Apple has increased its spending on artificial intelligence, particularly in the areas of conversational AI, voice-controlled automation, and multimodal AI for videos, images, and text.
Apple plans to make Siri smarter by using language models in iOS 18, allowing users to automate complex tasks with voice-based commands similar to the Shortcuts app, potentially beating Google Assistant to the punch.
The Apple Watch Series 9 introduces a new feature called Double Tap, allowing users to perform tasks by tapping their finger and thumb together without touching the display, while also bringing faster performance and on-device Siri processing.
Despite Apple's lack of direct discussion, AI was integrated into various functionalities announced during the recent Wonderlust event, where the iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 were launched, showcasing AI capabilities such as improved camera features, faster Siri performance, and enhanced predictive text.
Amazon's annual Devices and Services event, scheduled for September 20, is expected to feature updates to its Echo speakers, Echo Show, Echo Buds with Active Noise Cancellation, Eero Wi-Fi routers, and possibly some wacky new products.
Main topic: Review of the Apple Watch Series 9
Key points:
1. Introduction of new methods of interaction: Double Tap and Raise to Speak (to Siri)
2. On-device Siri processing for convenient voice control
3. Enhanced fitness tracking capabilities and carbon neutral product
(Note: Battery life, new UWB chip, and screen brightness are also mentioned in the content, but they are not included as key points since they are not as significant as the ones listed above.)
Amazon announced that it will use a new generative AI model to enhance the performance of its Echo devices, providing improved conversational experiences and personalization.
Amazon has unveiled a new Alexa voice assistant, powered by its Alexa large language model, that can understand conversational phrases, interpret context more effectively, and complete multiple requests from one command, marking a significant advancement in voice assistant technology.
Alexa engages in a conversation with a user, answering questions about football teams and providing personalized responses while calling multiple APIs in real time.
Amazon has announced new accessibility features for its devices, including Eye Gaze on Alexa for gaze-based navigation and a Call Translation feature for transcribing and displaying captions during Alexa calls.
At its annual hardware event, Amazon announced Explore With Alexa, a kid-friendly version of its chatbot that provides educational content and games, along with new kid-friendly devices like the Echo Pop Kids smart speaker and Fire Kids tablets.
Amazon hosted an event to introduce new devices and services, including an updated version of Alexa with optimized language models for voice interactions, new Echo and Ring products, next-generation Echo Frames, new Fire Tablets and Fire TV devices, and the eero Max 7 mesh system.
Amazon has announced that large language models are now powering Alexa in order to make the voice assistant more conversational, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has identified India as the next big AI market due to its potential consumer base. Additionally, authors George RR Martin, John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and Jonathan Franzen are suing OpenAI for copyright infringement, and Microsoft's AI assistant in Office apps called Microsoft 365 Copilot is being tested by around 600 companies for tasks such as summarizing meetings and highlighting important emails. Furthermore, AI-run asset managers face challenges in compiling investment portfolios that accurately consider sustainability metrics, and Salesforce is introducing an AI assistant called Einstein Copilot for its customers to interact with. Finally, Google's Bard AI chatbot has launched a fact-checking feature, but it still requires human intervention for accurate verification.
Apple Watch 9's new feature, Double Tap, allows users to interact with the smartwatch through gestures, utilizing the S9 SiP chip's Neural Engine, while its AssistiveTouch feature, available since the Apple Watch 6, provides a comprehensive navigation system for differently-abled users.
With a quick iPhone hack, users can upgrade from Siri to ChatGPT, a voice assistant that can "see, hear, and speak" and offers features like browsing the internet and providing citations, making it a viable alternative to Siri on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone Pro Max.
The Apple Watch Series 9 offers upgraded internals and new features like Double Tap gesture controls and onboard Siri queries, making it a promising device for iOS users and a worthy upgrade from previous models.