Gadgetory

good morning on Wednesday August 30th what the hell are you doing Alfred it's Wednesday my dude 276 I don't care anymore yeah Roger do we have any real news today not really no we what we talking about more this wasn't part of the plan but Microsoft and Amazon put out a statement confirming that there are two digital assistants we'll start working together Alexa Cortana best friends now robot buddies exactly it's not really that exciting to me either but it's kind of a big deal as far as like AI goes it's a good look it's a big deal many levels we'll get we'll get into in the podcast beyond that we'll be talking about Naruto anime Iran yes we'll talk about Alfred's experience running or as my eyes everywhere call it Naruto Naruto Naruto yes it's a Japanese insanely popular Japanese anime based on kid ninjas yeah who run in a unique style that Alfred it running in ninja style it's not interests at all the ninjas run with it's not how did just run talking about the podcast I don't know why it's a slow news day so buckle up yeah if you have any questions about any of this and Alfred's personal experience being Naruto leave us a comment we'll get to them in 3 minutes and 59 seconds from 3 to welcome to the 359 I'm Roger Chang I'm Alfred hang Alexan Cortana or BFFs Microsoft and Amazon announced today that their two digital assistants will start talking to each other so does this mark the start of a new era where all of our digital assistants start interacting and start talking behind our backs I don't know I think the whole talking to each other thing is a bit overplayed because like right now it's basically saying like Alexa can you connect to Cortana and then we can use Cortana or vice versa or vice versa right I don't think it's talking to each other it sounds like when you're like mad at your sibling or something like can you tell my brother that I don't wanna like say I mean you take it such a pessimistic way I look at it as it's a huge deal because this is two large tech companies we're pretty much on different sides of you know their competitors essentially are working together putting their digital assistants together so they can actually get wrapped in some sort of Jeff Bezos actually made a really good point when he like wanted to do this talking about how the same way that you and I might have like different friends that we go to from recommendations and and things like that he thinks he sees AI in this perspective where basically like you'll go to Cortana for your work emails and organizing like your calendar and things like that bow you'll go to Alexa for to control your music or your small write and things like right so I mean do you think that this marks the start of maybe Google assistant and Siri maybe getting bored maybe all these media bixby I feel like I'd be a lot more excited if it were a Google assistant jumping on with Alexa but I think because they're more of a threat to Alexa and Cortana is yeah because they really don't have a wedge and an edge I guess in the in the smart speaker space whereas Gregg does something with Siri and Apple yeah it's interesting in court on I mean Kota has been around for a while and you know Microsoft have put a lot of resources the last few years into it but it's not one of those voices this is that you talk about as much as Alexa we've added Siri it's mostly used on PC so it's not as mobile and it doesn't have smart home features yet which i think is it well it was on mobile but the only problem was the mobile wasn't on anything yeah yeah well no one was using those phones except for the NYPD and not anymore um I don't think people were even using the voice assistant on that right so all right next up alfred you had a unique day in the park on Saturday tell us about your route or run so two weeks ago I saw a Facebook event called Naruto run through Central Park which I like that ending on as a joke because these have been popping up all over the place where it's just like and if you're not familiar with it it's from the anime where you run like a wannabe ninja yeah your hands are kind of you flung back it's basically like wings that never flap right right supposed to I mean visually I guess it kinda looks like you're going faster yes Sonic the Hedgehog ran like that to when he gets top speed right but it became a running joke because the there were kids that actually thought that this made him run faster wait wait does it know you're supposed to be pumping your arms then what I've been doing wrong this whole time it kind of became this running joke where like people would like do that to make fun of like like really hardcore anime fans right so then they'd have these events there's other events like it where it's like scream like Goku outside of ya Square Park or something like that and there's several hundred people committed to going but it was only like 20 there's only like 20 people showed up because I'm pretty sure the other eight hundred or so people were like this is a joke I mean you did initially and then I heard about him like you should go do this yeah so I like the first thing I did when I saw the event was like I Facebook messaged like the organizer yeah this is real and he like yeah I'm trying to make this like a real thing so I showed up there were only about 20 people which was kind of disappointing on my end but I thought it was really was super goofy yeah it was really funny I had a great time just like laughing at mice and I know people are making fun of the anime make you float Naruto but I mean there's a bit of love in there too right like a lot of people grew up with that anime right yeah I mean I think that's why they all know about and that's why they dressed up like the character that's cool yeah all right through these stories and more chickens on seen it and I'm Roger Chang I'm Alfred Inge thanks for listening so by the way that was like right on the for me tomorrow Oh finally so I want to talk a little bit about coming up the wrong graphics first of all today I need Mario teaches typing so with you talk about Cortana and Alexa and I'm sorry everybody for triggering everything in your house right now if they're gonna be friends isn't there a lot of kind of late is is this a new era in in crossover because we're talking to see about cross play I saw yeah Microsoft and PlayStation is this like when the Power Rangers met the Ninja Turtles that was awesome yeah wait they did it wasn't like the first Devoe's in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers really it happened like 1012 years ago I didn't watch the show I didn't watch any of the shows but uh I would say that's what I'm hopeful for that I think digital assistants do start to work together like Samsung's Bixby starts talking to alexa or google assistant talks with siri like it's i feel like that that would make them a lot more useful that would actually help them all kind of learn yeah cuz there's like almost a shared dated and also under jeff bezos like vision of all these like different AI is that you consult with on a single device like that makes a lot more sense it's AI its software it can go on like multiple speakers if anything i guess to be play the devil's advocate though would you want to be able would you want to train yourself to ask for five different yeah that's the only thing that's like to me I'm like I feel like at this stage there's nothing that really differentiates all these different a eyes for me for any to want to rely on more than one cuz I feel like it's just like crowding and to be fair I think that this is a deal that Microsoft benefits more from yeah price yes Michael like everyone knows Alexa at this point but and Cortana around I think arguably longer than Allah has and really I think so it's yeah years years as Cortana came with Windows 10 s debut Cortana came with halo excuse me yeah yeah and actually use the same voice mean them it's only point of pride but yeah turns been around for a while and they you know they tried to get it they tried to I think it was in the phone first it was in Windows Phone yeah that sounds and because no one bought that thing no we used it so that was I mean I tried using it on my laptop and then I just got when I got Windows 10 and was just one of those things like this I can just click I don't think I don't use yeah I don't use Siri I'm at that just seems stupid to me yes like I don't call it out but hey Siri where am I going I need a thing I only don't even use Siri just like you said Irina for everything just cuz like set a timer and or alarm just because I don't want to go to like the clock app and I'm like oh you doing all that yeah yeah yeah yeah that's like literally the only thing I use here before I actually why I used to do it for weather like it's so hard picking up haste but yeah but the point I like Jeff Bezos has been trying to make though with like the whole you know you can use it for this and then use it for this thing right I don't like I don't I don't know how many people use like Outlook I mean I'm sure a lot of people use Outlook I don't know how many people use the voice assistant for Outlook still find it to be an interesting novelty but yeah it's not part of my data yet I mean I think this is sort of a foundation for where it will be eventually I I can see myself way down the line dictating emails and O's becomes like visual like your your screen pops up in the air or something like what's what's something that you way far out features that you like that you use Siri for that like you can only get with Syria like you can't get with some other voice assistant I don't know I know with my with my echo there's an app I used to play Dungeons & Dragons because I don't have any friends you played now you can play with Cortana - that's two friends oh yeah there's a what it the the skill is called but it's it's literally like a it's it's not it's not copy written Dungeons and Dragons but it's pretty much exactly that it's a so you play with a like gee yeah oh crap there's a skill for it look it up it's it's not I can't I just can't remember I'm gonna top my head but it's all voiced I played Japanese you the story she's a dungeon med master and then will you interact that's awesome she rolls virtual die and the whole thing the whole like multiple voice assistance thing though seems like really annoying to have to deal with do you at least like remember when Google announced that I was putting the assistant on like iOS yeah but like you still have to like download the app and then like to click on the app there's that it's so annoying as well for sure alright we gotta get into the chat because they're tired of hearing us sorry guys why would you first of all shout out to Abdul Mighty Morphin digital assistants hey watch and then great mr. lizard says I want to add the Cortana is my favorite I think that's significantly more powerful than Siri I'm personally just kind of interested in your experience with that as we don't hear a lot of core I use Cortana when I had like demo Windows Phones it was it was pretty good like it also told jokes it had a decent personality it did use the same voice actress as the original Cortana from halo which is cool which is super cool but my halo fan but just history lizard indulgence takeaway is from I do remember I mean it was fairly I mean robust in terms of what I could most of it is used on your on your PC though right like it's not back Vani was yeah it was phone yeah I haven't used Cortana since it's made its way to the PC because I used it a few but it was just like it was really slow to respond so I'm just gonna do this it made more sense on the phone right yeah I guess yeah cuz the microphone was way better than what my laptop had mr. lizard said is worth noting that Windows is used by millions people every day of Cortana could become useful for PC then it could have a huge impact on the smart assistant market there sure I think that's a challenge yeah it's just not it's nothing Windows is used by millions of people but not Cortana I mean it's it's on there's any way where it could work into desktops it's on mo if you have Windows 10 then you have Cortana ok but I mean where would you actually logically use it that's my question I don't know that's a shout-out to the chat where do you think a digital assistant could be useful in your desktop could have uses and show you celery man ok alright sorry Roger anyway yeah I mean tell us how how you guys would use Cortana and he's like here's the thing though with digital assistants in general like how much do you actually use them like Alexa I use her to check the weather news updates play music for my kid that's basically I set an alarm within our set along so timer an alarm like really basic test that you can do with any digital system like is there anything more complicated that we use it for I don't know hmm I know it's just so it's kind of like tiny I feel like computers are already so fast on their own and you're already looking at a screen like the reason why I use a voice assistant is because I don't want to to screen or like go to all these different things yeah it's like on a phone it's like that's like five different windows that I have to go to or if I'm just walking around the kitchen or something yeah I don't want pull my phone for something that's one of us yeah works on a computer though it's literally like a tab away like yeah three strokes like I've said it before and I'll say it again the best part of my the assistant situation is when I come home with an armful of groceries and I don't want to turn put them down to turn on the lights to walk in my apartment yeah yeah that's the peak of it I set up a an echo in my living room over the weekend and it's like next to the window like when you walk in like from the outside and I tried to see how powerful it was so like I'm like unlock my door and what computer play like you know Danny Brown or something and then I walk in and it was playing so only all right this works it is awesome that just means you have thin walls no I was outside so it was like outside my window yeah I see what you're saying I like that Abdul still kind of running with this Mighty Morphin digital assistant concept he says if they all combine it could be truly powerful I have just pictured like a Megazord waist assistant megazor yeah but they all do the same thing that's true not makes B Bigsby does something different what is what they speaking of your phone yeah yeah exactly so is the point Bixby is the heart of that Captain Planet big he's the one that you asked for if you want like show me the photo frog no I don't think we can do that that's the problem it can do it Josh boy does expand on this I feel the Cortana and Alexa are partnering to take on Google assistant oh yeah that's yeah and that kind of alliance it's like especially when you dirty dark underworld especially systems when you think about like when Jeff Bezos was talking about like all the great things about Cortana like you can check your emails yeah yeah you know check your calendar which we're not that great at doing hmm I wonder what other voice assistant does really well with email and calendars yeah I don't know yeah that's true hint it's not Siri never Siri Abdul says the PC could become the hub for home automation but essentially one of those speakers is your hub for home automation more or less and Paul goes I didn't pay $3,000 for a reminder machine well you know I would pay 10,000 you pay $3,000 for other stuff the reminder machine comes on top that's just the cherry or not I guess imagine soggy says I wish we could pause or turn off Alexa for a second of time using voice it triggers every time someone says it but I mean isn't that kind of a point you could also just change the trigger word or yeah the mic off I wish you could just manually set trigger words like true freedom to make it what are the options for echo Alexa and Amazon Amazon is the least popular one I'm sure no sure but I think you can set like a like a quiet period for for your Alexa you tap the button on top you can mute it yeah but I think like people want something where it's like it's automatically turned on in a certain period of time in like overnight like it wouldn't have that you know what I mean oh that's an that's a good thought yeah yeah or like when you're watching like a movie or something where for some reason the character's name is Alexa you can turn it off during that like time I think that's kind of what he's asking for I can't check on my right now because I literally have no reception in this room but I think there is something like that where you can set it off for like a period of time no we're having a few people in the chat indulge us with what they use their voice assistance for and it seems to be a lot of the same stuff Abell says I keep Alexa next to my bed set my alarm turn my lights off read the news or the Bible I just I've yet to really come across somebody who's come up with a truly creative and interesting yeah platform for it I think why the DD thing that you said that it's okay so it's turning lights off on and off when I come into the apartment with an armful of crap yeah is play Dungeons and Dragons and it is open a box of cats to torture my cat there's a skill called a box of cats you can say computer open a box of cats and it just starts making meowing sounds and my cat freaks out really it's free entertainment for me wow that's that's a pretty novel use I I indulge the emails that we get every week from you know what's new with Alexa okay and okay find new ways but I keep kind of struggling it's like I don't need more recipes I don't need more news you can like schedule like do-not-disturb times for the Alexa okay there you go I is it a new skill you have to install or know it's like it's our period so you can set a like overnight turn off at 9:00 wake up at 7:00 or so yeah yeah all right nice I don't off the microphone also though is the thing because like I think in general it just means like you don't get any notifications or messages or anything like that because that's all so it's still listening yeah so it's still yeah they would still interact with you but it doesn't necessarily mean it's completely mute yeah yeah yeah all right we got one more question let's take it here from Watson do you think Apple's version of the home pod idea will overtake others in terms of competitors I know it says speaker quality is a defining feature but do people actually care about that yes it will pretend like they know yes and no there are audio files who will pay up for us for better speakers I'm not sure I mean we haven't seen the home pod yet so will it actually swing your decision yeah in home assistant when you can wire any of your home assistants into your preferred speakers yeah that's the thing like you can get even better speakers and why are your echo to it maybe somebody's just got like I have an absolute lowest common denominator I can't go worse than this and that's I guess yeah or just general loyalists yeah they're good yeah yeah I still feel like Apple has like way better branding than you know absolutely and people will buy it saying oh it's like the best speaker even though there's better ones out there and those you know there's better options out there but people will buy it thinking that it's the best thing ever yeah sure I can't imagine too many people relying on that as their primary speaker system in their home now no maybe in like if you got like a patio out back kind of thing or you don't want to do like a full system out there but if you're in your home and you're already an audiophile you've already made your decision is smart experience yeah I just yeah my whole point is that like people will pretend like they got the best thing ever with you know a position yeah if they aren't audiophiles it's the same reason why Beats headphones are so successful right there's better options out there but this branding is so powerful that they yeah that's true alright that's about where we gonna run out of commentary for the day and you got to get moving we gotta get moving and questions about anime did you feel that you moved faster definitely there you go yes you felt it I bought it I I'm moving faster I am moving faster like the wind I did you if you notice in that video there's a dude jogging and I just I just flew right past the truth there you go you were running the right way maybe but check it out it's a fun story it was fun yeah yeah when you were trying to record yesterday I was like are you serious with this and then I watched it this boy is the car Brad you bring his home alright if you like maybe you saw or heard here check us on CNET our podcast is also available on iTunes tune in stitcher SoundCloud Feedburner and Google Play Music tomorrow