Amazon takes the smart speaker sales crown in Q3: Amazon Prime Day must have really helped to move Echo devices because, in the third quarter of this year, Canalys estimated Amazon shipped 10.4 million of them. That’s up from the 6.3 million Echo … [Read more...]
Hey Anki, here’s how to shut down with users in mind
And another one bites the dust. Recode reported earlier this week that Anki, maker of the Vector robot I purchased in October, is shutting down. To be honest I'm a bit shocked, especially after learning that Anki had raised $200 million in total … [Read more...]
Behind that automated car or robot, there’s often a person
When we think of automation, we tend to think of machines taking steps without human intervention. For example, I've programmed my porch lights to come on whenever my garage door opens after dark. This happens no matter what, even if there is a rare … [Read more...]
Why I’m getting ready for a mobile robot with a built-in digital assistant
Please forgive me if you’ve already seen the “Iron Man” movies already. If you haven’t, you’re missing out on not just a good superhero flick but also a possible glimpse of the future for digital assistants. In the Marvel movie series, Jarvis — … [Read more...]
Anki Vector: Edge-based smarts in a cute companion robot for $250
There’s a new Kickstarter project today and it’s right up my alley. If you’re into home robots, deep learning, neural networks, knowledge graphs or a digital assistant with personality, then it’s likely right up your alley, too. Today, Anki … [Read more...]