Microsoft Teams is using AI to prevent awkward interruptions in video calls

Microsoft might soon mitigate some of the worst nuisances in video chats. The Vergenotes Microsoft is rolling out AI-based voice quality upgrades that should help every call participant hear each other clearly. New machine learning models can not only cancel echoes, but even reduce the chances of awkward interruptions by eliminating echo-related overlaps. This won’t stop rude people from hijacking the conversation, but it might help you raise an important point without completely disrupting someone else’s train of thought.

The machine learning technology counters echoes by using a combination of roughly 100,000 simulated rooms and training from 30,000 hours of speech. Microsoft also paid regular Teams users to record their voices to help recognize thousands of different devices. And crucially, the processing happens on your device. This helps Microsoft cut costs, of course, but also makes sure the echo reduction happens quickly and across a wider range of users.

The feature is live now following months of testing. It comes in tandem with a few other upgrades, including AI improvements for bandwidth-limited video calls and optimizations for displaying text. This by itself probably won’t make you choose Teams over rivals like Zoom or Google Meet, but it might tip the balance if virtual meetings are commonplace at your workplace.

Spotify buys an AI startup that turns text into ‘realistic’ speech

Spotify’s string of recent acquisitions now includes a potentially huge text-to-speech upgrade. The streaming music service is acquiring Sonantic, a startup that uses AI to produce “stunningly realistic” voices from text. While Spotify didn’t divulge its exact plans for the purchase, it teased multiple potential improvements.

Sonantic’s tech could provide context for upcoming recommendations even when you aren’t looking at your screen, Spotify said. The AI voice platform could also “reduce barriers” for new audio experiences. We’d add that this could help with accessibility. You might have an easier time navigating Spotify without relying on the visual interface.

Spotify didn’t say when it expected the deal to close. The move makes sense in light of broader trends, however. Social networks like Instagram and TikTok already use text-to-speech for robotic voiceovers. Meld this with Spotify’s TikTok-style discovery feed and the company may have a better chance of reeling in listeners used to finding their tunes on social networks.

Apple’s AirPods Max are back on sale for $449

While the AirPods Max are Apple’s most advanced headphones to date, they’re also the company’s most expensive. Normally priced at $549, all of the colors of the AirPods Max are on sale right now. Most of them are $100 off and down to $449, while currently the pink and the space gray models are $120 off and down to $429.

Shop AirPods Max at Amazon

These headphones will be most useful to Apple diehards as the combine the conveniences of the H1 chipset with remarkable audio quality and ANC. We gave them a score of 84 and found them to have excellent, balanced sound with Adaptive EQ and spatial audio support, plus ANC that’s strong enough to block out most surrounding noises. They have a uniquely “Apple” design, complete with aluminum earcups and a mesh headband, and it’s actually quite comfortable despite being on the heavier side. We also appreciate their reliable onboard controls: you can use the rotating crown to adjust the volume, and there’s a dedicated button that switches between ANC and Transparency mode.

Inside the AirPods Max is Apple’s H1 chipset, which means these headphones have all of the conveniences that the company’s wireless earbuds do. They’ll pair quickly with iPhones and other Apple devices, and you can switch seamlessly from taking a call on your iPhone to listening to music on your MacBook. The chip also powers hands-free Siri access, so you can ask the virtual assistant to do things for you without lifting a finger. Admittedly, they’re still high-priced headphones even when on sale — you could pick up the new Sony WH-1000XM5 for less — but the AirPods Max are a good choice for those that live within the Apple ecosystem.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Google will expand the usefulness of voice commands beyond Android phones

Google has helped app creators make better use of Assistant voice commands over time, but its longstanding Conversational Actions framework for those commands has had its limits. It’s primarily meant for conventional Android mobile devices, and it’s voice-only — the technology won’t help much on your smartwatch, or when you need some on-screen interaction. The company is taking steps to make voice control more useful across all its platforms, though. It’s expanding the App Actions framework to be more helpful for the entire Android ecosystem, and it’s phasing out the old system in the process.

The company is in the midst of integrating App Actions across all Android-based platforms, including automotive platforms and wearables. Assistant can now point you to the relevant apps for a given command even when you don’t mention an app’s name, or when you’re looking for the right software in “All Apps” on a Pixel 6. And if you don’t have the app necessary for a command, you’ll be taken to the appropriate Play Store page. These will help developers by boosting demand for their apps, of course, but they’ll also help you focus on accomplishing tasks rather than crafting the exact phrase you need.

Developers will have a strong incentive to embrace the newer technology. Google is sunsetting Conversational Actions in June 2023, and plans to “turn down” features like console analytics at that point. The extra year will give app producers the time to learn App Actions and otherwise transition away from the earlier approach.

You might have seen this shift coming. Conversational Actions was introduced five years ago, only to be supplemented by App Actions (in an initially limited form) in 2019 — Google has been priming itself for a handover like this for a while. And with Google committing to major expansions of platforms like Android Auto and Wear OS, upgraded voice functionality is that much more important for the company.

Apple’s 2021 iPad Mini falls back to an all-time low of $400

Apple’s 2021 iPad Mini tablet is a popular choice thanks to its portability and excellent specs, but it’s not exactly an impulse purchase at $500. If you’ve been eyeing one, the 64GB model is now on sale at Amazon for $400 (20 percent off) matching the lowest price we’ve seen. And if you need more storage, the iPad Mini 256GB model is discounted by 17 percent, dropping the price to $540. 

Buy Apple iPad Mini at Amazon

The 2021 model has similar specs to the iPhone 13, with the same speedy A15 Bionic chip that delivers a big jump in performance over the fifth-gen model. It comes with a larger 8.3-inch display with higher 2,266 x 1,488 resolution and eliminates the physical home button, moving the Touch ID sensor to the power button. The volume buttons, meanwhile, are at the top to make room for Apple Pencil 2 that can be attached to the side magnetically.

Other features include USB-C charging and upgraded cameras with support from Apple’s Center Stage feature, keeping you in the center of the frame during video calls. The main downsides are the lack of a headphone jack, limited 64GB of storage on the base model and fairly high price compared to tablets with comparable specs. Amazon has certainly taken the edge off the price, but it’s best to act soon before the deal ends. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Amazon sale slashes Fire tablets by up to 45 percent

Amazon’s Fire HD tablets are on sale at the second-lowest prices we’ve seen across a range of 8-inch and 10-inch models. If you’re looking for the lowest price possible, the Fire HD 8 is available for just $50, and for the biggest discount, the the Fire HD 8 Plus is on sale for $60, or 45 percent ($50) off the regular price — the second-best deal we’ve seen so far. 

Buy Fire HD tablets at Amazon

There’s already a lot to like about the Fire HD 8, like Alexa support, a USB-C port that allows for faster charging, good build quality, 32GB of storage that’s upgradeable via a microSD slot, a sharp 1,200 x 800 display, 2GB of RAM, a big 4,850 mAh battery and a quad-core processor. The main drawback is the lack of Google apps, unless you’re willing to side load them. As mentioned, the Fire HD 8 is on sale for $50, or 44 percent off the regular $90 price, and is available in four colors including black and white. 

The Fire HD 8 Plus gives you all of those features, but boosts the RAM from 2GB to 3GB, while including wireless charging and a fast 9W charger in the box. The Fire HD 8 Plus is on sale for just $60 or $50 (45 percent) off the regular price. 

If you need something bigger than 8 inches, a pair of 10-inch tablets are on sale as well. The Fire HD 10 gives you a lot of tablet for the money, including a 1080p display, 32GB of storage, 3GB of RAM, an octa-core battery and fast USB-C charging. It’s on sale for $100, or 33 percent off the regular price. And finally, the Fire HD 10 Plus boosts those specs to 4GB of RAM, along with wireless charging and a fast 9W charger. It’s on sale for $130, or $50 off the regular price. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Watch the Xbox and Bethesda games showcase here at 1PM ET

E3 might not be happening this year, but Summer Game Fest kicked off on Thursday and today is arguably its biggest event: the Xbox and Bethesda games showcase.

The stream starts at 1pm ET, and should feature a bunch of new Xbox exclusives from Microsoft’s many, many internal studios. We already got some news on the company’s cloud gaming TV app early this week, and today we’re hoping to hear more about Starfield and Redfall — two Bethesda games that have been delayed into 2023. It’d be nice to get some more news on Elder Scrolls VI, which was announced almost exactly four years ago.

Away from Bethesda, Microsoft has a bunch of exclusives we’re waiting to hear more on. There’s the next-generation Forza, the new Fable and that gorgeous looking Hellblade sequel all on the way, and plenty more beyond that. Given it’s Xbox, there’s a 99-percent chance we’ll hear something about Halo as well. The stream is available on Twitch and YouTube, or you can watch it in the embed below.

Apple TV 4K is at a new all-time low of $130 on Amazon

The Apple TV 4K has never been cheaper on Amazon. The 32GB version of the device is now available for $130, or $49 less than its retail price of $179. The 64GB is at $150, also $50 lower than retail. That’s the lowest price we’ve ever seen for Apple’s premium streaming boxes.

Buy 2021 Apple TV 4K (32GB) at Amazon – $130Buy 2021 Apple TV 4K (64GB) at Amazon – $150

Devindra Hardawar gave the 2021 Apple TV 4K a score of 90 in our review, noting its revamped Siri remote with more physical controls as a top selling point. We found its directional pad easier to use for making fine-tuned selections compared to the prior remote’s touchpad. You can even use the pad as an iPod-style touch wheel to scrub backwards and forwards in a video. Siri interprets voice commands well if you don’t feel like giving your fingers a workout.

While there are many less expensive streaming devices on the market, we think Apple TV 4K is the best premium option around. It has support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and spatial audio, and it runs on an A12 Bionic chip (which is also used to power the third-gen iPad Air and iPhone XS). You can use AirPlay to share video, photos and more from your other Apple devices to your TV. There’s the option to see a live feed of HomeKit-enabled cameras and to control smart home devices through Apple TV 4K, and, if you have the relevant subscription, an ever-growing library of games available through Apple Arcade.

Of course, the main reason most folks will pick up an Apple TV 4K is so they can watch shows and movies. The device supports a plethora of streaming services, including Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN, Disney+, Sling TV, Hulu and Twitch.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.