemini for Home, the new AI‑driven platform that will replace Google Assistant on its smart home devices. Gemini lets users speak more naturally, string multiple requests together, and interact with cameras using contextual language. New features such as AI‑powered notifications, Ask Home, and Home Brief aim to make smart‑home management easier. The service requires a $10‑per‑month Google Home Premium subscription, which also adds 30 days of cloud video storage. Early access is available in the Google Home app, with rollout slated for the month of October. Read more

Google announced a refreshed Google Home Speaker that places its Gemini AI assistant at the forefront. The new device adds a multicolored light ring that signals listening, processing, and responding states, and offers 360-degree audio for immersive sound. Premium subscribers can access Gemini Live, while a physical mute button addresses privacy concerns. The speaker will launch in the spring of 2026, retail for $99, and be available in a range of colors across major global markets. Read more

Google announced its newest smart speaker, the Google Home Speaker, which embeds the Gemini AI model and features a compact, woven‑mesh design available in four colors. The device includes a bottom‑integrated ring light that signals Gemini activity or microphone mute status, and offers omnidirectional audio with 360‑degree coverage. It will support existing Google Home and Nest Hub devices, though without the full Gemini Live experience, and is priced at $99. Google said the rollout timing is intentional, with the speaker slated for a Spring 2026 launch to ensure a smooth transition for millions of existing users. Read more

Amazon announced a slate of new hardware at its recent event, including refreshed Echo speakers and displays equipped with the Alexa+ large‑language‑model upgrade, three new Kindle Scribe tablets—one featuring a color screen—and a range of Fire TV models powered by the new Vega operating system. The company also introduced Ring cameras with Retinal 2K and 4K imaging and new Blink cameras that add 2K resolution and a Blink Arc accessory for 180‑degree coverage. Enhanced features such as Familiar Faces, Alexa+ Greetings, and Search Party aim to improve security and convenience for users. Read more

Amazon introduced a new line of Echo smart speakers, Echo Show displays, and other devices built specifically for the Alexa+ platform. The hardware incorporates the AZ3 and AZ3 Pro AI chips, a 13MP camera on the Echo Show, and a sensor‑fusion system called Omnisense that leverages Wi‑Fi radar and ultrasonic detection. Audio engineering advances include a full‑enclosure speaker design for the Echo Dot Max. While the rollout highlights major upgrades, the company did not announce new wearables at the event. Read more

Amazon’s latest fall showcase highlighted a wave of new and upgraded hardware centered on its Alexa+ AI assistant. The lineup includes powerful Echo speakers and displays that run Alexa+ locally, Fire TV devices with AI‑driven scene search, a Kindle Scribe equipped with handwriting‑aware AI tools, and Ring doorbells that can greet visitors and recognize familiar faces. Across the portfolio, Amazon is weaving deeper conversational memory, proactive task handling and on‑device processing to make its ecosystem feel more intuitive and integrated. Read more

Amazon added a new Amazon Basics Smart Remote to its lineup, a wall‑mountable, battery‑powered device that can be programmed via the Alexa app or Alexa+. The remote features four customizable buttons that trigger Alexa routines, such as turning on lights or playing music, and can be magnetically attached for convenience. Pre‑orders are open at $19.99 with shipments slated for late October. The product showcases Amazon’s push toward simple, voice‑assistant‑driven home automation, allowing users to execute multi‑step actions with a single press. Read more

Amazon has introduced Alexa Plus, an upgraded voice assistant designed for Fire TV hardware. The new service aims to reduce the need for phones by delivering context‑sensitive information while users watch movies, TV shows, and live sports. Alexa Plus enhances Amazon's X‑Ray feature, supports scene searches, provides actor bios, and shares real‑time scores and stats. It will be available on the latest Fire TV 2‑ and 4‑series, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, and select Panasonic and Hisense models, with broader support expected later. Read more

Amazon introduced two refreshed Echo Show models—a compact 8‑inch Echo Show 8 and a larger 11‑inch Echo Show 11—at its latest hardware event. Both devices feature slimmer designs, upgraded LCD panels with wider viewing angles, and enhanced audio with front‑facing stereo speakers and a custom woofer. Powered by the new AZ3 Pro chip, they run the optional Alexa Plus AI assistant, which leverages a suite of sensors to provide smarter home awareness. The new displays also support Thread, Matter, and Zigbee, positioning them as capable smart‑home hubs. Pricing starts at $179.99 for the Echo Show 8 and $219.99 for the Echo Show 11, with pre‑orders now open. Read more

Amazon unveiled a fresh range of Fire TV hardware, highlighting the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, billed as the fastest streaming stick under $40. The lineup also includes the premium Fire TV Omni QLED Series starting at $480, and updated 2-series and 4-series models priced from $160 to $330. New features such as Dialog Boost, Omnisense auto‑on, and a Linux‑based Vega OS for the stick aim to improve user experience while encouraging adoption of Amazon’s Alexa+ subscription service. Read more

Amazon's Alexa Plus, the generative‑AI‑enhanced voice assistant, offers a smoother conversational experience and broader smart‑home control, but users report slower response times, inconsistent routine handling, and hardware limitations. While the new Echo Show devices demonstrate improved UI and natural‑language commands, the underlying LLM architecture still struggles with reliability, leading to mixed impressions of the service's readiness for everyday use. Read more

Amazon has broadened the range of voice commands available for its Alexa assistant, covering smart‑home control, media playback, scheduling, communication, shopping, and more. Users can now manage lighting, temperature, security devices, and appliances, while also issuing multi‑room music requests, controlling Fire TV, checking calendars, setting timers, and placing orders. The expanded command set includes natural‑language prompts such as implied requests and contextual actions, enhancing Alexa’s conversational abilities and making it a more versatile hub for daily routines. Read more

Apple has created an internal application, dubbed Veritas, that mirrors ChatGPT to evaluate upcoming Siri capabilities. The tool lets employees search personal data on devices and perform actions in apps, providing a rapid feedback loop on the value of a chatbot interface. Bloomberg reports the effort reflects a more advanced stage for Apple’s promised Siri upgrade, originally announced at WWDC 2024, and signals the company’s continued exploration of both its own AI models and potential third‑party partnerships for future releases. Read more

TCL has introduced its QM9K series QD‑Mini LED TVs, which run Google TV and are the first TCL models to integrate Google’s Gemini AI. The TVs also feature a built‑in mmWave presence sensor that can detect a viewer’s proximity to turn the screen on or off and display contextual screensavers. The 65‑inch model is priced at $2,999 at Best Buy, with larger sizes available at higher price points. Gemini enables conversational queries and follow‑up questions, positioning TCL’s new lineup as a direct competitor to other smart‑TV offerings that incorporate motion detection. Read more

Google announced that its Gemini AI assistant is being integrated into Google TV and Android TV platforms, allowing users to have natural language conversations with the AI on their televisions. The rollout begins with the TCL QM9K series and will later extend to additional devices, including models from Hisense, Walmart, and future TCL releases. Gemini can help viewers choose content, answer show‑related questions, assist with homework, plan trips, and more, while preserving existing Google Assistant functionality. Read more