Tech Event Season in Full Force
Siri Stays Quiet, New Echos Coming Soon
Two more big tech announcements are on the horizon, Amazon on September 25th and Microsoft on October 2nd. Samsung and Apple recently completed their marquee product events. Products such as the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Note 10 were revealed, as well as the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, among other things. While voice was not prominent in either presentation, with Siri only changing her voice and ability to address shortcuts (still waiting on evidence of progress from the PullString acquisition), we expect voice to be front and center at Amazon. The jury is out on whether Microsoft will release new voice integrations with their Surface laptops or give new clarity on Cortana's continued evolution.
Voice on Voice - #42 (If you want this in your inbox click here and to add RAIN's Voice on Voice Weekly Podcast to Your Flash Briefing click here)
Mark your ??
Amazon's Annual Device Deluge
Amazon is preparing to reveal new devices at their event on the 25th of September. Not surprisingly, they've been quiet about what to expect other than they are going to "share some new things from the Amazon Devices and Services team." This event is reminiscent of the one last year where Amazon revamped most of the Echo line, releasing twelve new devices including a new Dot, an Echo Sub, and an Echo Plus. Most industry watchers believe that existing devices will see new versions in addition to several net-new Alexa-enabled devices. More on PocketLink.
????
"Hey [insert brand here], show me recipes for pie."
SoundHound is adding recipes to their Houndify platform, 50,000 to be exact, through an integration with Big Oven, the social media platform houses over half a million recipes for home cooks. So how does it work? Users will be able to ask about a dish, how it’s made, its nutritional information and other details such as asking for a recipe for a specific cuisine that can be made in a specific amount of time or a recipe with certain ingredients. SoundHound’s technology also makes the process more than just a display or recitation of a recipe. Users can ask follow-up or clarifying questions as they go along, "almost like having an assistant chef." This integration highlights the investments Houndify is making on content in advance of greater in-home distribution; the company's hardware partnerships currently center around the car. More on Voicebot.
?????♀?
Sharing a Ride with Trebek
The future of voice in the car continues to heat up with the recent round of funding by Drivetime. The startup raised $11 million for their interactive audio games that are made for a hands-free driving experience. Not surprisingly, but still impressively, Jeopardy is their latest release. While many have voiced concerns about distracted driving, Drivetime's focus is actually to keep drivers attentive and focused on the road through voice-driven gameplay. Safety is also a key component in their mission as a mobile app is not required for this game. We're interested to see how brands evovle for voice in the car specifically, gaming. As CEO Niko Vuori says, "Gaming will emerge as the biggest use case on any new platform." More on VentureBeat.com.
?? Stats Don't Lie
$30,000 - Savings realized thus far by small business Sensory Fitness by using FrontDeskAI to automate front desk calls (data via Voicebot)
$1.2 Trillion - Value of the virtual agents market in 2030, including small to medium sized businesses (data via Gartner)
?? Chart of the Week
(data via IDC)