"Hey Facebook": Network experiments with voice assistants
Facebook is trying to establish its own voice assistant. Initially on the VR glasses of the subsidiary Oculus, users can trigger functions of the software with the wake-up word "Hey Facebook," as the online network announced on Friday night.
Facebook's video communication device Portal also now suggests "Hey Facebook" as an alternative to the previous "Hey Portal" trigger.
The capabilities of the assistant software are limited to a few tasks at the beginning. For example, you can start a game by voice, see who of your friends is online, or take a screenshot. The software will initially be available on the new Oculus Quest 2 glasses and later on for the first Quest generation as well.
In Germany, Facebook stopped selling its VR goggles after plans to merge Oculus accounts with Facebook profiles triggered an investigation.
With virtual reality, users immerse themselves in digital worlds with special glasses. Currently, Facebook in particular is driving development in the consumer market with Oculus. Despite great expectations and investments, VR has so far remained a niche business.
When it comes to voice assistants, Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant are the most widespread across technology from various providers, while Apple offers its own Siri software on its devices. (SDA)
