The Sonos Trade-Up program launched this year for speaker loyalists. It offers discounts on new products for trading in your old speakers. But what happens to the old speakers? Sonos sells the program to participants saying “sustainability is non…
Category archives: smart speakers
More Than Half of Americans Are Concerned About Smart Speaker Data Privacy
As smart speakers gain popularity, more Americans are turning an eye to their privacy. A new report estimates over half of Americans are concerned about smart speaker data privacy. Pew Research Center conducted a study of U.S. adults to determine Ameri…
Amazon Music HD Massively Expands Catalog With Warner Music Tracks
Through a partnership with Dolby Atmos, music from Warner Music Group is now available on Amazon Music HD. WMG teamed up with Dolby to bring Dolby Atmos support to its entire catalog of albums. Dolby says it is working closely with artists, record labe…
As Users Flee Google, Sonos Buys Snips — A Privacy-Focused Assistant
Sonos has acquired Snips, a privacy-focused AI voice platform based in Paris. The acquisition will help make the voice experience on Sonos “even better.” The press release announcing the acquisition says the deal is worth $37.5 million. The…
Smart Speaker Growth Up 44% — But Google Home Marketshare Crashes
A new report from Canalys shows global smart speaker growth up 44.9% in Q3 2019. Google Home growth is down -40%. Smart speaker adoption continues to grow at a record pace. Amazon shipped 10.4 million devices last quarter, handily edging out the compet…
Uh Oh, Siri — Researchers Hack Smart Speakers With Lasers
Researchers have discovered that Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are vulnerable to a laser attack. Lasers have recently been used to inject inaudible and invisible commands to hack smart speakers. The laser method could be used to unlock doors, visit…
SiriusXM Content Coming To Google Home Devices Soon
SiriusXM has announced a partnership with Google to bring its original content to Google Assistant. Any Google Assistant-enabled device will be able to access shows like Howard Stern. The service isn’t live just yet — SiriusXM says it will be ro…
Spotify Handing Out Google Home Mini Speakers to Premium Subscribers
Spotify is bringing back its free smart speaker offer to all new and existing Spotify Premium members. All premium individual and family plans are eligible to receive a new Google Home Mini. Spotify says the offer is available “while supplies las…
Spotify Is Handing Out Google Home Mini Speakers to Premium Subscribers
Spotify is bringing back its free smart speaker offer to all new and existing Spotify Premium members. All premium individual and family plans are eligible to receive a new Google Home Mini. Spotify says the offer is available “while supplies las…
Sony’s New 360-Degree Audio Format Launching Later This Year
Sony’s new 360 Reality Audio format will launch this fall with several hardware partners. Sony says the format is all about providing immersive surround sound. The goal is to replicate actual live experiences using object-based spatial audio tech…