Roku Devices Now Alexa-Enabled
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| Roku Devices Now Alexa-Enabled | |
| Number | 767 |
| Broadcast Date | MARCH 5, 2019 |
| Episode Length | 4:47 |
| Hosts | Sarah Lane |
Russia proposes “sovereign internet,” Apple acquires home security patents, August introduces new smart doorbell.
Headlines
- Russian President Vladimir Putin and other lawmakers are pushing a bill through parliament called the “Sovereign Internet” that aims to create a single command post authorities can manage and potentially halt information flows. Putin says the initiative is a defensive response to the Trump Administration’s new cyber strategy, which permits offensive measures against designated adversaries. The draft law was co-authored by Andrei Lugovoi, a KGB veteran. Putin says the bill is meant to ensure that the Runet, as the domestic internet is known, continues to function in the event the U.S. tries to isolate Russia.
- Apple acquired several patents from Lighthouse AI back in late 2018, a now defunct home security camera company, as details were published recently in the U.S. Patent and Trademark database. The patents relate to technology used for computer-vision based security, visual authentication, totaling eight patents and patent applications from Lighthouse. Apple could potentially use the authentication-related technology for future iterations of Face ID, and the patents could be used to further expand HomeKit’s support for security systems.
- The National Security Agency shut down a system of logs of Americans’ domestic calls and texts, according to Luke Murry, the US House minority leader’s national security adviser. This halts a program that has involved disputes about privacy and the rule of law since the Sept. 11 attacks. Edward Snowden disclosed the program’s existence in 2013 and contributed to awareness of how both governments and private companies harvest and exploit personal data.
- August introduced the August View for $230 in the US starting March 28th. The View is a video doorbell with a new shape that should fit much more easily on a doorframe, but it's also battery-powered, rather than hardwired, meaning you can install the View in a lot more places. It also comes with a remote doorbell chime, a rechargeable battery and a Micro-USB cable.
- MIT’s mini cheetah robot has a very cool skill, achieving a 360-degree backflip from a standing position. Researchers claim the mini cheetah is “virtually indestructible,” and can recover with little damage, even if a backflip doesn't land. The cheetah is 20 pound quadruped that can bend and swing its legs wide, enabling it to walk either right side up or upside down. The robot can also traverse uneven terrain about twice as fast as an average person's walking speed. MIT researchers will present the mini cheetah’s design at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in May.
- Chinese social network YY has acquired Singapore-based social media startup Bigo for US$1.45 billion. YY bought a 31.7 percent stake in Bigo last June, and also obtained the rights to purchase a minority stake in Bigo, which runs the live-streaming app Bigo Live, video-sharing app Like, and gamecasting platform Cube TV.
- Jibo, a connected home robot, is shutting down its servers, and the robot has started informing its owners by way of a video showing Jibo saying that its functions will soon be “limited,” but it “really enjoyed our time together.” Jibo raised almost $73 million in funding, and also raised more than $3 million through an Indiegogo campaign back in 2017. Jibo started shipping units to the general public for $899. Last year, The Robot Report reported that Jibo sold all of its intellectual property to SQN Venture Partners.
- Roku devices are now compatible with Amazon's assistant-enabled devices through a new Roku skill. So devices including the Amazon Echo, Echo Show, Echo Dot, Echo Spot and Echo Plus – can now pause a show, launch a streaming channel and search for entertainment through various commands. Roku TV users can also turn on the TV, change the volume, mute the TV, switch inputs and change channels if there is an OTA antenna connected by saying, “Alexa, turn on Roku” or “Alexa, turn up the volume on Roku.”
Links
| Preceded by: "Huawei Planning to Sue the US Government" |
Roku Devices Now Alexa-Enabled |
Followed by: "Mexico Developing Payment System with Amazon" |