You can apply for a job with McDonald's using Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa

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Here's one more thing you can do with your virtual assistant: try and get a job at McDonald's. McDonald's Canada will let you use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to start applying for a job at the company. You just need to say the hotword "Alexa" or "Hey Google" and then add "help me get a job at McDonald's." The virtual assistant will then ask you a series of short questions about your location and the ideal position you want to apply for. You will then be sent a link via text to proceed with the application process. This feature is accessible on Amazon and Google smart devices as well as through the respective apps on your phone. The voice-initiated process is available in both English and French.

Source: MobileSyrup

Amazon dips into wearables with smart ring and glasses

On top of introducing the Echo Buds, Amazon ventures further into the realm of wearables with new experimental, limited-volume hardware. There's the Echo Frames and the Echo Loop. The Frames are Alexa-enabled glasses that will not have a camera or smart display but will feature microphones and a speaker. Meanwhile, the Loop is an Alexa-enabled ring that has two built-in mics and a tiny speaker as well. Both products will be released in the US on an invite-only basis later in the year. 

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Amazon introduces Echo Buds

Amazon takes a stab at creating its AirPods competitor with the Echo Buds. Announced at its event in Seattle, the wireless earbuds feature dual drivers and offer active noise cancellation thanks to the help of Bose. You just need to double-tap the earbuds to activate the noise cancellation. Like regular Bose headphones equipped with noise cancellation, the Echo Buds feature a Passthrough mode, allowing you to hear the outside world. 

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Amazon Echo Show helps identify household pantry items in the US

Accessibility is one of the areas technology companies have been focusing on and improving in the past few years. The new feature available on the Amazon Echo Show helps the blind or low-vision customers to identify everyday household pantry items that are difficult to distinguish by touch. The feature makes use of computer vision and machine learning to recognize what item is placed before it. It'll be available on the first- and second-generation versions of this device. This Alexa-powered smart speaker is geared towards kitchens as it helps out with kitchen-related tasks, such as setting timers and watching recipe videos.

Users simply need to say things like "Alexa, what am I holding?" or "Alexa, what's in my hand?" And then the Echo Show will give verbal cues to inform the users what the product is. Amazon worked with blind Amazon employees, including its principal accessibility engineer, Josh Miele. They got feedback from both blind and low-vision customers and collaborated with the Vista Center for the Blind in Santa Cruz. It's currently only available in the US, but we're hoping it gets a broader rollout in the future.

Source: TechCrunch