Touchless tech: How short-term rentals are simplifying stays amid COVID-19

Then came COVID-19 – upending the travel industry, the way business is conducted and the expectations of consumers. Full Story: PhocusWire

The best Google Assistant and Nest devices of 2020

From smart displays to smart speakers, lights and locks, you can build a whole smart home with Google Assistant. Full Story: CNET

Google is Listening to Your Recordings Again – If You Let It

After a year’s hiatus, Google is to resume saving voice recordings made by its users – but, only if they actively opt in to the program. Full Story: Tech.co

Google Assistant to soon power hands-free texting, YouTube Music discovery integration

Google continues to make Google Assistant integrated into a lot of its apps, devices, and the whole eco-system. We will soon be getting a “hands-free” voice typing feature where you can go ahead and send messages without having to touch your phone (or at least barely). Full Story: Android Community

Transport for NSW dives deeper into voice assistance with Alexa

Transport for NSW has launched a new ‘skill’ for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant that offers a swag of new features for commuters, as the agency continues its push towards intelligent automation. Full Story: iTnews

6 Alexa features you should turn off today

From protecting privacy to making Alexa more efficient, here are some ways to improve your Amazon voice assistant. Full Story: CNET

How Google Can Give Samsung a Brain

It turns out that making a digital voice assistant people actually want to use is really hard work. That’s good news for Google, and kick in the rear for everyone else. Full Story: TheStreet

Ask Alexa: our weekly take on the best commands, tips, tricks and Skills

Alexa’s become smart enough to constantly surprise us – you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to questions it can comfortably answer, and Amazon is updating it with new features so often it’s difficult to keep up. Full Story: Which?

How Livestreaming Video Games on Twitch is Building an Audio Database for AI Training

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are building an open-source database of sounds in people’s homes using a video game they designed to be played on the popular livestreaming platform Twitch. Full Story: Voicebot.ai

A Guide to the Best Voice Search Apps for Android

In today’s world, we always have our hands full. This makes having a voice command application to help us with our tasks incredibly valuable. Full Story: TechFunnel