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Amazon lays off hundreds in its Alexa division as it plows resources into AI
Read full article: Amazon lays off hundreds in its Alexa division as it plows resources into AIAmazon is cutting hundreds of jobs in the unit that handles its popular voice assistant Alexa as it plows more resources into artificial intelligence.
Need to know about lifesaving CPR? A new study says it's probably wise not to ask Alexa or Siri
Read full article: Need to know about lifesaving CPR? A new study says it's probably wise not to ask Alexa or SiriA new study says Alexa, Siri and other voice assistants could do a better job giving instructions on CPR to help bystanders respond in emergencies.
A look at the commercials of Super Bowl LV
Read full article: A look at the commercials of Super Bowl LVAfter all, more than 100 million people in the United States tune in to watch the Super Bowl every year. According to statista.com, Bud Light is the most popular beer for Super Bowl Sunday, taking up more than 12% of the total beer consumed. Anheuser-Busch will forego promoting Budweiser this year, with the money reserved for its Super Bowl ad donated to coronavirus vaccine awareness efforts. I brought the chips!”This spot brings together an ensemble of Super Bowl legends. Disney had released a trailer for “Black Widow” during the 2020 Super Bowl.
A sexy Alexa, Dan Levy's M&M habit: Super Bowl ads to watch
Read full article: A sexy Alexa, Dan Levy's M&M habit: Super Bowl ads to watchIt might not have seemed likely early in the pandemic, but the 55th Super Bowl Sunday is upon us yet again. Amazon shows off a sexy new body for its Alexa assistant, Dan Levy apologizes for eating M&M's and Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade makes a downpour of lemons a metaphor for 2020's troubles. AdInspiration4 “ Join Us "In what is surely a first in Super Bowl history, an ad for Inspiration4, a SpaceX supported all-civilian space mission touts a chance for viewers to join the mission. Dan Levy of “Schitt’s Creek” apologizes to the M&M anthropomorphic characters that are Super Bowl mainstays and says he promises not to “eat any more of their friends." And E-Trade, famous for the talking baby ads it ran in the Super Bowl from 2008 until they “retired" in 2014, is back in the big game with an undisclosed ad.
Amazon Alexa and Google Home's voice assistant were vulnerable to hackers
Read full article: Amazon Alexa and Google Home's voice assistant were vulnerable to hackersAmazon and Google told CNN Business the security issue has since been fixed. With the latest issue, SRLabs found hackers could have exploited the access Amazon and Google give third-party app developers to improve apps. In videos posted to YouTube, SRLabs showed how an app that works with Alexa or Google's voice assistant could be programmed by a hacker. The voice assistant was then silent. After a few minutes, the voice assistant said there was a company update and asked the user to say their password.
Your Amazon Alexa can sound just like Samuel L. Jackson
Read full article: Your Amazon Alexa can sound just like Samuel L. Jackson(CNN) - Alexa is about to get real Samuel L. Jackson. Amazon will introduce Jackson as the first celebrity voice for its Alexa virtual assistant later this year, the company said Wednesday. Here are a few fun requests Amazon suggests you try after setting up Jackson's voice on your Echo:"Alexa, ask Samuel L. Jackson where he is from." "Alexa, ask Sam to wake me up at 7 a.m.""Alexa, ask Sam Jackson to sing happy birthday." They can just head over to the settings menu of the Alexa app to select between clean and explicit content.
Amazon unveils new Echo clock and Alexa privacy features
Read full article: Amazon unveils new Echo clock and Alexa privacy featuresThe company announced at its Seattle headquarters a series of new products coming to its lineup, including a new $59 Echo dock smart speaker with a built-in clock. As expected, Amazon unveiled its own high-end Echo speaker, called Echo Studio, to compete with some companies such as Sonos that already offer Alexa-compatible premium speakers. Over the past five years, the market for smart speakers that use virtual assistants has ballooned. According to data from tech market researcher Canalys, companies including Amazon, Google, and Baidu shipped 26.1 million smart speakers in the second quarter of this year. Amazon is sitting on top of this market: Canalys reports Amazon shipped a quarter of these speakers, or an estimated 6.6 million between April and June.
Amazon will show off new products Wednesday
Read full article: Amazon will show off new products WednesdayAmazon wants to keep a commanding presence in the fast-growing virtual assistant space. According to data from tech market researcher Canalys, companies including Amazon, Google, and Baidu shipped 26.1 million smart speakers in the second quarter of this year. Amazon is sitting on top of this market: Canalys reports Amazon shipped a quarter these speakers, or an estimated 6.6 million between April and June. Amazon has been working to keep its momentum: Last September, Amazon introduced Alexa-controlled products ranging from the expected (more Echo smart speakers) to the surprising (a $60 AmazonBasics microwave that can warm food via voice commands such as, "Alexa, heat up one cup of coffee" when used with an Echo device). Amazon may also show off new ways to use the virtual assistant outside the home.
How to stop your Alexa voice recordings from being reviewed by a human
Read full article: How to stop your Alexa voice recordings from being reviewed by a humanIn the wake of the recent backlash, Amazon is changing its settings so people can opt out of having their voice recordings reviewed by humans. But now, by opting out, a user's voice recordings will no longer be included in programs that involve human review of Alexa requests, according to the spokesperson. For those looking to restrict access to their Alexa voice recordings, the process has several steps and the language can be a little tricky to parse. To delete any existing Alexa recordings, people can go to the Privacy screen and select "Review Voice History." There's also a feature that allows deletion by voice, which lets people delete recordings by saying "Alexa, delete what I just said" or "Alexa, delete everything I said today."
Your smart speakers are listening: Wipe them clean before giving them away. Here's how
Read full article: Your smart speakers are listening: Wipe them clean before giving them away. Here's howAmazon Echo devicesAmazon has multiple devices within its Echo family, including the Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Plus product lines. The first step is identifying your Echo device. On second-generation releases of the Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Plus, initiating the reset process involves holding the Volume Down and Microphone Off buttons for about 20 seconds. Smart speakers are only one segment of a smart or connected home. While the above aimed to reset your smart speakers, there may be other smart devices you're interested in resetting before giving them away, including security cameras, door locks or lighting.