KitchenAid unveils its own Google smart display

KitchenAid proves that everyone wants to get into the smart home space. The company unveiled its own smart screen, aptly called the KitchenAid Smart Display. It’s a standard smart screen that seems to take design cues from Lenovo’s own display. This time, though, you get a 10-inch IPX-5 water-resistant display. And to help differentiate it, it has Yummly recipe search engine, which KitchenAid’s parent company Whirlpool bought two years back. Some recipes even feature videos from professional chefs such as Richard Blais, Daniel Holzman, Carla Hall, and Jet Tila. KitchenAid pairs this with Google Assistant to give you access to the same features you’d expect to get with other smart displays. It’ll let you watch YouTube videos, make shopping lists, as well as control your smart home devices. The KitchenAid Smart Display is expected to come out in the second half of the year and pricing is expected to range between US$200 and $300.

Source: TechCrunch + CNET

Microsoft’s newest patent will let you whisper voice commands to your smartphones

Microsoft

Voice commands are designed to make using your smart devices easier. But not everyone is comfortable speaking into your smartphones to dictate commands or private information and the like, especially when you’re out in public. That’s where the technology that Microsoft patented comes in handy. Called “Silent Voice Input,” it’ll let you whisper “with an inward airflow” to vocally communicate with your devices. What you’d need to do is place the device equipped with this feature very close to your mouth (in certain instances as close as 2mm), allowing for a small gap between the apparatus and the lips. Once in place, theoretically, the microphone can “capture [a] stable utterance signal with a very small voice leakage.” It might take some time to practice whispering while you inhale. This is called an ingressive airflow and this should prevent your voice from being distorted.

This kind of technology could potentially come to devices like smartwatches, smartphones, headsets, TV remotes, or even rings. But Microsoft hasn’t discussed whether this technology is going into development. Not all patents get turned into actual products, but it’s good to know the idea is there.

Source: Engadget

ASUS expands Chromebook Education Series with new laptops

Aside from introducing its first Chrome OS tablet, ASUS also has new laptops to add to its Chromebook Education Series, which have access to G Suite for Education a.k.a. Google’s suite of cloud-based education apps.

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