Google at work on Amazon Echo-like voice device codenamed 'Chirp'
A special Google team is reportedly developing a device that would integrate its search and voice assistant technology, much like the Amazon Echo.
An OnHub router made by TP-LINK.
Physically the product should resemble the company's OnHub Wi-Fi routers, sources told Re/code. The project is said to be codenamed "Chirp," although it's not known if a shipping name has been assigned.
The device isn't expected to launch during next week's Google I/O developer conference, but should arrive later this year. No other details have been leaked.
On a business level, the product is speculated to be a way for Google to further extend search, and by extension how it gathers demographic data for its core advertising business. Amazon is also estimated to have sold some 3 million Echos, which could make Google's entry more directly profitable.
The Echo line revolves around Amazon's "Alexa" voice assistant, which handles tasks like search, music playback, product/service orders, and smarthome functions. Google's device would presumably handle similar tasks, with the benefit of the company's more established voice and search technology. Alexa is a relatively new creation, and uses Microsoft's less popular Bing service for search.
Apple, of course, offers its own Siri voice-based personal assistant. And while newer devices offer handsfree "Hey Siri" support without the need for external power, Apple does not offer a standalone, always-listening piece of hardware to compete with the likes of Amazon's Echo.
An OnHub router made by TP-LINK.
Physically the product should resemble the company's OnHub Wi-Fi routers, sources told Re/code. The project is said to be codenamed "Chirp," although it's not known if a shipping name has been assigned.
The device isn't expected to launch during next week's Google I/O developer conference, but should arrive later this year. No other details have been leaked.
On a business level, the product is speculated to be a way for Google to further extend search, and by extension how it gathers demographic data for its core advertising business. Amazon is also estimated to have sold some 3 million Echos, which could make Google's entry more directly profitable.
The Echo line revolves around Amazon's "Alexa" voice assistant, which handles tasks like search, music playback, product/service orders, and smarthome functions. Google's device would presumably handle similar tasks, with the benefit of the company's more established voice and search technology. Alexa is a relatively new creation, and uses Microsoft's less popular Bing service for search.
Apple, of course, offers its own Siri voice-based personal assistant. And while newer devices offer handsfree "Hey Siri" support without the need for external power, Apple does not offer a standalone, always-listening piece of hardware to compete with the likes of Amazon's Echo.
Comments
Yeah ...
We really want Google (or Amazon, for that matter) listening to everything going on around us ... /s
http://www.cnet.com/news/samsungs-warning-our-smart-tvs-record-your-living-room-chatter/
Launch Google app and set your phone next to the TV. Switch the channel to a Spanish language station and leave it on all night. Then see if you start getting ads in Spanish the next day. I haven't tried this yet but someone suggested it to me.
I trust Apple a lot, trust Amazon a little less, do not trust Google at all, they do no have a very good track record or respecting people privacy so why would anyone allow Google to listen in on your house. People have to realize the only way the device works it is listening all the time, It looking for certain words, but to find those word it has to process all the words being said.
I was reminded in a meeting yesterday why I do not trust google. A co-work was at home on their personal computer doing some research on a topic which they did not wish to share with people at work, but Google did not care when it through up ads specific to that topic while the person had their work computer connect to a projector and they open a website to share with the group and it had all sorts of ads about the topic. Needless to say the person was a bit embarrassed. Yeah that is respecting people privacy.