Latest news with #Panay
Engadget
5 days ago
- Business
- Engadget
The Zune's creator is leading a secretive team at Amazon
J Allard, a former Microsoft executive and the mind behind the Zune, is leading a new team at Amazon, CNBC reports. Allard is officially the vice president of Amazon's ZeroOne, which, based on at least one Amazon job listing, is "a special projects team dedicated to inventing breakthrough consumer product categories." What ZeroOne is actually working on remains a bit mysterious, but CNBC was able to find another listing for a "Senior Applied Scientist" role that suggests the team will be "conceiving, designing, and bringing to market computer vision techniques for a new smart-home product." Computer vision is the umbrella term for technologies that allow computer systems to "understand" images and video — for example, the ability for a Ring Video Doorbell to identify when a package is on your door step. Depending on your taste in MP3 players, Allard's role in the creation of the Microsoft Zune could justifiably give you pause. Microsoft's failed MP3 player looked distinct, but was no match for the popularity of the iPod. The Zune was one of several interesting, if unsuccessful projects Allard led at Microsoft, including the Microsoft Kin, and the Courier, a book-style tablet that was later reimagined as the Surface Neo. Allard also co-created the original Xbox, arguably his biggest claim to fame at the company. ZeroOne will exist inside Amazon's larger devices and services division, which is led by Panos Panay, another Microsoft expat. Panay joined Amazon to lead the division in 2023, after several years overseeing the development of Surface hardware and Windows 11 at Microsoft. Since Panay joined the company, Amazon has launched a new lineup of Kindles and introduced Alexa+, its integration of generative AI into the well-known voice assistant. Hiring both Allard and Panay suggests Amazon plans to lean even harder into product development going forward.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alexa+ Takes a Page From Apple Intelligence With Staggered AI Rollout
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. Alexa+ is expected to debut on Monday with a few new features, but it may be months before we see what Amazon's new voice assistant can really do. As The Washington Post reports, next week's launch will be limited to summoning an Uber or asking what you should cook for dinner. You can also upload documents for Alexa+ to summarize, but you can't delete what you feed into Alexa+ for now, the Post says. The document uploads—from instruction manuals to kids' soccer practice schedules—aim to give Alexa more information about users' lives so it can act as a comprehensive assistant. At launch, the updated voice assistant will work on newer Echo devices (no first-gen versions or Echo Show 2nd Gen). The Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21 are the first in line, but Alexa+ Early Access will also roll out to the Echo Show 8 and 10, according to the fine print. Early access also includes a mobile app experience, where users can "chat with the new Alexa on mobile, get personalized recommendations, and manage your home on-the-go," Amazon says. Eventually, you'll be able to summon Alexa+ on the web and via Fire TVs and tablets. When Early Access ends, Alexa+ will become part of Prime or $19.99/month on its own. "Features will be released on a rolling basis as Alexa continues to get smarter and more capable every day," Amazon says. "Alexa may not get everything right, and we value feedback from everyone who participates. Just say, 'Alexa, I have feedback.'" This revamped Alexa promises a more humanlike conversational flow—no more rigid "Alexa voice," as Amazon's head of devices, Panos Panay, said at last month's reveal. Whether it works as expected remains to be seen. Other features in the works include the ability to order takeout on Grubhub after talking through dinner options with Alexa+ and identifying family members on the device's camera, the Post says. At the launch event, Panay showcased camera recognition by asking Alexa+ to access his home's Ring camera to confirm if his daughter had walked their dog that day. This gradual rollout of AI features mirrors what Apple is doing with its AI platform, Apple Intelligence. However, this strategy has left customers confused about what features are available and on which devices. A group of iPhone 16 buyers are suing Apple for false advertising since Apple Intelligence features did not launch until a month after Apple's flagship devices hit stores. And even then, it only included a handful of marginally helpful AI tools and a barebones Siri update. As Amazon preps for a larger Alexa+ rollout, meanwhile, it turned off the ability for users to store their Echo device recordings locally. Now, all that data will go to Amazon's servers to feed "generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon's secure cloud."
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SALTZMAN: Alexa gets ‘her' biggest upgrade in a decade
Alexa is about to get much smarter. Amazon's popular personal assistant has already powered more than 600 million devices worldwide over the past 10 years, says the company – including its many Echo-branded smart speakers and Echo Show smart displays – but this cheeky chatbot is getting infused with a much bigger brain, more personality, and a memory that recalls your previous preferences. Called Alexa+, tech journalists like yours truly recently attended 'her' coming-out party, which includes several demos to showcase her improvement – mostly tied to recent advancements in generative AI ('genAI') and large language models ('LLMs'). 'Every once in a while a technology comes around and changes literally everything,' Amazon's Senior Vice President of Devices and Services Panos Panay said Wednesday at the company's devices launch. 'The creation of GenAI has shaken up everything.' 'Alexa+ now understands you, is more conversational and contextual, connects you to your favourite services and actually takes action,' Panay continued, while onstage at the NYC event. 'She knows the devices you have, the apps you use, and brings it all together to help you get stuff done. It's magical.' SALTZMAN: Wildly wearable gadgets SALTZMAN: Gear up for your next ride SALTZMAN: Cool things you didn't know your Smart TV can do Alexa+ will work with most existing Echo, Echo Show and Fire TV devices, but a new phone app and revamped web experience ( will compliment the hardware support. First rolling out to some U.S. users in late March, followed by Canada and other markets at some point, the following are some examples of Alexa's new capabilities. According to Amazon, you only need to say the wake word 'Alexa' once and then you can converse with your assistant as you would with a fellow human. Some live demos from the event: It remembers your tastes and distastes, allergies and more Tell Alexa your food preferences, such as 'I like Indian and Greek food' and perhaps 'I'm also a pescatarian' and it can suggest relevant meatless recipes for you, takeout/food delivery options, or restaurant recommendations. You can say something like, 'We also have a picky five-year-old coming to our dinner party, so what would you recommend?' (The answer may be chicken bites or pasta, along with recipes.) If you tell Alexa you're craving pizza and ask where should you order a pie from, it will search for nearby pizzerias and tell you the highest rated ones. She may add what the establishment is famous for (e.g. 'best-known for its wood-fired 12-inch Neopolitan-style pizza'), and Alexa may ask you want it delivered now or later. Build smarter shopping lists Speaking of food, when creating a shopping list for groceries, in one demo the Amazon person reviewed the spoken items on a screen and said, 'Actually, I'd prefer two half gallons of milk instead of a one-gallon jug as I find it lasts longer,' and Alexa will remember details like that going forward. Unlike the previous Alexa, the new Alexa+ is more forgiving if you stutter or say 'um' or 'uh' a lot, if you talk over 'her,' change what you're asking on the fly, and so on. Have Alexa+ perform actions for you Alexa can access your info, like a calendar and contacts, to perform tasks. For instance, Alexa+ may proactively alert you to a calendar conflict, such as your child's dance recital at the same time as picking up your visiting father-in-law from the airport. Alexa+ may ask you if you'd like to send an Uber to the airport instead (and at what time) to bring him to your home, and send a text to him with the rideshare details. Or if you upload, say, a party invitation to your assistant will analyze the details of the invite and automatically put the party in your calendar. Documents can be analyzed and summarized Another example of document uploading: Alexa+ will remember what you've archived and refer to it. An example given by Amazon is if you move into a new home and upload a PDF of the HOA (Homeowner Association) rules for the community to in the future you can ask Alexa+ if solar panels are allowed on your home, and you may hear a response like, 'Yes, you're allowed, so long as they cannot be seen from the road.' Scrub through videos In another AI-based demonstration, an Amazon Echo Show smart display recognized who walked up to it (without you even needing to say 'Alexa' first), and the Amazon employee asked, 'Did anyone walk Buddy today?' This particular Alexa+ knows the family dog is named Buddy and then scrubbed through Ring doorbell videos of any comings and goings of your beloved Bernedoodle, and shows you relevant video clips. Similarly, you can ask if there were any deliveries today and it will only look for couriers. This is part of Amazon's recently launched 'Smart Video Search' functionality, currently in beta. Magic for music lovers At the New York event, Alexa+ was asked, 'What was the name of that song from Bradley Cooper, it's a duet, from that movie?' And Alexa+ immediately answered and played Shallow, with Lady Gaga, from the film A Star Is Born. The Amazon presenter then said, 'Show me this part of the movie,' and a nearby Fire TV-branded television loaded A Star Is Born at the exact moment Cooper and Gaga began to sing together. Unlocking kids imagination Kids can ask Alexa+ to make up a story before bedtime. Children may also be prompted for more details like 'make it about a peacock who plays electric guitar and wants to go on an adventure.' Without missing a beat, Alexa+ will generate and narrate a made-up story – that could be recalled at a later time if it was good enough – and even add generated images to compliment the narration on a device with a display (like an Echo Show 15). A FEW MORE DEETS Along with Alexa's friendlier and more upbeat tone, if you're talking with a smart display (opposed to a smart speaker), a flowing blue animation appears on the bottom of the device screen when Alexa responds, showcasing her more expressive user-interface. Amazon also showed a series of new 'widgets' on the Echo Show home screen, including ones that display animated weather info, suggested recipes, recent apps you've used, an ongoing shopping list, and connected smart home devices. Alexa+ is optional. While price isn't confirmed for Canada yet, it will cost U.S. users $19.99 a month – but it will be free if you're an Amazon Prime member.
CNN
28-02-2025
- Business
- CNN
Amazon has a ‘slew of AI devices' coming, hardware chief says
Amazon debuted a more sophisticated version of Alexa on Wednesday that's more conversational and can handle tasks on your behalf. But in a surprising departure from its usual playbook, the company didn't announce new Echo devices to go with its revamped digital helper. But that might not be the case for long. While Panos Panay, head of Amazon's devices and services business, wouldn't say whether the company was considering a new version of its Alexa-enabled smart glasses with cameras to compete with Meta's Ray-Bans, he did suggest that new products are in the works. 'But I think you can imagine, there's going to be a whole slew of AI devices that are coming,' he told CNN in an interview. His remarks come as tech giants are racing to incorporate AI agents and chatbots into new devices. Apple's artificial intelligence suite, Apple Intelligence, was the headlining feature of Apple's iPhone 16 lineup, including the cheaper iPhone 16e that was just announced last week. Microsoft has also made its Copilot virtual helper the centerpiece of its ubiquitous Windows PC operating system. Panay declined to offer more details on the nature of the 'slew of AI devices.' But he suggested new products would be part of a larger overall vision. 'You can imagine… a constellation of devices that has to come together to make it a better experience,' Panay added. Amazon already has a 'constellation' of devices, from its Ring security cameras to its Eero Wi-Fi routers and, of course, its Echo smart speakers. And it's starting to incorporate Alexa+ into some of those gadgets; Alexa+ will be able to answer questions about what happened in your home while you were gone based on Ring camera footage, for example. The company has also dabbled in smart rings and fitness trackers in addition to its Alexa-powered glasses. But smart glasses, or glasses that have embedded virtual assistants and can play music and deliver phone notifications, are becoming more relevant thanks to improved AI models that can process both visual and speech input. Meta's Ray Ban glasses, which can translate language and answer questions about what a user is looking at, have seemingly caught on with people so far, at least somewhat. While the numbers pale in comparison to the numbers of consumer electronics, like iPhones, Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica reported this month that two million pairs have been sold since their 2023 debut. Samsung and Google also announced last year that they're building a new version of Android specifically for smart glasses in the future, hinting that a wave of new spectacles are likely to come. But Amazon's glasses, called the Echo Frames, lack cameras and arguably came too soon – long before the arrival of Alexa+ and other AI assistants that can process sight and sound simultaneously. But for now, Amazon is keeping its focus on Alexa. 'We have an amazing lineup coming,' Panay said of future hardware devices. 'But we also have an amazing lineup in market, and Alexa (is) so new.'
CNN
27-02-2025
- Business
- CNN
Amazon has a ‘slew of AI devices' coming, hardware chief says
Amazon debuted a more sophisticated version of Alexa on Wednesday that's more conversational and can handle tasks on your behalf. But in a surprising departure from its usual playbook, the company didn't announce new Echo devices to go with its revamped digital helper. But that might not be the case for long. While Panos Panay, head of Amazon's devices and services business, wouldn't say whether the company was considering a new version of its Alexa-enabled smart glasses with cameras to compete with Meta's Ray-Bans, he did suggest that new products are in the works. 'But I think you can imagine, there's going to be a whole slew of AI devices that are coming,' he told CNN in an interview. His remarks come as tech giants are racing to incorporate AI agents and chatbots into new devices. Apple's artificial intelligence suite, Apple Intelligence, was the headlining feature of Apple's iPhone 16 lineup, including the cheaper iPhone 16e that was just announced last week. Microsoft has also made its Copilot virtual helper the centerpiece of its ubiquitous Windows PC operating system. Panay declined to offer more details on the nature of the 'slew of AI devices.' But he suggested new products would be part of a larger overall vision. 'You can imagine… a constellation of devices that has to come together to make it a better experience,' Panay added. Amazon already has a 'constellation' of devices, from its Ring security cameras to its Eero Wi-Fi routers and, of course, its Echo smart speakers. And it's starting to incorporate Alexa+ into some of those gadgets; Alexa+ will be able to answer questions about what happened in your home while you were gone based on Ring camera footage, for example. The company has also dabbled in smart rings and fitness trackers in addition to its Alexa-powered glasses. But smart glasses, or glasses that have embedded virtual assistants and can play music and deliver phone notifications, are becoming more relevant thanks to improved AI models that can process both visual and speech input. Meta's Ray Ban glasses, which can translate language and answer questions about what a user is looking at, have seemingly caught on with people so far, at least somewhat. While the numbers pale in comparison to the numbers of consumer electronics, like iPhones, Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica reported this month that two million pairs have been sold since their 2023 debut. Samsung and Google also announced last year that they're building a new version of Android specifically for smart glasses in the future, hinting that a wave of new spectacles are likely to come. But Amazon's glasses, called the Echo Frames, lack cameras and arguably came too soon – long before the arrival of Alexa+ and other AI assistants that can process sight and sound simultaneously. But for now, Amazon is keeping its focus on Alexa. 'We have an amazing lineup coming,' Panay said of future hardware devices. 'But we also have an amazing lineup in market, and Alexa (is) so new.'
