After being challenged as to whether homeowners should tell guests smart devices — such as a Google Nest speaker or Amazon Echo display — are in use before they enter the building, Google senior vice president of devices and services, Rick Osterloh, concludes that the answer is indeed yes. The BBC reports: “Gosh, I haven’t thought about this before in quite…
Tag: smart speaker
Coursera Introduces Amazon Alexa Skill to Support Learning Goals
By Alex Sanchez, Product Management, Mobile Experiences and Emerging Technology at Coursera Today, we’re excited to announce a skill for Amazon Alexa that will help learners keep up in courses and achieve their personal and professional goals. Starting next month, learners can access course assignment and quiz scores, due dates, and progress updates by simply […]
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Spouse of Ring Exec Among Lawmakers Trying To Weaken California Privacy Law
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The California legislature worked through the summer to finalize the text of the state’s landmark data privacy law before time to make amendments ran out on Friday. In the Assembly (California’s lower house), Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin has been a key voice and vote backing motions that would weaken the law, and a…
Google To Shift Pixel Smartphone Production From China To Vietnam
According to Nikkei Asian Review, Google is shifting production of its Pixel smartphone from China to Vietnam “as it seeks to build a low-cost supply chain in Southeast Asia that will serve as a springboard for its growing hardware ambitions.” From the report: Working with a partner, Google started work this summer to convert an old Nokia factory in the northern…
Amazon Patent Reveals Plans To Allow Alexa To Listen, Record Users At All Times
schwit1 shares a report from ScienceAlert: A newly revealed patent application filed by Amazon is raising privacy concerns over an envisaged upgrade to the company’s smart speaker systems. This change would mean that, by default, the devices end up listening to and recording everything you say in their presence. Rather than only record what is said after the wakeword is spoken,…
Comcast Is Reportedly Developing a Device That Would Track Your Bathroom Habits
Comcast is reportedly working on a device designed to closely monitor a user’s health. “The device will monitor people’s basic health metrics using ambient sensors, with a focus on whether someone is making frequent trips to the bathroom or spending more time than usual in bed,” reports CNBC. “Comcast is also building tools for detecting falls, which are common and potentially…