Tech

Later this year you'll be able to say "Alexa, call Mom on Skype" and have Amazon's digital assistant do the right thing with Microsoft's messaging network. Microsoft and Amazon have been working to integrate their technology. Earlier in the year, Cortana and Alexa gained the ability to talk to each other (albeit with some limitations), and the Skype integration is another sign of cooperation between the two companies. Any Alexa-enabled device will support voice calls, and hardware with screens and cameras, such as the Echo Show, will also support video calling. The Skype support includes SkypeOut support calls to phone numbers, and you'll be able to receive incoming calls on Alexa hardware, too. In times gone by, Skype was integrated into all sorts of platforms, particularly "smart" TVs. As it modernized and upgraded the Skype platform, Microsoft killed off most of these integrations: many of those devices couldn't use the new Skype network, and most offered no convenient path for … [Read more...] about Skype support coming to Alexa later this year

In addition to all the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL leaks we’ve seen so far, we’ve also been hearing rumors of a Pixel Stand. More evidence of the stand, which is supposed to be a wireless charger that docks your phone in portrait mode, was found by 9to5Google today hidden within a beta version of the Google app. There’s not a lot of details yet, but based on the animations found in the app, it’s possible that the dock might let users display their photos in a slideshow format, like a digital photo frame. There were also strings of code that hinted at the use of Google Assistant functionalities in the Pixel Stand. While docked on the stand, it’s possible you’ll be able to use Google Assistant without having to unlock your phone. That lines up with the animation below showing notifications for alarms, calendar events, messages, and music. We’ll know more about Google’s flagship phones and accessories on October 9th at its Pixel event, … [Read more...] about Animation reveals possible Google Pixel wireless charging stand

When we went hands-on with the iPhone XS and XS Max, we were mainly struck by how similar they felt to the iPhone X—particularly the iPhone XS. But it turns out that inside, it's the iPhone XS that diverges with an unusual new battery design. iFixit tore down both phones and provided analysis and gorgeous pictures as always. Be sure to check out their full teardown, but a few highlights stand out. in the iPhone X. Small changes include an added antenna band on the bottom of each device near the Lightning port (which iFixit speculates has to do with Gigabit LTE), a 32 percent larger wide angle sensor and increased pixel size for the rear camera in both phones, and a larger taptic engine and extended logic board in the iPhone XS Max. As noted, the really interesting change is in the iPhone XS' battery. Like the iPhone X, both new phones have an L-shaped recess to accommodate their batteries. But whereas the iPhone X had (and the iPhone XS Max still has) a double-battery … [Read more...] about iFixit’s iPhone XS and XS Max teardown: A look inside iPhone X 2.0

Samsung’s latest Note 9 update lets you active Bixby with a double tap of its dedicated button, reports Android Authority. Previously, you could only activate the divisive voice assistant with a single tap, which could lead to it being accidentally activated, especially when Samsung offers no option to disable it entirely. Since its arrival, the Bixby button has become a controversial inclusion on Samsung’s handsets, mainly because it pales in comparison to Google Assistant, Alexa, and, yes, even Siri. Although you could initially remap the button on the S8 to open the camera or another app of your choice, Samsung has since done its best to block the process; on the Note 9, you can’t disable the assistant at all. In an ideal world, you’d be able to deactivate the Bixby button entirely (or simply remap it to something a lot more useful), but for now, a double tap seems like the next best thing. With any luck, the functionality will turn the button into a … [Read more...] about Samsung gives Note 9 users an option to reduce accidental Bixby activations

Amazon announced a plethora of new products today, including about four hundred devices which will have Alexa in them. Highlights include the Echo Auto, the Alexa Guard, and an AmazonBasics Microwave that includes an Alexa Connect Kit. All fine and dandy, I’m sure — but the product that most intrigues me is probably also the most innocuous: An Alexa-integrated Echo Wall Clock. Most of the stuff Amazon revealed at the show was already leaked or revealed through rumors. We already had an inkling about the Alexa-enabled microwave, as rumors about it surfaced earlier this week, and images of various Echo devices leaked yesterday. But the clock? Not something I’d heard of or even knew I wanted until I saw it. Hard Fork? Hard Fork. HARD FORK When you see the Echo Clock, it looks like an old-school analog clock, of the sort most of us keep around out of a sense of aesthetics and nostalgia rather than actual utility (don’t lie, you know you’ll look at your … [Read more...] about Amazon’s Echo Wall Clock is my favorite new Alexa device