Voice Interface
The idea of generic voice interface control for all computing equipment is not new. But with Amazon Echo (Alexa) and Google Home, we are finally taking a large step in that direction. Nokia has announced they are working on a voice interface called “Viki” and Samsung is also working on a voice based assistant interface. Voice interfaces won’t replace video screens but they may replace keyboards as a control and input channel.
Voice Is the Next Big Platform, and Alexa Will Own It – [backchannel.com]
The Alexa-enabled Echo is a true unicorn, one of those rare products that arrives every few years and fundamentally changes the way we live. In 2017, we will start to see that change. After years of false starts, voice interface will finally creep into the mainstream as more people purchase voice-enabled speakers and other gadgets, and as the tech that powers voice starts to improve. By the following year, Gartner predicts that 30 percent of our interactions with technology will happen through conversations with smart machines.
Alexa Gives Amazon a Powerful Data Advantage – [technologyreview.com]
Amazon is estimated to have sold more than five million Echo devices, which have the voice-activated Alexa assistant inside.
“Hey, Alexa”—a phrase that millions of people call out at home just before telling Amazon their desires at that moment. All those people asking Alexa to order kitchen supplies, turn on the lights, or play music gives Amazon a valuable stockpile of data that it could use to fend off competitors and make breakthroughs in what voice-operated assistants can do.
