

He walks his viewers through its features and shares his own insights too. Meanwhile, Matt talks about some lesser-known apps on ‘App Reviews’. Nosrac on his channel ‘N05RAC’ talks about new developments in the world of social media and video games, and about technology in politics. MMAmazing also covers a great variety of topics on ‘All is here’, and does so while wearing a VR headset! Any attempt at a costume is always appreciated on Rizzle! His vibrant B-Rolls only make his content even better. In his channel ‘What is up?’, Sam Santos talks about topics ranging from tech being used to combat COVID-19 to the newest developments in AI, raising and answering the important questions on these topics. Rizzle’s 360Cyber saw several tech-savvy creators talk about their favorite advancements in technology, and explore some dilemmas that go hand-in-hand with such advancements. Several decades in, it still scales new heights and continues to astound mankind. It’s also a clear sign that the market for voice-controlled smart-home functionality is real and growing fast.Technology is a gift that keeps on giving. That’s a nearly 130% increase over last year. This year, more than 35 million Americans will have used a voice-activated system at least once a month, according to research firm eMarketer. It can artfully instruct the microphones to disregard “Born This Way” and instead keep an ear out for your next command. AEC uses the speaker’s signal as a reference. So the latest batch of smart-home controllers now also include something called Auto-Echo Cancellation. To ensure that your device is always ready, willing and able, the system uses “beamforming” - a kind of concentrated and directed WiFi - to first identify your location, then channel the mic input accordingly.īut beamforming and keyword spotting are pointless if your device can’t hear you in the first place. Intel knows that, even if Lady Gaga is playing at top volume, you might want to interrupt the music to order some Kung Pao chicken, dim the lights, change the song, or unlock the door. Here’s where Intel’s latest technology comes in. However, at some point in the evening, you might want something other than loud music. Let’s say you’re using Apple’s HomePod, which focuses on providing a great audio experience. To improve the way smart-home devices listen, process and respond to voice commands, Intel engineers are using the latest in AI, machine learning and natural language processing.įor an example of how this works, consider the humble dance party. Intel’s smart-home team is at the forefront of designing what’s being called Far-Field Voice Algorithms. This array of mics, in turn, gets connected to a sophisticated Digital Signal Processing (DSP) system.
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To overcome this issue, most designers now place a series of microphones in a circular array. By contrast, mics are designed to pick up sound signatures in a far tighter radius.

We humans hear in 360 degrees, and we’re used to being heard even when the listener’s back is turned. However, microphone technology makes that especially challenging. Since a voice command can come at any time, the device needs to keep itself on a constant vigil, listening for the wake word(s) directly preceding its next command. Inside these new smart-home digital assistants is a tightly woven fabric of complex technologies.įor the user, it all starts with a keyword or phrase, such as “Alexa” or “Hey, Siri.” Developers call this Keyword Spotting (KWS). The goal: a frictionless experience in which users can issue myriad commands that are seamlessly understood, parsed and carried out quickly and efficiently.įrom left: Google Home, Apple HomePod, Amazon Alexaīut from a designer’s perspective, creating these easy and intuitive user experiences is a real challenge. Smart-home systems including Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple’s upcoming HomePod are locked in an intense battle for a new kind of user space.Ī big part of these devices’ appeal is the way they let users issue commands while speaking naturally. Voice-command technology is advancing quickly.
