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Huawei’s Alexa-powered AI smart speaker can make calls

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By Gokul Bhagabati
Berlin, Sep 2 (IANS) Huawei AI Cube, the first Amazon Alexa-powered smart speaker from the Chinese tech giant introduced at consumer electronics show IFA 2018 here, has the ability to make calls if it gets approval from local operators, cliams a top company executive.

Unlike other smart speakers such as the Google Home, Apple’s HomePod or Amazon Echo devices, the cylindrical-sized speaker from Huawei also has a 4G mobile Internet router, meaning users can insert a SIM card in the device and make it their Wi-Fi hotspot if they so wish.

“We are planning to sell it in partnership with local mobile network operators just like what Jio is doing with its phones in India,” Shudong Luo, Chief Marketing Engineer, IoT (Internet of Things) Produt Line, told IANS, hinting that the AI Cube could even come for free, depending on the partnership with the local carrier.

The AI Cube, which currenly supports three languages – English, German and French – is likely to hit the stores first in Europe towards the end of this year.

Huawei said it was currenly not prepared to bring it to the fledgling Indian smart speaker market.

Besides the addition of the 4G router, what sets the AI Cube apart from its competitors are the Huawei Histen audio technology and its enhanced AI capabilities that offers superior performance, Shudong said, adding that one can call the AI Cube from a maximum distance of five metres.

Histen enriches the AI speaker’s set of features by including virtual bass, linear phase equaliser, adaptive gain control, far-field voice recognition and more as part of its repertoire, Huawei said.

While the calling capability of the AI Cube is not unique for a smart speaker, it may have a wider application than its competitors because of the 4G router.

“The AI Cube works like a human ear and automatically adjusts to the surrounding sound effects,” Shudong said about the device powered by HiSilicon Balong chipset.

The device supports LTE category 6 speeds — 300Mbps downlink – and is compatible with the 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, meaning the router is dual band, capable of working on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels, according to Huawei.

With Alexa built into the device, consumers can use it to effortlessly play music, control smart home devices, and access more than 50,000 “skills”, or apps, with voice commands.

The worldwide smart home devices market, inclusive of smart speakers and other devices, is forecast to ship 549.5 million devices in 2018, growing 26.8 per cent over the prior year, according to a report from research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).

The value of the smart speaker market is set to reach $27.8 billion in 2022 from $11.8 billion in 2018, according to the report.

(Gokul Bhagabati is attending IFA 2018 at the invitation of Huawei Consumer Business Group. He can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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