Amazon Offers Echo's Far-Field Voice Recognition Tech to Third Parties

[MacRumors]

Amazon has fired another salvo in the virtual assistant wars by opening up access to the far-field voice recognition technology found in its Echo smart speakers so that third-party manufacturers can make their own versions (via BBC).

The move comes as Amazon attempts to spread the use of its Alexa virtual assistant across a wide range of connected products and take ownership of a larger portion of the growing smart devices market. Google announced its branded Home smart speaker in November, while Apple is also rumored to be planning a similar Siri-enabled device this year.

The initially invite-only access to the technology via the Alexa Voice Service program will give manufacturers the right to replicate the Echo's seven-microphone array that allows the speakers to hear a voice command from across the room.

The access also means third-party developers can use the proprietary algorithms used for wake-word recognition, which focus the array on the owner's voice and filter out echoes and other noises. Developers will be provided with a reference kit as a starting point for their own designs, and the freedom to source components from a range of parts manufacturers.

"Our vision is for Alexa to be everywhere, and that means making it available to other companies and services to integrate into a wide range of devices," said an Amazon spokesperson.

"We expect Alexa to be in many devices over time, including products that compete with Echo, which is why we're investing in making a wide range of hands-free and far-field reference solutions available to OEMs [original equipment manufacturers]."

Amazon's rollout of Alexa has gained steam ever since CES 2017 in January, when the virtual assistant cropped up in a range of products including third-party smart speakers, cars, TVs, lamps, and even refrigerators.

In February Amazon announced it was extending third-party support for its Alexa Voice Service (AVS) internationally, and last month it added its Siri competitor to the company's iOS app, allowing users to search Amazon, track orders, play music, and start audio books from Audible.

Article Link: Amazon Offers Echo's Far-Field Voice Recognition Tech to Third Parties

 

[macs4nw]

Smart, strategic, pre-emptive move by Amazon. Third-party participation should give Alexa and the Echo a big boost.

 

[justperry]

I don't want an always on microphone in my place, disabled siri on my iPhone.
What does it add, I prefer privacy over convenience.

 

[44267547]

Smart, strategic, pre-emptive move by Amazon. Third-party participation should give Alexa and the Echo a big boost.

Amazon realizes that they want allies in this new realm of home automated assistance. And by them offering more services for testing and implementation, they're expanding in a new territory.

 

[Applebot1]

Agreed great move by Amazon. Prefer Alexa over Siri even friends and family have bought into Alexa after seeing mine in operation.

It works without any effort and it's cheap especially the Dot.

Even my Nan has asked about getting one and she's 89!

 

[CarpalMac]

I don't want an always on microphone in my place, disabled siri on my iPhone.
What does it add, I prefer privacy over convenience.

I keep seeing people come onto public internet forums for tell us all how much you value their privacy. I'll wager most have Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Whatsapp account(s) and surf without using a VPN or cookie blockers.

Personally I love the convenience of Alexa, comfortable that I as only a single anonymised source of data, am not that interesting.

 

[Benjamid]

I don't want an always on microphone in my place, disabled siri on my iPhone.
What does it add, I prefer privacy over convenience.

Lone wolf

 

[Kabeyun]

I like a lot of Apple stuff, but my experience is that Siri is nearly useless. It boggles my mind how they're pushing it everywhere before it actually works. Siri fails both on the input end (you can't even recognize one of my established contacts?) and on the output end (how about finding the accurate location near me rather than the similar-sounding one across the country in Nevada? And maybe answer my question instead of referring me to the Web). AI has moved beyond setting a timer, and it seems like Apple is being handily beaten while they keep doubling down on a crappy feature which is training me not to use it.

 

[MrGimper]

Great smart move. Even before this you could run Alexa on a Pi, and this just opens it up more.

Personally, I think Siri is a bigger fail than Apple Maps... at least they've sorted that out over time.

 

[iPad3asLongasPossible]

I don't want an always on microphone in my place, disabled siri on my iPhone.
What does it add, I prefer privacy over convenience.

Lone wolf

The Urban Dictionary first result:
"Lone wolf is a term commanly used by many people. It means that they used to belong to a group and left to become stronger."

In response to the above posts, I too value privacy over convenience. Although I have gmail, outlook, icloud email, facebook, i have facebook deactivated. I also run my own linux email server, i have my own vpn, i use encryption, i turn off location privilages, i removed webcams and mics from my iphone SE. if it breaks and apple only sells unibody iphones, i will stop buying iphones. i dont use skype, hangouts, apple messages, apple pay, uber, very little amazon: mostly for software, i dont use windows 10 or os x.

The people I know that own these, in my honest experience, they all vote democrat in every election, they live in california and denver and honestly claim to spend like $20,000 on uber. They were all really confused when trump won. i expected him to.

I dont plan to ever use one of these devices. besides, every time i see someone try to call their local pizza place through siri, it takes like 2-3 tries.

i could find it on google faster if i wanted, but i already have the number memorized.

I find it in rather poor taste that people like satya nadella got paid 18 million just for 2016s compensation, while most people float around the poverty line. I havent seen anything innovative come out from silicon valley in over a decade. But i get how the game works.

 

[Ballis]

Big move! Love it but wish Apple would have done it first. Will Alexa work with Apple music?

Cant wait untill we get Alexa supported speakers with buildt in mesh wifi.

 

[justperry]

I keep seeing people come onto public internet forums for tell us all how much you value their privacy. I'll wager most have Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Whatsapp account(s) and surf without using a VPN or cookie blockers.

Personally I love the convenience of Alexa, comfortable that I as only a single anonymised source of data, am not that interesting.

Lone wolf

I use a VPN service, use JS blocker and Adblock Plus and have LittleSnitch.

 

[craig1410]

I like a lot of Apple stuff, but my experience is that Siri is nearly useless. It boggles my mind how they're pushing it everywhere before it actually works. Siri fails both on the input end (you can't even recognize one of my established contacts?) and on the output end (how about finding the accurate location near me rather than the similar-sounding one across the country in Nevada? And maybe answer my question instead of referring me to the Web). AI has moved beyond setting a timer, and it seems like Apple is being handily beaten while they keep doubling down on a crappy feature which is training me not to use it.

I wonder if you would be so critical if you were one of the many people who are not native English speakers? Apple still have a massive lead on the others when it comes to non-english language support.

Personally, I find Siri works really well for me, perhaps because I have taken some time to tell Siri how to pronounce any of my regular contacts who don't have phonetically pronounced names. Are you aware you can do this? http://www.imore.com/how-to-teach-siri-to-pronounce-a-name-correctly

Hope this helps.

 

[displayblock]

I don't want an always on microphone in my place, disabled siri on my iPhone.
What does it add, I prefer privacy over convenience.

Unless the microphone has a physical switch that physically disconnects the microphone, you can't assume privacy. Disabling Siri gave you a faux sense of control.

If you truly value privacy over convenience, don't buy smart devices with microphones or cameras.

 

[justperry]

Unless the microphone has a physical switch that physically disconnects the microphone, you can't assume privacy. Disabling Siri gave you a faux sense of control.

If you truly value privacy over convenience, don't buy smart devices with microphones or cameras.

There is privacy and privacy, it's not set.

 

[Nunyabinez]

The Urban Dictionary first result:
"Lone wolf is a term commanly used by many people. It means that they used to belong to a group and left to become stronger."

In response to the above posts, I too value privacy over convenience. Although I have gmail, outlook, icloud email, facebook, i have facebook deactivated. I also run my own linux email server, i have my own vpn, i use encryption, i turn off location privilages, i removed webcams and mics from my iphone SE. if it breaks and apple only sells unibody iphones, i will stop buying iphones. i dont use skype, hangouts, apple messages, apple pay, uber, very little amazon: mostly for software, i dont use windows 10 or os x.

The people I know that own these, in my honest experience, they all vote democrat in every election, they live in california and denver and honestly claim to spend like $20,000 on uber. They were all really confused when trump won. i expected him to.

I dont plan to ever use one of these devices. besides, every time i see someone try to call their local pizza place through siri, it takes like 2-3 tries.

i could find it on google faster if i wanted, but i already have the number memorized.

I find it in rather poor taste that people like satya nadella got paid 18 million just for 2016s compensation, while most people float around the poverty line. I havent seen anything innovative come out from silicon valley in over a decade. But i get how the game works.

It's a good thing that you do and don't do all of that. I don't use a vpn, have Facebook, use Google, Windows 10 and MacOS.

Your diligence has prevented you from having all the horrible things happen to you that have happened to me. Oh...wait...

 

[Kabeyun]

I wonder if you would be so critical if you were one of the many people who are not native English speakers? Apple still have a massive lead on the others when it comes to non-english language support.

Personally, I find Siri works really well for me, perhaps because I have taken some time to tell Siri how to pronounce any of my regular contacts who don't have phonetically pronounced names. Are you aware you can do this? http://www.imore.com/how-to-teach-siri-to-pronounce-a-name-correctly

Hope this helps.

Appreciate the tip but it doesn't help. For example, I have both Fred O'Brien and O'Brien Oil Associates in my contacts. I tell Siri to call O'Brien Oil Associates and it calls Fred O'Brien. Every time. As Ron White said, you can't fix stupid. Or at least Apple hasn't yet.

And it's entirely possible that I'd find Siri indispensable if I didn't speak English, and thus be less critical of its failings. But I do. So I am.

 

[Aston441]

I hope Apple picks up the tech from Amazon. I'd love to have ANYTHING better than the cheap thirty cent mics they stick in the iPhone.

 

[jacjustjac]

Pretty clever on Amazon's part. Make the manufacturers compete against themselves and Apple/Google, all the while Amazon is the main marketplace to buy all this new smart hardware. In the end Amazon gets to own the Alexa software and gets a cut of hardware sales, without having to expand its hardware development budget. I just wonder how they will enforce security as couldn't an Alexa-capable speaker from a third party also capture some of that data for itself?

 

[Porco]

More Whopper Ads on the way!

 

[sparkhill]

I like a lot of Apple stuff, but my experience is that Siri is nearly useless. It boggles my mind how they're pushing it everywhere before it actually works. Siri fails both on the input end (you can't even recognize one of my established contacts?) and on the output end (how about finding the accurate location near me rather than the similar-sounding one across the country in Nevada? And maybe answer my question instead of referring me to the Web). AI has moved beyond setting a timer, and it seems like Apple is being handily beaten while they keep doubling down on a crappy feature which is training me not to use it.

I am a big fan boy. I have iPhones, iMacs, iPads, and MacBooks that I own and use every day. I buy hardware and update my OS on the first day. Suffice to say I am pretty into Apple stuff.

Still, Siri is terrible. The results are typically useless and the growth of Siri over the past five years has been modest. One example: I always ask Siri for my favorite Apple Radio station to play in the same way - often it works but sometimes it takes me to some web search or says it can't help me. So I learn the specific syntax Siri requires and it still only works 65% of the time for a native English speaker with zero accent. If I say the words in a different order, my success rate falls to 0%. Try searching for a restaurant or business and you end up needing to look at your phone a lot of the time. The point of a virtual assistant is to not have to take your phone out of your pocket.

Clearly, Apple is very far behind in the virtual assistant race. I wish the reality was different, but it is not.

 

[kdarling]

Unless the microphone has a physical switch that physically disconnects the microphone, you can't assume privacy. Disabling Siri gave you a faux sense of control.

True, whereas Alexa devices do have a hardware microphone disable button that cannot be overridden by software.

 

[DoctorTech]

Amazon realizes that they want allies in this new realm of home automated assistance. And by them offering more services for testing and implementation, they're expanding in a new territory.

Not to mention, Amazon will probably make a small cut off of selling those allies products to the general public. Smart move on their part for multiple reasons.

 

[44267547]

Not to mention, Amazon will probably make a small cut off of selling those allies products to the general public. Smart move on their part for multiple reasons.

Amazon will definitely make a small profit, but I think the larger advantage for them is branching out. I don't think they are concerned with the money as much as they are with expansion of the Echo/Alexa.

 

[DoctorTech]

Amazon will definitely make a small profit, but I think the larger advantage for them is branching out. I don't think they are concerned with the money as much as they are with expansion of the Echo/Alexa.

That is all great news to me. I like Amazon and the more things that are made with Echo/Alexa technology, the more items I will have to choose from as I continue to expand my smart house. I already have a Nest thermostat, Logitech's Harmony remote (entertainment system controller) and numerous lights that are all voice controlled via 5 Echos around my house.