Alexa’s Show and Tell feature IDs objects for blind and low-vision users
/The feature is available in the US on Echo Show devices.
Read MoreNew voices at patients’ bedsides: Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Apple
/At first it was a novelty: Hospitals began using voice assistants to allow patients to order lunch, check medication regimens, and get on-demand medical advice at home.
Is Amazon Going to Announce a HIPAA-compliant Echo Device Soon?
/There is a rumor out there that Amazon is about to launch a HIPAA-compliant Echo device, which is expected to drive greater adoption of voice in healthcare. But what does it mean for a smart speaker to become HIPAA compliant and what can voice do today?
Read MoreAlexa is a terrible doctor
/We become accustomed to technology so quickly, it’s easy to forget that Amazon’s Alexa was a pioneer just six years ago.
Read MoreAmazon's New Fire TV Device Is a Voice-controlled Cube
/Amazon is launching what it thinks is the next obvious thing in home entertainment. The just-announced 4K Fire TV Cube is part Fire TV, part Amazon Echo, and part TV control center for the other boxes and gadgets you have crowded around your TV. Whereas earlier Fire TV devices required you to summon Alexa through the remote, the Fire TV Cube has Alexa built in. In fact, Amazon says the whole user experience of the Cube was designed with a "voice first" philosophy.
Read MoreDoes Amazon Alexa or Google Home listen to my conversations?
/The rise of the smart home assistant has certain consumers spooked that the internet giants are monitoring their conversations, but the truth is far more boring
Read MoreNew technologies help seniors age in place – and not feel alone
/Voice-assistive systems, like Amazon Echo, are likely to play a bigger role in helping seniors age in place, especially when paired with apps geared specifically for senior living.
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How does an Amazon Echo vulnerability enable attackers to eavesdrop?
/Research from MWR InfoSecurity Ltd. shows that threat actors can install malware on an Amazon Echo and turn it into a listening device. How effective is this attack, and is there any way to determine if an Amazon Echo has been compromised?
Read MoreLiveWell RERC Releases Amazon Echo Skill That Reads TechWatch and LiveWell News Blogs
/LiveWell RERC development staff recently released an Amazon Echo Skill that will read aloud the latest posts from our two blogs, TechWatch and LiveWell News. The new skill can be installed on the Amazon Alexa app and then utilized on any Amazon Echo product. The skill taps into the RSS feeds from our blogs and is called the LiveWell News Skill. Once enabled, saying the command “Alexa, what’s the news”, or “Alexa, what’s my flash briefing,” will allow your Echo to read aloud the latest LiveWell RERC news feeds. A user will only get information if it has been updated within the past week. The LiveWell RERC developer of the new skill from Duke University, Leighanne Davis, says “The new skill will make the news feeds more accessible and convenient to a variety of users by providing speech output.”
Read MoreAmazon’s Alexa aims to be a bank teller, insurance agent, too
/Alexa has started talking finance — and banks, insurance companies, and investment firms are all listening.
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