The keyboard could soon become obsolete, at least that’s the future outlined by a new study from the London School of Economics and Jabra. According to the report, by 2028, voice-based AI will become the dominant interface for workplace communication.

For Generation Alpha, those born after 2010, the keyboard might never even be part of the daily workflow. Instead, they’ll speak to their devices first, edit later.

Paul Sephton, global head of brand communications at Jabra, told Fortune that in the AI-powered workplace of the near future, the first draft of work will be spoken, not typed. Typing will serve only as an editing step, not a creative one.

It’s a shift the report says mirrors how humans naturally think: fast, iterative, conversational. It also opens the door for more spontaneous creativity. Voice input offers a clear productivity edge for working parents and multitaskers, enabling hands-free interactions on the go.

But not everyone is buying into the hype. Experts warn that this voice-first future might introduce new problems. Management professor Fabrice Cavarretta from ESSEC Business School said that while speaking may become the dominant input method, it won’t replace written communication. Voice messages lack skim-ability, keyword search, and clarity. They are harder to archive and slower to process.

Bertrand Audrin from EHL Hospitality Business School added that unless voice notes are transcribed, accountability suffers. Voice lacks permanence and can become a burden in workplaces that rely on traceable decisions and clean communication logs. Editing raw speech into coherent text isn’t seamless either. It demands cleanup, especially for non-native speakers or informal tone corrections.

So while the desk-bound keyboard might be on the decline, it won’t vanish without a fight. The future may be spoken, but it will still be written, transcribed by AI from what we say.

In related AI news, Meizu has launched the StarV Snap AI glasses featuring the Snapdragon AR1 chip, a 12MP camera, and a built-in AI assistant. Meanwhile, new reports suggest that AI search engines are increasingly favoring low-traffic websites over major sources.

For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.

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E-bikes are swiftly evolving, transitioning from mere transportation mediums to sophisticated pieces of equipment. The latest innovations in the segment of electric bikes is no longer exclusive to only startup enterprises; popular bike component company, SRAM, is also breaking ground in cutting-edge electric bicycle technology.

Using Voice Assistants with Electric Bikes opens up a whole new series of future innovation opportunities

The US-based company has recently filed patents, inciting speculations about revolutionary control mechanisms for bicycles. Common cycling actions, such as gear-shifting traditionally managed through trigger shifters or switches, could soon be supplanted by hand gestures or voice commands, akin to what’s already familiar with virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa.

The proposed design features a glove equipped with an array of sensors, transforming hand movements into e-bike commands. While shift-by-gesture technology might seem somewhat far-fetched, these special gloves could potentially control e-bike displays and toggle through various settings, enhancing ride customization and convenience.

Voice commands are another game-changer on the horizon, with applications planned for high-end e-bikes with multiple ride modes. One could potentially command their bike to switch modes or adjust suspension settings dynamically. Premium suspension specialist RockShox, a brand under SRAM’s umbrella, could benefit from this innovation. This aligns with SRAM’s recent acquisition of Amprio, which suggests an intent to broaden its footprint in the e-bike industry. All this is, of course, drawn from SRAM’s recent patents, so the information must be taken with a grain of salt.

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(Via)

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Samsung Bixby is a virtual assistant developed by Samsung Electronics. It is designed to provide users with a voice-controlled interface to interact with their Samsung devices and perform various tasks. Bixby is equipped with natural language processing capabilities, allowing it to understand and respond to user commands and queries. It can perform a range of functions, such as setting reminders, searching for information, controlling smart home devices, and even executing complex multi-step tasks. Bixby is integrated into various Samsung products, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and smart TVs, enabling seamless connectivity and a consistent user experience across devices. Samsung has recently introduced an update for Bixby with the aim of enhancing its functionality and intelligence.

The new update brings Child Accounts & Voice Wake-up features

The latest update, version 3.3.15.18, is relatively lightweight at just under 63MB. According to Samsung, users can now accomplish more with Bixby thanks to this update, as the voice assistant is now capable of recommending useful settings for a wider range of commands, making interactions more efficient than before.

In addition to improving responsiveness, Samsung has made specific adjustments to the child accounts feature, which was initially introduced earlier this year. With Bixby version 3.3.15.18, users with child accounts can request parental verification when accessing Bixby services, as well as require additional permissions for third-party sharing. Although the child accounts feature is currently available in the USA and South Korea, Samsung has assured users that it will gradually expand support to more countries in the future.

Moreover, the latest Bixby update introduces a convenient feature that allows users to activate voice wake-up even when the “Wake up when sound is playing” option is disabled. This means that users can now activate voice wake-up when a ringtone, alarm, or Bixby TTS (Text-To-Speech) is playing. To enable this feature, users can navigate to the Bixby Settings menu and turn on the “Wake up when media is playing” option.

For Samsung Galaxy device users who wish to access the new capabilities of the Assistant, the latest version can be downloaded from the Galaxy Store. Stay tuned for further updates and improvements as Samsung continues to refine Bixby’s functionality and expand its availability to more users around the world.

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Almost every major smartphone manufacturer has its own voice assistant. With advancements in technology, companies want to put a smart device in the user’s pocket and home, raising questions about privacy.

In line with that, a lawsuit was filed against Apple alleging that the company’s voice assistant, called Siri, has improperly recorded private conversations. In a ruling related to that case, the judge ruled that the company will have to face the lawsuit, reports Reuters.

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Earlier today (17th August 2021), Xiao AI, the official smart voice assistant from Xiaomi, announced that it had achieved a new milestone. Its active monthly user base had crossed over 100 million users.

The announcement was shared on Xiao AI’s official Weibo account, a Chinese microblogging website and arrived along with a promotional image poster. For those unaware, the Xiao AI system is an artificial intelligence based voice interaction engine that is owned by the Chinese tech giant and is also its virtual AI that is compatible with its various smart IoT products as well. On the social media post, the company also added that the voice assistant went through 4 years of development with over 5 major upgrades an 91.7 billion voice interactions as well.

Notably, the AI also acts as a link between the various smart products from Xiaomi. This system is also pre installed in various speakers from the company, which includes Mi TVs, its various smart IoT devices, along with its popular smartphones as well. As of right now, its most commonly found in categories related to fitness, smart home, smart wear, smart office, children’s entertainment based products, smart travel, smart learning, and others.

Back in November 2020, the company officially announced the Xiao AI 5.0 at the Xiaomi Developers Conference event in China. This version arrived with an upgraded voice assistant functionality to assist the users in day to day life, along with various AI optimizations for all scenarios as well.

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Siri, the voice-command-based virtual assistant from Apple that is available on almost all of Apple’s devices, faced the wrath of social media users in China this week after the platform was unable to read out China’s tally of gold-medal wins at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics.

Apple’s Siri says that the issue was because of a technical setting that only allowed Siri to read out the name of one country if two countries have the same amount of gold medals. The problem had been fixed and Siri was able to read out the correct tally for China.

Chinese social media users started uploading videos on Weibo showing the official Olympic gold medal tally of China. The video showed that Japan won 11 gold medals, followed by the US and China with 10 gold medals each, and Russia with seven gold medals, but Siri was unable to read out China’s number of wins.

People started speculating that the US-based tech giant may have deliberately snubbed China because of the ongoing tensions related to tech and trade. Apple has a strong presence in China but has suffered pushback because of the pressure piled by the United States on Chinese companies, especially Huawei Technologies, which is now barred from using US-origin technology. Currently, China is Apple’s third-largest market by revenue.

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Earlier this week, Apple just had a ruling in its favor that was regarding unpaid taxes worth 13.9 billion US Dollars in Ireland. However, it seems the company didn’t have time to celebrate as another possible investigation into its voice assistant may have it shell out a 26 billion US Dollars fine.

For those unaware, the European Union Competition Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, was behind the tax evasion lawsuit in Ireland. And now, the official is looking into information from 400 companies to see if there is any possible misconduct with voice assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa. If any foul play is found, the companies behind these voice assistants may face an antitrust charge.

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In the past, such inquiries have led to multi billion dollar fines being imposed against various industries related to energy, finances, and even pharmaceutics. In other words, the EU is trying to acquire information from 400 companies, to send a message to industry giants like Apple, Amazon, and Google. A message that is meant to keep them in check.

The companies that break the voice assistant rules regarding competition, a fine of 10 percent of its global revenue can be imposed. Meaning, Apple’s 260 billion US Dollar global revenue from last year could have it fined for 26 billion US Dollars. This move arrives due to the inherent amount of consumer data IoT products and recent smart products work with. Unfortunately, it is still too early in the investigation to say anything right now and we will keep you posted regarding any major updates in the matter.

UP NEXT: Huawei begins counterattack, files patent infringement against Verizon, HP and Cisco

(Via)

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Last month, Microsoft announced that it is all set to pull the plug on its Cortana mobile application for both Android and iOS devices in several countries next year. The company confirmed that from January 31, 2020, Microsoft will no longer support the digital assistant app in some of the regions.

At that time, it was revealed that the Cortana mobile app will no longer support UK, Canada, Australia, China, Germany, India, Mexico and Spain. Now, in a recent interview, Andrew Shuman, who is leading the Cortana team, confirmed that the Cortana mobile app (as well as its integration in Microsoft’s Android launcher) was going away in all countries except for the U.S.

Explaining why the app will still be functional in the United Sates, he said that it is used to configure Cortana and update the firmware on Surface Headphones, which debuted only in the United States.

This doesn’t make sense as the headphones are now on sale in other regions as well. After January 30, only Surface Headphones users in the U.S. will be able to keep using Cortana for Android and iOS. All other Surface Headphones owners will now have to use Cortana for Windows.

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However, he did gave two more reasons for killing the app. First, Cortana for Android and iOS didn’t receive much traction outside the U.S. He said that “the markets we turned off had much lower usage and engagement.” The second reason is that Cortana for Android and iOS is sticking around in the U.S. because Microsoft wants to keep experimenting.

With the application for smartphones going away in almost all regions, the company previously said that “to make Cortana as helpful as possible, we’re integrating Cortana deeper into your Microsoft 365 productivity apps, and part of this evolution involves ending support for the Cortana mobile app on Android and iOS.” This confirms that Microsoft is refocusing Cortana for the enterprise, and specifically for Windows and Office.

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Google has scheduled a launch event on 15th October where the company is all set to launch the Pixel 4 series flagship smartphones, a couple of Nest devices as well as Pixel Buds 2 wireless earphones.

Ahead of the launch of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, most of their specifications and features have already leaked online. Now, a new video has surfaced online which showcases the power of the new Google Assistant present on the Pixel 4 smartphone.

If the reports are to be believed, then the Pixel 4 series will come with a new Google Assistant which will have all the features of the “old” Google Assistant as well as some new additions. A promo video of the same has now leaked online, giving us idea about how powerful the updated Assistant will be.

The video shows people using voice commands to control aspects of their phones. In one video, the user is asking Assistant about the nearest metro station once the directions are provided by the app, the user then asks Google to send a text to their friend to let them know they are on the way.

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In another example, it is shown that a person arrives at a secluded area on a lake and asks Google Assistant to turn on Do Not Disturb mode, which it does. Do note that the current version of Assistant can also do these tasks.

However, in the video, we can see that the user interface of the so-called new Google Assistant has been updated. It now looks much simpler and has a colorful bar at the bottom that moves along with different functions.

There’s another example which showcases the new Assistant’s capabilities. In the video, the user gets a text from a friend asking when their flight lands. The user then asks Assistant “What time is my flight?” and it pulls up the information without even needing to switch apps.

Afterwards, the user says another command “Reply I get in at 5:45 PM”, without saying “OK Google” at the beginning. But since Assistant can understand the context of that query, it already knows what to do. Now, this is an advanced feature that’s currently not possible with Assistant which such efficiency.

There’s yet another video showcasing the feature where the user says “Show me my photos from last weekend.” Then, Google Assistant opens Google Photos and shows the user’s photos from the previous weekend. This is followed by the user saying “Show me the ones with a dog” and it only shows photos that feature a dog from that past weekend.

It remains to be seen if the new Google Assistant will be limited to the new Pixel 4 series flagship smartphones or the company rolls out the feature for other devices as well.

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Last year, Xiaomi launched its own voice-activated smart assistant named XiaoAI which is not just powering its smartphones but many other products, including smart speakers and smart home products.

Today, Xiaomi’s chairman Lei Jun announced through Weibo that Dr. Cui Baoqiu, vice president of artificial intelligence and cloud platform at Xiaomi has revealed that XiaoAI voice assistant has crossed the benchmark of over 100 million activations.

While there are many voice assistants in the Chinese market, XiaoAI is seeing the success mainly because of its deep integration with Xiaomi’s products. Also, other voice assistants such as Google Assitant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple‘s Siri are not up-to-the-mark in China because of the language barrier.

However, XiaoAI voice assistant from Xiaomi is remarkably similar to Google Assistant. It has the same colorful bars that appear when you are issuing voice commands. It can perform various operations such as open apps, take photos, translate menus, check weather information, among others.

Also, since it is also integrated with the smart home products from Xiaomi, it can also be used to turn on the lights, start a vacuum robot, and all sorts of other commands that Google Assistant (also Siri and Alexa) can also perform.

According to the data revealed by Xiaomi, the company’s smart speaker wakes up over 853,000 people every day with its alarm clock while the 800,000 housework per day with IoT devices. The company also says that the speaker plays 1354221 hours of music every day in Taiwan.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 latest MIUI 10.2.1 update brings a fix for rear camera flash problem among others

Xiaomi has been working on IoT devices since 2014 and has supported around 2,000 devices with a connection to smart devices exceeding 132 million. At the AIOT Conference in November last year, the company had revealed that XiaoAI had over 34 million monthly active users.

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Last month, along with launching the Honor Magic 2 smartphone, the China-based technology giant Huawei also unveiled its new AI-based smart voice assistant — YOYO.

Now, the company is expanding the lineup of devices running its YOYO voice assistant and is now all set to launch YOYO-powered smart speakers. Huawei has scheduled a launch event on 26th December in China where it will launch Honor YOYO Smart Speaker.

YOYO, the AI-based smart voice assistant can carry out a wide range of functions just through voice commands. It supports features such as AI Driving, Translation, Shopping, and knowledge recognition. This is the same smart assistant that is powering the Honor FlyPods Pro.

It also supports in-call live voice translation, a feature similar to Google Duplex. During the Magic 2 launch, Honor showed a video of the YOYO voice assistant making a hotel reservation for its owner. The company also touted that the smart voice assistant will also be able to control DJI drones through voice commands. In a live demonstration, Honor’s CEO used his voice to ask the drone to take off, take a picture of him, and also land.

While we know the capabilities of Honor’s YOYO smart voice assistant, it is not yet clear if the upcoming smart speaker from the company will support all the features. There’s also no information related to the Honor YOYO Smart Speaker apart from its launch date.

Read More: Honor phone with 6-inch HD+ display and a single rear camera appears on TENAA, could be the Honor Play 8

So, to know everything regarding this smart speaker from the China-based Huawei‘s sub-brand Honor, we’ll have for the official launch, which is just a week away. Stay tuned!

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At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, China-based Coolpad Group, a mobile manufacturer, has announced that select phones of the company will now receive the Amazon Alexa voice service in India.

The company has announced that the Coolpad Cool Play 6, Note 5, and Note 5 Lite will get Amazon Alexa through an over-the-air (OTA) update, while the future Coolpad devices will include this feature out-of-the-box.

With this Amazon Alexa integration, users of Coolpad’s devices will be able to perform certain tasks such as play their favorite music tracks or shop from Amazon.in using voice commands. They will also be able to access information about weather, calendar, and to-do lists, or listen to the latest news briefings directly using the Alexa app.

Notably, the similar Alexa integration is already available in the United States. However, Coolpad has become the first Amazon Exclusive smartphone brand in India to natively offer Alexa on its devices. Commenting on this development, Syed Tajuddin, CEO of Coolpad India, said in a statement:

We are working to immerse more AI and tech into smartphones to make the experience more intelligent, friendly, and beneficial for the customers. Incorporating Alexa in Coolpad smartphones is one such step in that direction.

Recently, Amazon Alexa app introduced voice command support to Android devices in several markets, including the US, UK, Germany, and Austria. While the introduction of this new feature brought voice commands, it didn’t include support for “Alexa” hotword functionality.

Read More: Coolpad Cool Play 6 Officially Launched in India For INR 14,999 (~$234)

The latest offering from Coolpad in India is the Cool Play 6 which was launched last year. It comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display and a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 653 processor with 6GB RAM and 64GB of storage space. It packs a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front-facing snapper. The phone comes with Coolpad’s Journey UI based on Android Nougat operating system out-of-the-box and is powered by a 4,060mAh non-removable battery.

For More MWC 2018 Coverage, Click Here!

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After making a comeback with Nokia 6 Android smartphone, the company is now rumored to be working on a virtual voice assistant like Siri , Google Assistant, ad Cortana. It is expected to be called Viki.

Rumors are rife that Nokia has registered a trademark for a personal voice assistant called Viki in the EU. In the application, the product is described as ‘software for the creation and monitoring of mobile and web assistants working with digital knowledge and combining all data sources into a single chat and voice-based interface.”

Related: Nokia 6 is Official: 4GB RAM, Snapdragon 430, and ¥1699 (~$245) Price

Even though Nokia seems to be working on a similar voice assistant for its devices, other speculations suggest that Viki may not be a voice assistant and may be associated with some other project from the company. Adding voice assistants on smartphones seems to be a growing trend with smartphone companies.

Recently, Huawei had announced that it will be including Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant in the next flagship that it will release in the U.S. Apple has Siri on its devices since 2011.

Alexa voice assistant is available on Amazon since 2014. The Google Assistant was introduced with Google Pixel smartphones. Devices running on Windows 10 Mobile have Cortana and Samsung is rumored to bring Bixby voice assistant on Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone that is expected to launch by April this year.

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