The market for virtual assistants (VAs) shows strong positive momentum, driven forward by a combination of rising consumer demand and improvements in the enabling technologies. According to a report from Futuresource Consulting, global shipments will exceed 2.3 billion units by 2023, up from a projected 1.1 billion for 2019, with a CAGR of 20 per […]
Vodafone Portugal has introduced a new set-top box with 4K resolution for its Vodafone TV service, featuring a voice control option via Bluetooth and a simpler user interface. The voice tool uses a language recognition system developed by Google capable of combining different search parameters, including channel name, TV programme or movie. The AI algorithm […]
France.tv, the live TV and catch-up service from French PSB group France Télévisions, is now available across all the connected devices compatible with Google home assistant, including the new Nest Hub. The service will also be available on any screen connected to GoogleCast technology. Users will be able to ask for a live channel or […]
Awareness of voice-controlled smart speakers continues to grow in France with nine out of 10 French online users now “knowing about them” and 71 per cent “know precisely” what they are – 7 per cent more than in November 2018. Attracted by the concept, many Internet users have adopted this new home assistant. Today, there […]
In the first quarter of this year, the smart home market in Europe grew 23.9 per cent, reaching 21.3 million units shipped to the region, according to data from International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Smart Home Device Tracker. Western Europe is responsible for 88.3 per cent of the region share, but Central and Eastern […]
A study from Juniper Research forecasts that total spend on digital advertising will reach $520 billion (€456.3bn) by 2023; rising from $294 billion in 2019. This is an average annual growth of 15 per cent over the next 5 years; driven by the use of AI-based programmatic advertising to deliver highly targeted ads. Digital advertising […]
Internet TV streaming service netgem.tv has integrated Amazon Alexa Video Skill APIs into its TV boxes, which it says simplifies the viewer experience by making content searchable and controllable by voice. The implementation also removes the need for users to ask for the netgem.tv skill for Alexa by name, meaning you no longer need to […]
South Africa’s media regulator ICASA is to hold a formal examination into the country’s ‘must carry’ rules. To date, they permit MultiChoice and other pay-TV operators to carry the nation’s SABC public channels without paying a fee. The rules have been in place since 2011. SABC wants this pattern to be changed, and to force […]
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced that NASCAR has chosen AWS as its standard for cloud-based machine learning and artificial intelligence workloads. NASCAR will use the breadth and depth of AWS technologies to build cloud-based services and automate processes, including a new video series on NASCAR.com called This Moment in NASCAR History powered by AWS. The video series will […]
SpotX, the global video advertising and monetisation platform, has announced the appointment of Dr. Neal Richter as its first Chief Scientist. Richter will head up SpotX’s new Salt Lake City, Utah office which will serve as a hub for research and development teams. Reporting directly to J. Allen Dove, SpotX’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Richter […]