Apple Is Manufacturing a Siri Speaker to Outdo Google and Amazon | Bloomberg

The iPhone-maker has started manufacturing a long-in-the-works Siri-controlled smart speaker, according to people familiar with the matter. Apple could debut the speaker as soon as its annual developer conference in June, but the device will not be ready to ship until later in the year, the people said. The device will differ from Amazon.com Inc.’s Echo and Alphabet Inc.’s Google Home speakers by offering virtual surround sound technology and deep integration with Apple’s product lineup.

Amazon Echo set to hit 40% of UK homes by early next year | Radiocentre

Screenless, voice-controlled devices, such as Amazon Echo, are fast becoming mainstream technology with household penetration potentially exceeding 40% by early next year, according to Getting Vocal, a new study from Radiocentre. Echo already plays a central role in the home and is used by all family members, and has quickly become an important part of the daily routine with 81% of owners using the device at least once a day or more.

Twitter is giving brands a new way to promote their chatbots | TechCrunch

Twitter has found its own way to participate in the growing chatbot trend. The company announced earlier this week a new feature for advertisers, which allows businesses on Twitter to promote ads designed to pull consumers into personalized experiences within Direct Messaging  – including interactions with chatbots. These interactions get started via a promoted “Direct Message Card,” as the new, customizable card for businesses is called.

How chat app giant Tencent won big by correctly predicting that email was totally wrong for China | Quartz

Demographics and low computer ownership led chat, not email, to become the default language of China’s internet. In Chin, email never reached the ubiquity it has in other countries. Most Chinese consumers, if they have an email address, seldom use it. Chat, instead, remains the preferred method of communication–between friends, families, colleagues, business partners, and even strangers.

Longchamp and Burberry have set up stores on WeChat, China's top messenger app

China's most popular messenger app — which boasted nearly 900 million daily users last year — is so ubiquitous that luxury brands like Longchamp and Burberry are jumping onboard, reports the Wall Street Journal. Big brands like Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Dior are also testing demand through flash sales. Longchamp found that WeChat pulled in a lot of sales, after earlier experiments with social media marketing in China. 

ServiceNow buys Qlue, invests in BuildOnMe in chatbot expansion | ZDNet

ServiceNow said it has acquired Qlue, which creates virtual messaging agents, and invested in BuildOnMe, a startup focused on artificial intelligence-based applications. The effort comes after ServiceNow launched its AI and automation platform. With the acquisition and investment, ServiceNow said it will use virtual agent technologies across its workflows on its platform for IT, HR, customer service and security.

Cisco Acquires AI Company MindMeld to Expand Chatbot Capabilities | Nearshore Americas

US networking giant Cisco has acquired Silicon Valley-based artificial intelligence (AI) company MindMeld for $125 million. MindMeld’s proprietary AI platform helps companies build intelligent and human-like conversational chatbot interfaces for any apps and devices.