Lenovo Launches Smart Assistant

Yet another smart speaker plus idea, reported in Business Insider.  The dynamic of integrating the brain of Alexa into many devices is interesting.   I am worried that the architecture of Alexa will not be good enough to launch the levels of intelligence we will ultimately expect.   I would expect that development from Google.   Expected to be available in May:

" ... Lenovo just launched an Amazon Echo clone that also uses Alexa — but costs $50 less
The runaway success of the Amazon Echo has shown that people are willing to accept some device built around a digital assistant into their lives, and now the rest of tech world is scrambling to get a piece of the smart speaker pie.

Google last year rolled out the Google Home, while Apple is reportedly putting Siri in a forthcoming speaker of its own.

Chinese tech company Lenovo doesn’t have an AI system along the lines of Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa, but as a relatively prominent hardware maker, it wants in all the same. And so, Lenovo on Tuesday launched the Lenovo Smart Assistant, an Echo-like speaker in both form and function, at CES 2017 in Las Vegas.

Lenovo says it worked with Amazon for the Smart Assistant; as such, the device relies on Alexa for its smarts. Like the Echo, you simply yell out whatever questions or commands you want to Lenovo's speaker, and Alexa will tap into the same set of “Skills” to help where it can. ..... " 

List of personal assistants studied.