Amazon Echo Pops Slice Smart Speakers in Half

When the first Amazon Echo device launched in 2014, it created a new category: The smart speaker. The Echo speakers brought the voice assistant to the home and created the perfect controller for the early "smart home." Unfortunately, almost 10 years later, voice recognition still has a long way to go, the multi-language promise is still unrealized, and Echo speakers are already everywhere - in the countries where Amazon sells them. The company even announces new models with a blog post.

Bluesound, the makers of hi-fidelity multiroom streamers and speakers announced the launch of the Pulse M speaker. It looks like a smart speaker, but the "smarts" are truly on the fact that it is a unique Omni-Hybrid driver design and wireless music streaming speaker with a contemporary aesthetic. It is now available to purchase across retailers and online and it adds a valuable expansion to the Bluesound and BluOS high resolution audio ecosystem.

After two years without any relevant announcements on the smart speaker arena, Amazon announced updated versions of its popular Echo devices. All-new Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock deliver up to two-times the bass of the previous generation, add a temperature sensor, double as eero mesh wifi extenders. More significant, the Echo Studio flagship features a new spatial audio processing technology and upgraded drivers to do what it promised when it launched four years ago.

Is it a Soundbar? Is it a Smart Speaker? Is it a TV Set-Top Box? Korean telecom operator SK Broadband has introduced its new AI Sound Max set-top box and TV sound speaker featuring three-dimensional audio perfectly tuned by Bang & Olufsen and implemented using the power of the Audio Weaver framework by DSP Concepts. The innovative AI Sound Max is a great example of an immersive home entertainment speaker design with sophisticated features built with Audio Weaver.

Consumers are increasingly looking to have high quality sound integrated into their lives in creative ways. However, ensuring that their demands are met across connectivity and sound can be hard to achieve. Often, the more creative and interesting the application, the higher chance it’s harder to produce a sound that is perfect for every use case.

TDK introduced three new MEMS microphones as part of the SmartSound family of products for mobile and consumer connected devices. The new TDK T5919 is a high performance PDM digital MEMS microphone and is the first with built in particle ingress filter (PIF) for harsh environments. The new T3903 is a high performance PDM digital MEMS microphone with very low power and wide dynamic range, while the also T4086 is an analog output MEMS microphone in a tiny package, ideal for very space constrained applications.

For this edition of The Audio Voice, I intended to focus a bit more on the latest developments in the fascinating world of sensors and how it impacts product development and design in all applications areas, particularly in consumer electronics, automotive, and health applications. After writing previously about Apple - the sensors on the Apple Watch and the surprising firmware updates for the AirPod Pro earbuds - I really didn't want to go back to Apple. But as always, Apple has a way of surprising us exactly when we least expected, and the company made another important audio announcement.

Ling Technology, the Chinese company behind the AI Owl Luka, which can read any picture books to children, and the Jibo social robot, is now announcing Auri, a brand new smart home light and smart speaker which aims to promote wellness with its intelligent lighting and ambient sounds to help lift moods and bring calmness into homes. But Auri is also a platform that Ling intends to expand with various accessories, like the Auri oil diffuser and the Auri motion sensor. The project is now being promoted with a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.