Google Home Mini has vaulted to the top spot in the global market for connected speakers, edging out a rival device from Amazon, a survey showed Wednesday. The Strategy Analytics report for the second quarter of 2018 showed the smallest device from Google captured 20 percent of the market with sales of 2.3 million. That […]
Digital Assistants Hone Skills to Deliver the News
“What’s the news?” has become a familiar refrain for consumers with smart speakers, opening up a new channel for publishers but also raising concerns about the growing influence of tech platforms in media. Devices such as Amazon’s Alexa-powered speakers, Google Home and Apple HomePod are increasingly delivering news flashes and summaries, and giving users the option to […]
Renault-Nissan Alliance Takes Google Android for a Drive
Renault’s alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi said Tuesday it would start equipping its cars with the Android operating system to make dashboards smart. Under a deal with web giant Google, the Renault-led group—the world’s largest auto alliance by sales volume—will begin incorporating the most widespread operating system into its vehicle dashboards starting from 2021. “The main objective […]
Germany Rolls Out World’s First Hydrogen Train
Germany on Monday rolled out the world’s first hydrogen-powered train, signalling the start of a push to challenge the might of polluting diesel trains with costlier but more eco-friendly technology. Two bright blue Coradia iLint trains, built by French TGV-maker Alstom, began running a 100-kilometre (62-mile) route between the towns and cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, […]
Updated Apple System Takes on Smartphone Addiction
Apple’s polished iPhone line-up comes with tools to help users dial back their smartphone obsessions, amid growing concerns over “addiction” and harmful effects on children. An iOS 12 mobile operating system that will power new iPhones unveiled on Wednesday, and be pushed out as an update to prior models, has new features to reduce how much they […]
France to Run Driverless Mainline Trains within Five Years
French railway operator SNCF said Wednesday it was planning to introduce prototypes of driverless mainline trains for passengers and freight by 2023, and include them in scheduled services in subsequent years. “With autonomous trains, all the trains will run in a harmonized way and at the same speed,” SNCF chairman Guillaume Pepy said in a […]
Berlin Fair a Dreamland for Wannabe Sandmen of ‘Sleep Tech’
As people in developed nations increasingly obsess over the quality of their 40 winks, technology companies are cashing in with so-called “sleep tech”—gadgets to stop wearers snoring or collect data on their sleep cycles. At Berlin’s IFA—Europe’s largest annual electronics trade fair—a major trend towards sleep advice is readily visible among the stands. Most wearable […]
Startup Delivers Groceries in Self-Driving Cars
Startup AutoX on Monday announced the Silicon Valley debut of a service that will turn self-driving cars into mobile grocery shops summoned with a touch of a smartphone application. The service will kick off this month in parts of the California city of San Jose in a partnership with e-commerce company GrubMarket.com which sources food from producers […]
Robot Teachers Invade Chinese Kindergartens
The Chinese kindergarten children giggled as they worked to solve puzzles assigned by their new teaching assistant: a roundish, short educator with a screen for a face. Just under 60 centimetres (two feet) high, the autonomous robot named Keeko has been a hit in several kindergartens, telling stories and challenging children with logic problems. Round […]
Sony To Release AI-Infused Robotic Pups In The US
Sony on Thursday announced that its Aibo robotic dogs infused with artificial intelligence will be unleashed on the US market by the year-end holiday season, with a price tag of $2,899. The sixth-generation mechanical pup combines robotics with image sensors and artificial intelligence, enabling it to learn behaviors and recognize faces, according to the Japanese consumer […]