Serial entrepreneur and social media expert Gary Vaynerchuk said it best: “I don't think anybody who's a major internet company can live without having a major voice strategy.” 

Voice will account for nearly 50% of search on mobile in the next three years and will be the primary way consumers search for and make purchases on their phones and voice-enabled devices. Everything we do will involve voice in some way, from shopping to ordering groceries to asking what the weather is outside. And thanks to the nearly 20 million voice-enabled smart speakers sold thus far by Amazon and Google, we’re already seeing the fight for the real estate in consumers’ homes.

The smart-speaker movement is taking the world by storm. We see some of the most significant companies in the world, like Amazon and Google, set the tone for how and where voice can impact consumers. And, why wouldn’t they? Nearly 30 million households are projected to have a voice-first device by the end of 2017. While they are essential in kick-starting the revolution, these smart devices won’t be the last stop on the voice train.

While the adoption of smart speakers has risen rapidly, the usage of third-party applications, or “skills,” has been less than impressive. Less than 3% of skills built on top of Alexa are actually getting used, which is in most cases a result of the limited functionality of these applications. For example, Domino’s users want more than just their “easy order” or something they order over and over again. Reviews of the Starbucks integration with Alexa note that many orders never make it to the barista, only to bring more users back to the mobile app instead. And those that want flowers for that special someone are limited to seasonality or occasion with the 1-800 Flowers integration, without a way to actually see the flowers or gifts they’re ordering. Voice is capable of so much more.

The large platform companies have focused their energies on developing voice assistants that offer broad yet shallow integrations with third parties. As a result, “skills” just scratch the surface of what’s possible with voice. As the examples above demonstrate, while it’s relatively simple to build and launch an application for these platforms, you’re limited by what’s possible from a functional point of view.

To realize voice's full potential, companies need a more deeply integrated voice experience that is brand specific and is all knowing about their business. In retail, for example, the art of the consumer experience lies in discovery and personalization. Very rarely do you know the exact product you’re looking for when you go to a website or browse the “most popular” products section. That’s why companies invest millions in their mobile apps and websites, helping guide you through an experience to find exactly what you want. Voice is going through an evolution of its own, assisting companies to understand how to build much more meaningful customer experiences. It could be as simple as knowing that when you want a new sweatshirt, ordering your last order just won’t do. You want to see it in front of you, most likely on a mobile device and will ask a series of questions around color, price, size, material, and reviews. 

Imagine a voice experience where you can search for flowers for your mother, or someone special, watching the results on the screen in front of you change based on your budget, your color preference or type of flower. Imagine a fall selection of coffee flavors coming out in your favorite chain coffee shop, empowering you to add pumpkin spice, a shot of vanilla, and change from cold to hot once you’ve stepped outside. 
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There’s no question that Google and Amazon have birthed a genuinely revolutionary time in technology, conditioning us to be comfortable using a voice-powered device or experience, but we’re just at the precipice of the potential of voice. Voice, just like the introduction of the mobile device before it, will fundamentally change how we interact with the world around us. Only when you understand that, will you see how powerful voice will be.

Recently, Anker launched a new campaign on Indiegogo under its Nebula sub-brand for the upcoming Capsule handheld projector.

Called the “world’s most advanced pocket cinema,” this soda-can sized device offers a range
of connectivity options including AirPlay, Chromecast, Bluetooth, and HDMI. The unit boasts an internal battery pack that supplies upwards of 2.5-hours of playtime on a single charge.

Anker’s Nebula brand first arrived on the scene this past summer with its Mars projector. A portable cinema designed in partnership with JBL. At $600, it’s a unique blend of portability and function that provides three hours of continuous playback. Today’s announcement brings much of the same functionality in a smaller package and roughly one-third of the weight at a $299 price point.

The Nebula Capsule runs on a version of Android Nougat, but it supports a wide range of products and connectivity. That includes AirPlay, Chromecast, and Miracast, which complements a built-in HDMI 1.4 port and Bluetooth capabilities. Built-in support for streaming apps from Netflix, YouTube, HBO, Amazon Prime and others round out the list of content providers available at launch.

Capsule sports a native resolution of 654 x 480, but it can handle 1080p and 4K streams with a few adjustments. The DLP lens can display a screen up to 100-inches in size.
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Anker will ship its latest release with a remote, Quick Charge 2.0 wall charger and a micro USB cable. When the Nebula Capsule hits retail in December, it will have a list price of $349.

Do you ever wonder how long you spend reading emails or doing research? A little device named Tiller may be able to get you an answer.

Tiller is a small puck that plugs into your computer to help track your tasks. Tap it, and it’ll start timing you. Tap again, and it’ll stop. Spin the wheel on top, and a minimal interface will pop up on screen, letting you scroll from one task (say “emails”) to the next (maybe “writing” or “coffee”).

This new puck comes from a small Australian design firm named Joan. The Tiller is Joan’s first hardware product, and the company’s been working on it for more than two years. The idea came out of the company’s own desire to better manage and track its time. “We were trying to run the business better,” says Nick Hallam, one of Joan’s co-founders. “Apps weren’t working.”

Tiller is targeted mainly at freelancers and workers who take clients – accountants, lawyers, designers, consultants – and need to bill by the hour. 

There’s also a dot of light in the center of the device, which lets you know it’s recording and serves as a reminder. “I don’t know how many times I get up, see my light’s on” and remember to pause it, says Hallam. “We definitely believe the hardware makes a big difference.”
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Tiller is launched on Kickstarter, where it’s looking to raise $68,000 AUD (around $54,000 USD) to fund the run. Tiller units sell for around $89 USD to $119 USD to Kickstarter backers, and they’ll eventually cost $129 USD when the product leaves Kickstarter.

Robots are taking our jobs, no doubt about it. Just in the past year, we’ve seen barista robots, fast-food robots, and even pizza delivery robots. But robots can’t replace journalists, right? The dogged reporters, members of the vaunted Fourth Estate, the men and women who bring us the news stories we read every day?

Think again. It’s happening, and the odds are that you’ve been reading stories created by artificial intelligence in local and world news already.

A year ago, the Washington Post introduced Heliograf, an in-house program that automatically generates short reports for their live blog. It was first used during the Rio Olympics to provide information such as the results of medal events for services like Alexa. At that time Sam Han, engineering director of data science, said, “The next challenge is to broaden the subjects covered, deepen the kind of analysis possible and identify potential stories for our newsroom.”

It looks like that day has arrived. Over the past year, the Post has published 850 stories from Heliograf, expanding its reach to include reporting on subjects like congressional races and high-school football games.
Other outlets like the Associated Press have also begun to rely on automated software to create content for readers. Executives are quick to point out that the AI is not meant to replace reporters, but instead allow them extra time to develop and relate more important and relevant stories. “Heliograf will free up Post reporters and editors to add analysis, color from the scene and real insight to stories in ways only they can,” said Jeremy Gilbert, director of strategic initiatives at the Post.

Not to mention the fact that machines don’t make typos and provide more accurate reporting. As Francesco Marconi, AP’s strategy manager put it, “In the case of automated financial news coverage by AP, the error rate in the copy decreased even as the volume of the output increased more than tenfold.”
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What robotics means for the future of reporting is an open question. Many of today’s biggest names in journalism got their start covering local news or high school sports. In the end, it all comes down to ad revenue. Although the Post can appraise the clicks and pageviews Heliograf generates, evaluating how much it impacts the bottom line is a more difficult task. In any event, it seems like reporters and robots will be working side-by-side for the foreseeable future.