Sonos, a speaker company that works as a smart network of wireless speakers, has announced some exciting news for the upcoming future. It seeks to stream music from any and all services. The Sonos One, which will be shipping out to consumers in October for $199, will have the ability to access voice services when paired together with an Amazon Echo or Dot product. For the company, the integration of voice control is a huge deal. According to the CEO of Sonos, Patrick Spence, “This subtle change with how we interact with technology makes the golden age of content more accessible than ever”. Other than voice control, Sonos looks to extend to other partnerships too. The speakers will soon be able to mirror sounds from any apple device via Airplay, like playing a certain song when somebody rings a doorbell and be controlled from apps and streaming services. This is a huge step for both Sonos and technology as a whole, as Sonos can now connect with all products, not just your iPhone, and you can virtually play anything through these wireless speakers throughout your whole home.
Porges, Seth. “Sonos Unveils Its Vision Of The Future: A Sound System That Works With Every Product And Platform.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 Oct. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/sethporges/2017/10/04/sonos-unveils-its-vision-of-the-future-a-sound-system-that-works-with-every-product-and-platform/.
I think this would be a wonderful addition to the IoT. This would help users of all kinds listen to whatever kinds of materials they want without limiting themselves to a specific platform or medium of playing music. This would allow the user of this product to be creative with their use of the sounds that most products today aren’t capable of.
The new Sonos system is a huge step in technology. I have the Sonos speaker at home, which plays music throughout the house through my phone and my whole family loves it! We are constantly playing music in each room with the touch of a button, which even that is technologically advanced. The only problem with the original Sonos was that you had to have the app connected in the house, which sometimes takes a while to do. Now, that you can stream music from any device, it opens a whole new door for the Sonos product. Playing songs when someone rings the doorbell, and seeing how all the devices are able to connect together is a huge step for the Internet of Things. Other brands are also able to connect together using this device which is a breakthrough in technology and I can’t wait to see it in use!
This product is huge step moving forward to fully achieve the Internet of Things. The voice recognition is a very important feature of the Sonos product because it is thought of as an ideal aspect of the IoT. However, unlike most developing technologies nowadays I do not believe that there is a security issue with this particular innovation. It is noted by an official Sonos blog post regarding their policy update that Sonos is not keeping records of voice data. The voice recordings will directly be sent to the voice assistance service that the user has activated with their personalized system. Many consumers mention their concerns with a lack of privacy whether it may pertain to a video camera, voice recorder, etc. included in newly developed technologies. Sonos buyers, nevertheless, do not need to fear these ideas because Sonos is a platform that builds partnerships with services and other devices that can be found in a home. Although data is shared amongst these partners the company has made it clear that they only do what is absolutely necessary with data exchanges to uphold a “quality experience” for their customers. Moreover, the fact is that Sonos is doing the bare minimum to intrude on any privacy or security of the users’ homes and personal lifestyle as they understand that individuals will have this voice recording devices in personal locations. The Sonos Chief Legal Officer Craig Shelburne states that the only situation in which information and data are shared between companies is when the user requests for it to be done and provides credible authorization. Shelburne makes it clear that Sonos is much more straight forward with these policies in the new version of the device compared to previous ones. Furthermore, not all Sonos devices have voice recognition which allows their buyers to choose their preferences when making a purchase. In my opinion, it is extremely commendable that Sonos is so open about their policies through the times of extreme innovation making society questioning how far technology should ethically go. Overall, it is a very interesting device that brings humanity one step closer to accomplishing the Internet of Things.
Source:
Keach, Sean. “New Sonos 2017: Release date, Alexa news and all you need to know.” Trusted Reviews, 26 Sept. 2017, http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/new-sonos-2017-release-date-news-products-next-alexa-3280087.
WOW! This is the best thing i’ve read all day. I am so excited for this to com out. It reminds me of the JBL speaker, that connects to one another so you can share music with your friends. With this now, you can connect not just two of the same speakers, but all different ones. I already like the features on the JBL, so my roommate and I can always connect our speakers, but imagine going to the beach with a huge group of people, you can connect everyone and jam to the same tunes. This is a great new invention that is a step up from the normal features of the speakers we already have.
http://www.jbl.com/bluetooth-speakers/JBL+Flip+4.html?dwvar_JBL%20Flip%204_color=Black#start=1
I believe this is a huge step for businesses moving forward. This shows that in the future companies like Apple could make products compatible with other brands. This would be huge for compatibility and the Internet of Things. The Internet of Things would be able to connect in other ways that previously would have been impossible. The IOT is a great thing and this is expanding on it. So even if this doesn’t extend to other business models, this is still a good advancement that many people will appreciate. The article I posted shows some of the struggles between Apple and Android. The IOT will hopefully bridge some of the gaps with technology by having everything connected. This step is a step in the right direction. This will make it easier for you to switch device platforms at your own leisure with no time between.
https://gizmodo.com/how-to-use-android-and-ios-together-1358600762