HomePod Mini helps drive record quarterly share for Apple while Amazon and Google combine for more than 50% of the market BOSTON (BUSINESS WIRE) Global smart speaker sales reached a record level in 2020 in spite of the challenging conditions precipitated by the Covid 19 pandemic, according to the latest research from Strategy Analytics’ Smart Speakers and
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Adobe
As is typical of Microsoftâs annual Ignite conference, the company revealed a number of product announcements that can take weeks or months before organizations get access to them. This year was no exception. The company announced a number of updates to Teams, gave Microsoft 365 and Azure a lot of attention and plotted its course for the next year as its digital workplace momentum continues.
One announcement that stood out above them all so far â and this is an opinion â is the new mixed reality platform Mesh. According to Microsoft, Mesh enables people to share presence experiences from anywhere. While there are many obvious applications for this, initially it looks set to be the future of Teams and any other collaboration or communication tool Microsoft will offer in the future. Mesh is a mixed reality platform that develops and builds on Microsoftâs work in AR and VR.
Image: The Verge
Rumors of a new Sonos speaker have been swirling for a while now, and it seems every detail of the new Sonos Roam has been leaked ahead of its announcement.
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The Verge obtained images and specs for the $169 Roam, which is a waterproof portable speaker that looks to be a UE Boom 3, but, you know, Sonos. The price, if accurate, puts the Roam squarely between the $150 Boom 3 and $200 Megaboom 3.
The speaker reportedly weighs in around 1 pound and measures 6.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches, which makes it a smidge smaller than the Boom 3. And like the Boom 3, it can be charged wirelessly via a $49 charging stand that will be sold separately. As you can see below in the image obtained by the Verge, the Roam looks pretty Boom-like (though a little more triangular in shape and minus the absolutely gigantic volume buttons).
Microsoft has announced new features for Microsoft Teams along with supported hardware at the ongoing Ignite 2021 annual conference for developers. Microsoft Teams will now support end-to-end encryption. It also gets a new Connect feature to share channels internally or externally and support for Microsoft Teams Intelligent speakers that can differentiate between voices of up to 10 participants.
SCA promotes local events with voice-activated offering
Media group debuts The Locals Guide, curated community events content prompted by growing use of voice-activated devices
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) is claiming an Australian-first with its new voice-activated locals guide offering aimed at making community events listings more accessible to share with audiences.
The Locals Guide has been launched in Queensland and is available via several voice-activated assistants and smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Sonos and Android Auto. The service curates a mix of local and featured events, family and kids’ activities, sporting matches and markets across a local geographic area, and also features special interest pillars around seasonal events like local festivals, key retail periods, school holidays and grand finals.