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Samsung Says It's Working on an Amazon Echo Competitor (cnbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the more-smart-speakers dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Samsung is working on a smart speaker that will be launched "soon", the company's mobile chief told CNBC, which will pit it against the likes of Amazon, Apple, and Google, in the hotly-contested space. DJ Koh, the president of Samsung's mobile division, said a smart speaker was on the way. "Maybe soon we will announce it. I am already working on it," Koh told CNBC in an interview ahead of the Note 8 smartphone launch which took place on Wednesday. And it appears the company could be moving fast on the product. "As I mentioned I wanted to provide a fruitful user experience at home with Samsung devices, and I want to be moving quite heavily on it," Koh said.

53 comments

  1. Competition is good... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    Competition is good... as long as they have a standard way of interacting with smart devices.

    It's in nobodies best interest if we end up with a bunch of smart devices, some that only work with siri, some that only work with Alexa, some that only work with googly-moogly, and some that only work with Samsung.

    Common interface with smart devices would be nice.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    1. Re:Competition is good... by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 1

      Samsung has a history of coming too late to the dance and then trying to compel customers to use their tech. THe next Samsung phone will probably only interact with the SAMSUNG digital assistant.

      There are plenty of options out there now. No one needs a Samsung option this late in the game.

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
    2. Re:Competition is good... by fred6666 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's not too late, most people don't have one.
      However Samsung just can't make software. Their phones are great, but every single piece of Samsung (not Android) software is total crap and/or redundant. I don't see why it would be any different this time.

    3. Re:Competition is good... by gnick · · Score: 2

      It's not too late, most people don't have one.

      Most people don't want one.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    4. Re:Competition is good... by Luthair · · Score: 1

      Depends on whether Samsung makes it harder to use one of their others on their devices. e.g. if their bixby button can't be switched to another assistant.

      Realistically this device isn't going to sell in meaningful numbers outside of South Korea.

    5. Re:Competition is good... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I suspect Echo's sucess over Google and Apple's voice assistant offerings has to do with Amazon's great developer support for the platform.

      You can easily makes "Skills" (Applications for Echo) and tie them to any service.

      Google and Apple seem to hobble their systems because they're more interested in steering users to their other services rather than providing something useful to end users.

      Samsung, as everyone knows, is shit when it comes to software development. Samsung could save a lot of money and not even try. There is 99.999% their product will be abandoned in less than 12 months.

    6. Re: Competition is good... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We can count on Samsung for a half ass implementation. They got face scanning -- it sucks (they didn't use a primesense style IR method). They got voice control Bixby -- it sucks. Their fingerprint scanner was initially rushed to market and sucked for the first two generations. The Gear smartwatch design is ugly.

    7. Re: Competition is good... by backslashdot · · Score: 2

      We need an decent open source voice control platform. Also it should run locally. If it, or part of it, is going to be centralized it should be openly managed by a non-profit foundation or choice of foundations such as Apache, Mozilla, GNU, and Wikipedia. Thankfully it looks like Mozilla is stepping up to the plate. I hope we can support them so they get it done.

    8. Re:Competition is good... by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      I suspect Echo's sucess over Google and Apple's voice assistant offerings has to do with Amazon's great developer support

      I think the real reason is Google and Apple both offer products at a higher price and with no additional useful features. Choosing either over an Amazon Echo doesn't make much sense.

    9. Re: Competition is good... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, but they expect that a red hot product will allow them to catch up.

    10. Re:Competition is good... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bixby is already on the S8 phones. So it's just a matter of copying that onto a non-phone.

    11. Re:Competition is good... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Skills suck. I can't believe more than 3% of users use them more than very occasionally.

      Echo ties in to Amazon music and Audible very, very well, and it's cheap.

  2. Fire Insurance Premiums by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Just went up.

    1. Re:Fire Insurance Premiums by rogoshen1 · · Score: 1

      it's the samsung Interactive Explanation Device.
      Probably pretty good at taking down intruders who stray too close to it while breaking into your home. But yeah, gotta worry about your homeowner's insurance.. but then again, a Pyrrhic victory is still a win.

  3. Is this something people want? by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    Maybe I'm just old (I am) but it just seems kind of pointless. If I want these features my phone has them and I don't have to buy an extra device. Are there features here I'm missing? Does it do anything that Siri & Google's Assistant app don't do?

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:Is this something people want? by Tempest_2084 · · Score: 1

      I was wondering this myself. Do that many people really use these things? They always seemed like 'fun toys' rather than something I'd actually use daily to me.

    2. Re:Is this something people want? by juancn · · Score: 1

      I think the devices are much better at understanding you across the room in a relatively noisy environment than the phones. That's the main driver I believe.

    3. Re:Is this something people want? by Arashi256 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well, I can't speak for anybody but myself but I bought an Amazon Echo about six months ago because I wanted a Bluetooth speaker and because I'm not an audio-nerd, it sounded just fine in my living room for music streamed from my phone or tablet. The Echo part was just kind of a fun bonus at first. Then I found it very useful for streaming BBC radio. I found out it can play all my Audible books. I use it for the customisable news-flash from the BBC, CNN and Sky News, setting timers, telling me what the weather is going to be tomorrow, finding out what is on at my local cinema this weekend, telling the time without having to fumble for my phone. It'll play the latest podcast episodes of my fav shows and order stuff from Amazon for me. As I'm into astronomy, it'll tell me what celestial objects are above the horizon in my part of the world and at what time and which direction. It'll tell me when the ISS is overhead. I can order Dominos Pizza from it and request an Uber. My young son loves it because he can request music without having to navigate any complex UIs, it can answer basic general knowledge questions for him, tell him jokes and stories and play interactive audio adventure games - some of which are surprisingly polished. I have two more Echo Dots in the study and the bedroom now. The technology may not be a necessity yet and not for everyone, but for a tech geek like me it's much more useful than I thought it would be.

    4. Re:Is this something people want? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You do realize that they're sending everything you say to the central server to be analyzed for literally EVERYTHING. From your shopping habits to your political leanings, as well as your radicalism score... Perhaps it will call the police when a home break in occurs? Or perhaps it will call the same police when you're watching an action movie on TV?

    5. Re:Is this something people want? by Arashi256 · · Score: 2

      Re: My shopping habits. Well.....yeah. But Amazon would get that information anyway if I were to simply use their website to...you know...buy stuff from Amazon. The rest of your post sounds like paranoid claptrap, I'm afraid. The Echo doesn't transmit ANYTHING until you say the assigned keyword. I know this because I did a network traffic analysis on my Echo as soon as I set it up. So there's that. And the Echo is functionally incapable of calling the emergency services under any circumstances...at least in my country. Perhaps it can in the USA, I don't know. Why is it people are all "hur-hur....you gullible sheeple, letting this thing into your house to spy on you!" about the Echo, yet are more than happy to have an potentially much more invasive device be on their person at all times? Do you have a smartphone? Because I'm betting you do.

    6. Re:Is this something people want? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      I was wondering this myself. Do that many people really use these things?

      I use mine dozens of times per day. It is in the kitchen. When I am fixing my morning tea, Alexa updates me on my schedule for the day, and then gives me a five minute news brief. The light switch is across the room from the stove and sink, so it is nice to be able to switch it on and off with my voice. It is great for things like setting timers when my hands are wet. If I notice the milk jug in the refrigerator is getting low, I can just say "Alexa, add milk to the shopping list". Then when I get to the grocery store, I can pop up the Alexa app on my cell, and see the list. If I am washing the dishes, and remember something I need to do, I can tell Alexa to add it to my To-Do list without taking my hands out of the suds.

      Could I live with out it? Sure. But for $149, it is definitely worth it.

      Btw, this is the number of times I have used it to order something from Amazon: 0.

    7. Re: Is this something people want? by Presence+Eternal · · Score: 1

      In the past I've compared voice control to touchscreen desktops, gesture interfaces, and other gimmicky idiocy. But the truth is that this tech does have meaningful application for hands free or "glance free" situations, and also for the visually or manually impaired. The problem is its being developed as a sales platform, so the current crop sucks.

  4. The Irony of Privacy. by geekmux · · Score: 1

    In-home surveillance, via always-listening products, is now a "hotly-contested space".

    And to think curtains and door locks are still a thing these days for the ignorant masses...

    1. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except they're not always listening. Echo listens internally for the Alexa/Echo/Amazon keyword, only then does it start recording and transmitting to the cloud. They can be hacked sure, but that's been possible on any computer with a microphone for a couple of decades.

    2. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except they're not always listening. Echo listens internally for the Alexa/Echo/Amazon keyword, only then does it start recording and transmitting to the cloud. They can be hacked sure, but that's been possible on any computer with a microphone for a couple of decades.

      Hope that bullshit lets you sleep better at night, floating on a cloud of gullibility.

    3. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

      Except they're not always listening. Echo listens internally for the Alexa/Echo/Amazon keyword, only then does it start recording and transmitting to the cloud. They can be hacked sure, but that's been possible on any computer with a microphone for a couple of decades.

      That's what They (tm) want you to think. *adjusts tinfoil hat*

      --
      Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
    4. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      If it was actually listening/recording then there would need to be way, way more wifi traffic than there actually is. There is a short burst only when you say the keyword.

      If you are concerned about spying, then you should worry about something more plausible, like your cellphone.

    5. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by link-error · · Score: 1

          There is an open-source implementation that can run on a RP.

        http://www.techradar.com/how-t...

        https://diyhacking.com/best-vo...

      --
      -Unresolved symbol? Byte me!
    6. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Arashi256 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Oh shut up. I keep hearing this paranoid bullshit. I did a network traffic analysis on my Echo as soon as I set it up. It doesn't fucking transmit anything until you say the assigned keyword. At least back up your tinfoil hat wearing bullshit with something more than "yeah, right!".

    7. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's interesting that you are not seeing any traffic from it. There's been several articles about courts getting amazon to provide data from the echo around the time of a murder. So its seems like it must be always be recording.

      Maybe it records a whole day removes all the empty space and compresses it and then sends the data to amazon once a day?

    8. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Arashi256 · · Score: 1

      I read that story as well. It may well have an internal cache that is constantly refreshed but it certainly isn't transmitting anything outside my local network until you ask it something.

    9. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Arashi256 · · Score: 1

      I think in the story you mentioned they were wanting the recording that was made *after* the keyword was spoken each time during the evening because the recording of the Alexa request would also naturally record whatever was happening in the background, regardless if Alexa could isolate the request from the background noise. That very different to recording constantly and I very much doubt the Echo has the storage space to store a days worth of recording....and it certainly isn't saving it on the device and beaming it back to Amazon each day because I'd notice that kind of spike in my network traffic as it's all monitored 24/7. I'd have to re-read the story to be sure, though.

    10. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by geekmux · · Score: 0

      I read that story as well. It may well have an internal cache that is constantly refreshed but it certainly isn't transmitting anything outside my local network until you ask it something.

      Oh, so you mean it transmits its cached recordings under the guise of triggered keywords to not raise suspicion that it's an always-listening device?

      Yup, nothing to see here at all...move along...

    11. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Arashi256 · · Score: 1

      God, Slashdot is populated by paranoid loons. Was it always like this?

    12. Re: The Irony of Privacy. by KGIII · · Score: 1

      Yes.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    13. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but what if that's just what they want you to think? What if the router companies are in on it, man, and they like hide that data from you because they hide all data that goes to the NSA and Bilderburg and Illuminati servers? Man, you need to get your tinfoil ON because they can even use your smartwatch to act as an EEG sensor to read your brain. They are out there, man, they are on to you!

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    14. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can thank apple and their mass marketing of privacy when they had little else to offer.

    15. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      God, Slashdot is populated by paranoid loons. Was it always like this?

      Edward Snowden and other revelations of reality obviously did fuck all to remove the veil of ignorance that you covet.

      Yeah, you're right. Obviously corporations never lie, EULAs are crystal clear, and they're always respectful of your privacy.

    16. Re:The Irony of Privacy. by Arashi256 · · Score: 1

      I'm not saying that, you fucking idiot. I'm saying there is ZERO evidence for your paranoid delusions in this instance.

  5. Me, too by chill · · Score: 2

    For a long while, Microsoft's business model seemed to be "whatever Google and Apple are doing, do that, too". Every other announcement seemed to follow one by Apple or Google where Microsoft was "and we're ALSO working on that".

    Samsung seems to be following the same pattern. Apple Pay and Android Pay begat Samsung Pay. Siri, Alexa, and OK Google? Here's Bixby!

    Google Home and Amazon Echo? Samsung whatever.

    Good luck with that.

    --
    Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
    1. Re:Me, too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They do that now, but Microsoft did NOT do that when Apple came out with the iPhone and App Store and got horribly burnt. Now they (and everyone else) try to copy just in case it becomes "The Next Big Thing", because if you aren't semi-developed, by the time you are the door has closed.

      It's like driverless cars, it's a huge money sink right now, but should it ever become "The Next Big Thing", they all want in.

    2. Re:Me, too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microsoft had smartphones years before Apple did. The iPhone solved some usability problems but it wasn't the first smart phone.

    3. Re:Me, too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They all race to develop the most patent coverage so no matter which company wins the race, they'll always be paid by that winner. Now that we've developed all the easy things to do with driverless cars and patented everything thinkable for the next few steps, there's no longer any rush. You can take your time knowing no one else can follow you unless they pay.

      As far as chill's claim that Microsoft just follows everyone, actually Microsoft is normally first. Their initial products end up been too expensive or before the market is ready for them and the products slowly die. Then someone polishes the idea, it makes a huge hit, and Microsoft tries to ramps back up to merge the old design to the trending design.

  6. Not in my home. Ever by grumpy-cowboy · · Score: 1

    Am I the only one who don't want a device listening 24h/7 in my home?

    And why do I want to talk to a plastic device to search/ask for something (and probably repeat 2 or more times because the device didn't understand what I said the first time) ?

    --
    Will $CURRENT_YEAR be the year of the Linux Desktop?
    1. Re:Not in my home. Ever by link-error · · Score: 2

          Every SciFi movie I've seen has some sort of robot or artificial intelligence interface, especially on every spaceship.

          What's not to like about it? I got one as a gift and use it for some generic stuff, what's the weather, set a timer, add an item to my shopping list. I find it very good at understanding me, even for groceries. I like it. NSA wet dream? Probably. I'll disconnect it if I have have the ISIS weekly meeting at my house.

      --
      -Unresolved symbol? Byte me!
    2. Re:Not in my home. Ever by aix+tom · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Because it feels "Star-Trek-y"

      Like the smart home I visited last weekend, which decided to switch off the lights 2-3 times a hour in irregular intervals with the owner groaning, and switching them on again with his smart-phone. (Which tool 2-3 times longer than taking the two steps to the switch which would have been right there)

  7. Market ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

    ... saturation.

    Besides, the goddam things will probably motivate customers to call the fucking fire department using the new toy.

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  8. Samsung could really use by bravecanadian · · Score: 1

    an original thought.

    They don't have all the pieces of the puzzle to compete with Apple/Google & Microsoft. Even Amazon has more pieces.

  9. Thank goodness! by OrangeTide · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was worried that Samsung had given up on copying everyone else.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  10. From Amazon Echo... by LordHighExecutioner · · Score: 1

    ...to Samsung Explod.

  11. AI - Advertising Intelligence... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Alexa, what is the approximate size of the sun's heliosphere as measured in Astronomical Units?" "I'm sorry. I do not understand the question."

    "Alexa, where is the nearest place I can buy Cheetos?" (Alexa gives plausible response.)

    These devices are used primarily for consumption, not actionable information, and I will not have one in my home. Ever.

    (Oh, and the answer above is "The Sun's heliosphere is approximately 122 AU in size." Thank you, Voyagers I and II, for your help with that.)