Are voice assistants about to fade away?

Voice Assistant - How Can I Help You

As popular as they have been, they’re not nearly as profitable as many people think they are. By the end of 2021, about half of all US internet users had at least one voice assistant equipped device such as a smart speaker. That said, according to a recent report, Alexa, Amazon’s version of the technology, is aligned for a loss of $10 billion this year. This massive loss that is expected to happen is calling the future of the entire industry into question. The technology may be popular, but it…

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iPhone 14 now lets US and Canadian users make satellite emergency calls

iPhone 14 standing on table

Device users who head into remote areas will be connected to emergency services via satellite. iPhone 14 users in the United States and Canada can now benefit from a newly rolled out feature allowing them to make emergency calls via satellite if they are in remote areas without cell service. The new safety feature is meant to ensure users never lose connection with emergency assistance. Apple announced that this new iPhone 14 feature rolled out to users in the United States and Canada last week. “There are always places that…

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Google Hangouts is dead, replaced by Chat

Google Hangouts - Google Apps on Phone

The old platform officially came to an end at the start of this month as users are switched to the new one. As of the beginning of November, Google Hangouts has been officially killed off, with users of that platform being automatically switched over to the new Chat platform. This isn’t a surprise, as the change from one platform to the next was first announced two years ago. Google Hangouts has already been undergoing a slow process of phasing out since its end was first announced in 2020. At that…

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Virtual reality developed to support substance use disorder recovery

Virtual Reality - Therapy - Research

Researchers at Indiana University have come up with the innovative new immersive therapy. Indiana University researchers have unveiled an innovative new use for virtual reality they have developed for use as an immersive therapy for people struggling with substance use disorders. The researchers recently obtained more than $4.9 million from the National Institutes of Health. With the funding, the team launched an Indiana University (IU) startup company for the testing and further development of the virtual reality technology. The team was led by assistant professor of psychiatry Brandon Oberlin from…

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Canadian politicians call for ‘national pause” on facial recognition use

Facial recognition - Canada Laws

The ministers of parliament pointed in particular to the use of the technology by law enforcement. Current legislation in Canada does not provide adequate regulation for the use of facial recognition or artificial intelligence technologies, according to a recent report. A House of Commons ethics committee is calling for a nationwide pause on the use of the tech. The House of Commons ethics committee called for the Canadian federal government to establish laws and restrictions on the use of facial recognition technology. This included a moratorium on the unchecked use…

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