It turns out that Bixby really is the future that Samsung wants. The South Korean tech giant is continuing its overarching goal of embedding the virtual assistant into all of its products by 2020, announcing this week that the personalized service will soon be added to all of Samsung’s robot cleaners and ovens. The company’s artificial intelligence will be included in all of its cleaners and ovens by the end of this year, in fact.
HS Kim, president and CEO of Samsung’s Consumer Electronics division, said at a press event in Seoul that the A.I. assistant will continue to evolve into an intelligent, personalized service over time. The technology is an enormous investment for Samsung, which has brought together expertise in A.I. and voice recognition, the company’s Samsung Connect connectivity platform, and a cloud stack.
Bixby, whether consumers like it or not, is already available in all of Samsung’s smartphones as well as smart consumer electronics products like televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines.
Samsung also announced updates to Bixby services in its family hub. Consumers are able to use Bixby’s voice controls to issue a wide variety of orders, such as turning on air conditioners simply by saying, “It’s hot out today.” The technology platform also supports a number of passive smart functions: Refrigerators can make stock lists and manage expiration dates, while washing machines can recommend the best washing cycle based on the types of clothes being washed.
One key to the entire Samsung ecosystem of connected products is the platform’s advanced voice controls. Bixby can already recognize individual voices of family members to track preferences and schedules. Its features can be activated simultaneously by a single voice command, as many Bixby users have discovered to their dismay. However, simply issuing the command “Good night” will switch off televisions and put air conditioners into sleep mode.
Samsung also announced this week that its next flagship smartphone will feature an even more advanced A.I. assistant, dubbed Bixby 2.0. Gray Lee, head of the A.I. Center under Samsung Research, told the Korea Herald that the platform will be upgraded with enhanced language processes, improved noise resistance, and quicker response times.
Samsung reportedly plans to unveil the Galaxy Note 9 in August. No word yet on when Bixby 2.0 will come to Samsung’s smart kitchen and cleaning products but it’s likely to be soon. Samsung plans to connect a total of 14 million products with Bixby this year and aims to connect them all by 2020.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.