EMERGING TECH
EMERGING TECH
EMERGING TECH
GE doubles down on Alexa, other voice assistants in new smart home push
The past year saw Amazon.com Inc. extend the reach of Alexa to a variety of new areas ranging from home security to the enterprise. In 2018, the voice assistant will take on an even bigger role if General Electric Co. has its way.
The manufacturing giant, which has been offering Alexa-enabled devices for a while now, today announced plans to bolster the lineup with two new connected lighting products. The main highlight is a disk-shaped ceiling light (pictured) that is designed to serve as a smart home automation hub. According to GE, the fixture removes the need for customers to set up an extra device such as an Echo speaker if they wish to control their connected appliances.
The fixture works not only with Alexa but also Google Assistant and Siri. The latter integration is accompanied by support for Apple Inc.’s HomeKit framework, which makes it possible to manage smart accessories from an iPhone or iPad.
GE said the fixture will let users have their voice assistant of choice change device settings around the house, as well as get information and play music. The product also has several of the more specialized features that can be expected from a high-tech ceiling fixture. Among other things, people can use voice controls to adjust lighting brightness the color according to their preferences.
The fixture shares many of its core features, most notably the voice assistant integrations, with the other new product that GE unveiled today: a connected light switch with several built-in sensors. It can be used to control both smart light bulbs and regular models that don’t have their own automation capabilities.
GE plans to release the devices into general availability later this year. If 2017 was any indication, many more such products will hit the market in the coming quarters as manufacturers work to capitalize on the soaring popularity of voice assistants. That’s good news for the likes of Amazon, whose Chief Technology Officer Werner Vogels has said that voice is the next major disruption in computing.
Image: GE
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