Smart home technology has offered added convenience to many users, but when those devices require activating a smartphone for all interactions, they can still be a challenge for some disabled users. Now, however, integration with personal assistant technology such as Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Apple’s new HomePod could enhance smart home device value for all users.
Digital assistants have come a long way in a relatively short amount of time. Starting with Apple’s clunky early iteration of Siri in 2011, it’s only taken a few years to get here, with multiple competitors in common use (including Cortana and Google Now) and dozens of new versions to come.
Less than 24 hours after being unveiled, the Google Pixel XL 128 GB is officially out of stock. The phone, Google’s first attempt at managing the design process, had been widely criticized as too expensive.
I had already written about just how great the Samsung Galaxy S II commercial was a couple of months ago, but at the time Apple and Samsung were in the midst of the ‘copy me, copy you’ spectacle and so I wrapped it around a tongue-in-cheek accusation of copying. Certainly Samsung has learned that the macho specmanship approach of Motorola has a very narrow appeal, which shows very well in this new ad as well. The upcoming Nexus has gotten some very positive early looks, and should be a big success for Samsung and give a great look at the…