Another powerful application for native voice control is in the burgeoning
field of smart speakers, of which Apple, Google and Amazon currently rule the roost.
Apple's HomePod launches today, joining the already - crowded and still - growing
field of smart speakers.
The New York Times quotes Dave Limp, Amazon's senior vice president for devices, referring to the Alexa ecosystem as «ambient computing» — an interesting phrase which might bolster the perception (and reality) of Amazon's first - mover status and leadership in
the field of smart speakers.
Not exact matches
It turns out that this premise was false and that the hands free, far -
field voice recognition is the killer app
of smart speakers.
Well it's a bunch
of complex audio processing figured out by
smarter men and women than you or I, done to alter the sound waves before they come out
of those two
speakers to simulate more than a simple stereo
field.
The
smart -
speaker field has grown a great deal since we first wrote this guide, with no signs
of slowing down.
To anyone who has been following the boom
of smart -
speakers, this development probably isn't a huge surprise, though it does put Google on a more level playing
field against Amazon, which holds a 2 - to - 1 advantage over Google in the
smart speaker market.
It's basically the top slice
of the Amazon Echo
smart speaker, where the far -
field microphones are located.
A
smart speaker would differentiate Spotify in the crowded
field of music streaming services.
Smart speakers enable far -
field voice recognition at a distance
of meters as opposed to centimeters.
Since you interact with
smarts speakers at a distance, the audio world thinks
of these as far
field devices.
The Sonos One boasts six far -
field microphones that enable the kind
of voice commands pioneered by Amazon's Echo
smart speaker.
The
smart speaker market is booming, and Amazon's dominating the
field with its Echo lineup
of devices.
Similar to other
smart speakers, the Sonos One will be outfitted with an array
of six far -
field microphones so that you'll be able to control it from across the room.
In terms
of home electronics, Lenovo launched the cylindrical
Smart Assistant Speaker at CES, a sort
of beefed - up Alexa with eight far -
field microphones, powerful treble
speakers and subwoofers, and an audio profile optimized by Harman Kardon engineers.
The new Sonos One
smart speaker has an array
of six far -
field microphones for built - in voice control.
Home
field advantage aside, it remains to be seen whether Baidu can compete with the likes
of Amazon, Google, or the wealth
of companies that are currently outfitting their
smart speakers with either Alexa or Google Assistant.