Gene MunsterApple’s AI CoupApple has hired John Giannandrea who formerly served as Google’s head of AI and Search. Given the industry’s shortage of AI talent, Giannandrea brings expertise along with credibility, critical in recruiting. Giannandrea will likely be working on AI-powered interfaces that…Read more Apple, Artificial Intelligence , Google
Gene MunsterSmart Speaker Satisfaction High, but It’s Early DaysWe recently surveyed 520 US consumers about smart speakers and found that 89% of respondents were satisfied with them. A closer look at the results reveals the reason for this high satisfaction; early use cases are simple (Music, weather, general…Read more Amazon, Apple , Artificial Intelligence , Google , Microsoft
Gene MunsterWe Ran HomePod Through the Smart Speaker GauntletConclusion Yesterday, we put HomePod through the smart speaker gauntlet which included 782 queries along with comprehensive tests of sound quality and ease of use. Our methodology was comprised of 3 HomePods being tested throughout the day by the Loup…Read more Amazon, Apple , Artificial Intelligence , Google
Will Thompson, Gene MunsterDetroit Auto Show: Winners and Losers in an Industry TransitionWe spent two days at the Detroit Auto Show to experience for ourselves the role that Motor City is playing in the future of mobility. Here are the takeaways: OEMs: Detroit won’t be left behind as traditional auto is consumed by…Read more Autonomous Vehicles
Gene MunsterApple is Flush With Cash, But Don’t Expect Big M&ADon’t expect any big M&A. Everyone is asking who Apple will acquire. The answer is: nobody. At least nobody big ($5B+). Apple announced they’re paying $38B in repatriation taxes, which implies they’re bringing $215B back to the U.S. If there…Read more Apple, Artificial Intelligence , Augmented Reality , Autonomous Vehicles , News
Gene Munster3 Reasons Amazon Will Buy Target This YearAmazon is the world’s largest online retailer, about five times bigger in that space than Walmart and its Jet.com subsidiary. Yet despite Amazon’s deep online roots and dominance over Internet shopping, I believe it will buy Target in 2018.Read more Amazon, Audio , Loup Ventures Podcast , Retail
Gene MunsterSiri Semester Exam Grade Improves to C From D+Semester exam results are in. In our latest 800 question test of AI assistant Siri, she was able to understand 99% of queries and correctly answer 75% of them, earning a C grade. In April of 2017, Siri earned a D+ on…Read more Apple, Artificial Intelligence
Loup Ventures8 Tech Predictions for 2018Loup Ventures’ predictions of 2018: AI theme continues and artificial general intelligence takes small step forward through Google’s “Deepmind” initiative. VR gets untethered but it still takes another year to take off. Google Home continues to gain market share in smart…Read more Amazon, Apple , Artificial Intelligence , Cryptocurrency , Google , Tesla , Virtual Reality
Loup VenturesFace Off Part 3 – Echo vs. Google Home vs. CortanaSmart speakers are quickly becoming one of the most common consumer uses of AI thanks to aggressive pricing and marketing from companies like Amazon and Google. We've conducted our latest round of queries, designed to test the full range of…Read more Amazon, Apple , Artificial Intelligence , Google , Microsoft
Gene MunsterAlexa First to Business but Google AI Close BehindBottom Line. Alexa has 70-80% smart speaker market share and is pedal to the metal in expanding the market beyond the consumer today, being the first company to target the business opportunity. While we expect Alexa will continue to be the…Read more Amazon, Artificial Intelligence , Google
