It was a few weeks before Christmas and time to put my voice assistant to the test: Could I just shout out the gifts I needed to buy without having to get on a smartphone or computer?
Alexa, the virtual assistant inside my Echo Dot, is really good at reordering stuff I already bought on Amazon. But asking it to order new items was trickier: I had to be precise and know exactly what I wanted to buy. There were times I had to rephrase orders until it could understand me. And other times I just gave up and went to my phone to make an order.
Voice shopping is supposed to be the future, and Amazon — which was far ahead of its competitors in offering it — has pushed customers to use it this holiday season by offering earlier access to deals that way. Other retailers are betting on voice shopping, too: Walmart, Target and dozens of others have teamed up with Google to sell merchandise through the technology company’s voice-activated devices.
Shopping by voice has some pitfalls — like hindering the ability to research options and comparison shop for the best price, or changing your mind about something in your cart. Amazon.com Inc. said “shopping with Alexa is really exciting” but it is still early on, and that it “continually learns and adds more functionality.” And Alexa did try to be helpful, sending photos to my smartphone or suggesting other products.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 16, 2017 من Techlife News.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 16, 2017 من Techlife News.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
7 CHINA BANS EXPORTS TO US OF GALLIUM, GERMANIUM, ANTIMONY IN RESPONSE TO CHIP SANCTIONS
China announced this week it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications, as a general principle, lashing back at U.S. limits on semiconductor-related exports.
FINANCIAL AND COMMUNITY HURDLES SLOW GEOTHERMAL ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Providing round-the-clock energy, using minimal space and considered a clean source of power-geothermal energy seems like an ideal option for countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, where the potential is high, and governments are seeking to transition away from highly polluting fossil fuels.
CANADIAN NEWS PUBLISHERS SUE OPENAI OVER ALLEGED COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
A coalition of Canadian news publishers, including The Canadian Press, Torstar, Globe and Mail, Postmedia and CBC/Radio-Canada, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for using news content to train its ChatGPT generative artificial intelligence system.
AUSTRALIA IS BANNING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR PEOPLE UNDER 16. COULD THIS WORK ELSEWHERE - OR EVEN THERE?
It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history — one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16.
BANK OF AMERICA SIGNS AGAIN WITH FIFA FOR US-HOSTED CLUB WORLD CUP THAT STILL HAS NO TV DEALS
World Cup sponsor Bank of America teamed with FIFA for a second time, signing for the Club World Cup that still has no broadcast deals just over six months before games start.
AT&T SEES EARNINGS GROWTH OVER NEXT 3 YEARS; EYES MORE THAN $40B IN ANTICIPATED SHAREHOLDER RETURNS
AT&T anticipates earnings growth over the next three years thanks to the momentum of 5G and fiber services.
IN A WORLD OF GREAT NEED THERE ARE MORE WAYS TO DONATE MONEY THAN EVER.HOW SHOULD YOU GIVE?
Millions displaced by global conflicts. Communities reeling from unseasonably strong natural disasters. Lives upended due to healthcare inequalities.
US EXPANDS LIST OF CHINESE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES UNDER EXPORT CONTROLS
The U.S. Commerce Department has expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software.
INTEL CEO GELSINGER RETIRES; ZINSNER AND JOHNSTON HOLTHAUS NAMED INTERIM CO-CEOS
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired, the struggling chipmaker said Monday in a surprise announcement.
LANDLORDS ARE USING AI TO RAISE RENTS.AND CALIFORNIA CITIES ARE LEADING THE PUSHBACK
If you've hunted for apartments recently and felt like all the rents were equally high, you're not crazy: Many landlords now use a single company's software - which uses an algorithm based on proprietary lease information ― to help set rent prices.
