Microsoft launches AI-enabled speaker ‘Invoke’ to take on Amazon and Google
Microsoft launches AI-enabled speaker ‘Invoke’ to take on Amazon and Google

Microsoft launches AI-enabled speaker ‘Invoke’ to take on Amazon and Google

Invoke speakers have been developed in partnership with Harman Kardon.

Microsoft is has launched its AI-powered speaker to take on arch rival Google and an entrenched player in the home speaker space, Amazon. Amazon’s Echo and Google Home are products already popular in American homes and are finding their way to the other parts of the world as well. These gadgets are capable of handling various functions within the household and respond to voice commands.

Microsoft has made an entry into this field for the first time and Invoke is the brand it has chosen to call the new product. It will be putting its artificial intelligence-based digital assistance, Cortana to work on Invoke and the speakers will be sold in two colors, Pearl Silver and Graphite (Black).

Invoke speakers have been developed by Microsoft with the help of Harman Kardon, the specialists in the audio products field. The speakers are cylindrical in shape, with a curve in the middle vertically, giving it an aesthetic appearance. There are three direct-radiating woofers, three direct-radiating tweeters and two passive radiators.

Similarly, there are seven microphones fitted on the Invoke, ensuring that you can listen to sounds from the speaker 360 degrees and your voice command from any corner of the room will be clearly heard by Invoke. The microphones feature the Harman's Sonique far-field voice recognition technology to help with this function.

Microsoft has pre-included some music options for the customers to listen to. These include Spotify Premium, iHeartRadio and TuneIn and Pandora may also follow in the future. The Cortana digital assistant can perform across platforms, like Windows 10, Android, iOS and one can integrate the Skype usage with the speaker through the Xbox route as well.

Some of the Office 365 services like the calendar, schedule reminders etc. can also be availed through Invoke. Microsoft has gone ahead and integrated the Bing knowledge graph also on this speaker and you can access information using Cortana to a variety of information, including news and tweets and so on.

In addition to all this, buyers of Invoke get to enjoy free unlimited calling from their mobile phones and landlines in the US to phones within the US, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Guam. You can use Invoke some of your home appliances also as most home speakers are programmed to do.  

The device is being priced at $199 and can be brought from Microsoft Store, Best Buy and online at HarmanKardon.com.

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