Smart homes is the next big thing and it's going to get even smarter. Don't believe us? Just ask the latest Apple rumors that are making waves. Amazon introduced its Alexa-powered voice activated Amazon Echo hub last year and well critically acclaimed for its versatility and cleverness– from playing music, news updates and streaming TV shows to room control, finding restaurants and calling Uber. Now, Apple wants in.
According to the product rumor, a new Amazon Echo fighter rival from Apple could bring a camera that boasts facial recognition. Via CNET, the facial recognition technology will make Apple's device "self aware" and able to identify the faces of people in the room.
The idea of a self aware device is creepy, but Apple intends to use the technology in order to deliver information tailored to individual preferences, including music the person likes.
Apple and Amazon are not the only tech giants vying for the smart home market. The Google IO event from earlier this month introduced the Google Home. The Google Home promises to be more "contextually aware" and a more efficient conversationalist. A demo video at Google IO shows a child asking Google Home what is the closest star and then follows up with, "Can you show me what it looks like on TV?" Google Home was able to recognized that it refers to the Alpha Centauri, which was the answer to the previous question.
It looks like Cupertino is already facing stiff competition from its peers. We don't know what the new Apple smart home hub will look like, but major improvements to Siri are expected for iOS 10. Stay tuned as we learn more about the new Apple device in the months ahead.
