IT Brief New Zealand - Technology news for CIOs & IT decision-makers

Smart speaker stories

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Hands-on review: JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi
Tue, 28th Nov 2023
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digital music
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reviews
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technology gifts
The new JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is no different – it's rugged, looks great, and, most importantly, performs excellently, offering rich sound with an envious amount of bass.
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Apple is finally bringing the HomePod mini to New Zealand
Thu, 10th Jun 2021
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apple
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digital music
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technology gifts
Apple quietly announces the arrival of the HomePod mini in New Zealand, a compact smart speaker with 360-degree audio and Siri integration.
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Bang & Olufsen's latest connected speaker screams 'premium' design
Fri, 7th May 2021
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digital music
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speakers
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smart speaker
Danish audio brand Bang & Olufsen introduces its most advanced connected speaker to date, the Beolab 28, with a hefty price tag of AU$18,300.
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Demand for stay-at-home entertainment sees smart speaker market soar
Tue, 27th Oct 2020
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apple
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digital music
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technology gifts
Global smart speaker market set to reach 163 million units in 2021, with Mainland China leading the way, according to Canalys.
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Global shipments of smart audio devices reach 96.2 million - Canalys
Tue, 23rd Jun 2020
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digital music
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canalys
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analyst report
Smart audio shipments soar to 96.2m, TWS leads despite pandemic slump in smart speakers.
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Smart speaker market continues to grow - report
Tue, 24th Mar 2020
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digital music
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alibaba
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amazon
Smart speakers have seen a 53% growth, but the impact of COVID-19 on the industry remains uncertain, according to Futuresource Consulting.
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Hands-on review: JBL Link Bar, the three-in-one smart speaker
Thu, 5th Mar 2020
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gaming
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digital music
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smartphones
JBL Link Bar review: A nifty 3-in-1 device combining soundbar, Android TV, and Google Home.
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Smart speaker vendors breaking records despite coronavirus disruption
Fri, 28th Feb 2020
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digital music
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analyst report
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canalys
Global smart speaker shipments hit record in Q4 2019, Canalys reports.
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Canalys: Smart devices to reach three billion by 2023
Thu, 23rd Jan 2020
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smartphones
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digital music
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technology gifts
Smart device shipments are set to reach three billion globally by 2023, with smartphone sales remaining dominant, says Canalys.
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Global smart speaker market experiences 45% growth
Thu, 14th Nov 2019
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digital music
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canalys
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amazon
Amazon leads the global smart speaker market with 10.4 million units shipped in Q3 2019, according to Canalys. Google slips to fourth.
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Hands-on review: The ASUS Lyra Voice is a smart router with the power of invisibility
Fri, 1st Nov 2019
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gaming
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cloud services
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digital music
It looks no different from a set of standard Bluetooth speakers, and it easily blends itself into any corner of the house.
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Bose's new smart speaker puts the bass back in the beat
Thu, 5th Sep 2019
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digital music
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smart home
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technology gifts
Bose's new Portable Home Speaker combines smart tech with quality sound at NZ$600.
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Are they listening? Kiwis wary of smart devices
Mon, 2nd Sep 2019
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contact centre
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digital music
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martech
While talking aloud, a voice-activated, home-based smart speaker asked for more info - even though it was not turned it on.
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Google slips further down the ranks in smart speaker market
Wed, 28th Aug 2019
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digital music
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canalys
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amazon
Google has dropped to third place in the smart speaker market, with Baidu claiming second place behind Amazon, according to new data from Canalys.
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Hands-on review: The Harman Kardon Allure Portable Speaker
Tue, 2nd Jul 2019
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gaming
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digital music
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reviews
Harman Kardon's Allure Portable marries quality sound with Amazon Alexa's voice control, offering both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
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The world loves smart speakers - and China leads the way
Tue, 23rd Apr 2019
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digital music
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smart home
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technology gifts
People across the world love their smart speakers – and we have AI assistants like Amazon Alexa to thank for the revolution.
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IDC: Smart home market only getting stronger
Tue, 2nd Apr 2019
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smart home
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digital music
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technology gifts
Smart speakers have moved into people’s homes and are ready to pay off as smart networks begin to spread throughout the household.
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Amazon, Google, and Alibaba fuel booming smart speaker market
Sat, 9th Mar 2019
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digital music
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alibaba
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amazon
While these vendors have had great success in the market, other vendors like Samsung, Huawei, and Apple have failed to capitalise.
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Are we security-ready for Alexa in the office?
Fri, 8th Feb 2019
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iot security
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digital music
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iot
As home-IoT devices such as smart assistants head into the office, there will be a raft of new security challenges that will need to be addressed.
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Over 100 million smart home devices shipped in 2018
Tue, 15th Jan 2019
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digital music
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smart home
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technology gifts
Smart home device shipments reached 110 million units in 2018, with a retail value of nearly $17bn, according to a report by Futuresource Consulting.
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The 2018 Canalys APAC Channels Forum keynote
Thu, 6th Dec 2018
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cloud services
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apple
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hyperscale
There was a lot to unpack at the Canalys APAC Channels Forum keynote. This long-form piece tries to cover all the most relevant points for ANZ.
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Review: The Sonos Beam - more than a soundbar
Fri, 30th Nov 2018
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digital music
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gaming
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reviews
Sonos’ is one of the serious contenders in the smart speaker market. Is the Beam soundbar worth taking seriously? I think it actually might be.
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Consumer audio market poised for rapid growth - Futuresource
Mon, 26th Nov 2018
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digital music
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headphones
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wireless headphones
Smart speakers are a big part of the growth although headphones are doing some heavy lifting with prices on the up due to richer features.
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Search to purchase will cause voice AI tech to bloom
Mon, 22nd Oct 2018
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contact centre
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digital music
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martech
This year it is estimated that over 100 million smart speakers will be installed - but it isn’t going to stop there.