Heena Sharma Blog

Though it has its limitations, the Yamaha YAS-109 is good if you want a decent device for everyday experience without having to spend too much on a soundbar Often, dialogues of a movie are not clearly audible due to heavy bass of the audio device. That is when you realise the need for a soundbar with balanced tuning. Yamaha's latest soundbar, the YAS-109, packs a balanced sound output for a good movie experience and ensures the bass does not eat up dialogues if you're watching a movie. This soundbar also has an in-built Alexa support to help you play songs on Spotify, check latest news, and set timers. Design and build The Yamaha YAS-109 soundbar has two 30W speakers and a 60W built-in subwoofer. It has a sleek design and it weighs 3.4 kg. The display panel has indicators for connectivity, Alexa, Bluetooth, sound, etc. Read More

Tens of millions of people use smart speakers and their voice software to play games, find music or trawl for trivia. Millions more are reluctant to invite the devices and their powerful microphones into their homes out of concern that someone might be listening. Sometimes, someone is. Amazon.com Inc. employs thousands of people around the world to help improve the Alexa digital assistant powering its line of Echo speakers. The team listens to voice recordings captured in Echo owners’ homes and offices. The recordings are transcribed, annotated and then fed back into the software as part of an effort to eliminate gaps in Alexa’s understanding of human speech and help it better respond to commands. The Alexa voice review process, described by seven people who have worked on the program, highlights the often-overlooked human role in training software algorithms. In marketing materials Amazon says Alexa “lives in the cloud and is always getting smarter.” But like many software...

The company said the partnership will start this summer at Marriott's select properties and the service will be available by invitation to other hotel chains Technology News : Amazon.com said on Tuesday that it has partnered with Marriott International to help increase guest access to amenities with Alexa, through its voice-controlled device Echo, in an attempt to expand its presence in the hospitality industry. Alexa for hospitality would assist in providing services ranging from ordering room service to requesting housekeeping or calling the concierge for dinner recommendations without picking up the phone. The company said the partnership will start this summer at Marriott’s select properties and the service will be available by invitation to other hotel chains. Several media reports had said that Marriott had tested both Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa to select what was best suited for its hotels. Marriott did not comment specifically on Apple, but said...