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Agence France-Presse

Chinese tech giant Lenovo announced Tuesday it was launching a smart home assistant powered by Amazon’s Alexa, becoming the latest firm to enter the market for voice-activated devices.
The new Smart Assistant, to go on sale for US$129, will compete with Amazon’s Echo speakers using the artificial intelligence developed by Amazon.
Lenovo made the announcement ahead of the opening of the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, which features a dizzying array of tech gadgets and concepts.

Built in collaboration with Amazon, the Smart Assistant “recognises users’ voice commands to conduct web searches, play music, create lists, calendar reminders and much more,” a Lenovo statement said.
Lenovo’s move comes following Google’s launch of a similar device which can respond to questions and voice commands and connect to smart appliances, so a user can set a thermostat or turn on an oven.
“Our goal has never been to simply build smart home devices for the sake of advancing technology alone,” says Johnson Jia, Lenovo’s senior vice president for personal computers and smart devices.
“In the same way a person’s IQ is measured by applied knowledge, we believe products are ‘smart’ to the degree they’re actually understood and applied to daily life by their users.”

Steve Rabuchin, vice president for Amazon Alexa, said the US firm was “excited to work with an innovative company such as Lenovo to bring the Lenovo Smart Assistant with Alexa to customers this spring.”
The device is expected to be available in May.
Lenovo also announced plans for upgraded laptops, including PCs optimised for gaming.


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Lenovo

Lenovo to launch ‘home assistant’ with Amazon’s Alexa

(FILES) This file photo taken on December 11, 2014 shows the logo of the online retailer Amazon dispalyed on computer screens in London. Amazon said December 27, 2016 its connected Echo speakers infused with artificial intelligence were the top-selling products over the holiday season for the online giant. The devices -- which include the Echo and Echo Dot speakers, introduced in 2014 with "Alexa" responding to voice commands -- are part of a trend toward artificial intelligence in the home, often connecting smart appliances and other functions. / AFP PHOTO / LEON NEAL

An employee of Amazon PrimeNow stacks shelves for customers making last minute holiday orders, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016, at a distribution hub in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

The Lenovo's brand logo is displayed on a screen before a press conference in Hong Kong. Chinese tech giant Lenovo announced on January 3, 2017 it was launching a smart home assistant powered by Amazon's Alexa. Photo: AFP