蘋果推出HomePod揚聲器 將Siri帶入客廳

Apple has announced a voice-activated loudspeaker powered by its virtual assistant Siri.

蘋果公司於近日推出了一款支持語音助手Siri的聲控揚聲器。

Like devices by Amazon and Google, Apple's HomePod speaker can respond to questions and control smart home gadgets such as lights.

與亞馬遜和谷歌的設備一樣，蘋果的HomePod揚聲器能回答問題，控制如燈類在內的智能家居設備。

Analysts say Apple has been slow to improve its Siri virtual assistant and launch a smart speaker, after Amazon launched its Echo in 2014.

分析人士稱，蘋果在升級Siri語言助手和推出智能揚聲器上已經落後，亞馬遜已經於2014年推出了Echo。

The company has pitched HomePod first and foremost as a music player. This does a great job of extending the tentacles of Apple services.

蘋果公司將HomePod定位爲一流的音樂播放器。其在擴大蘋果設備的範圍上做得很出色。

At more than double the cost of Amazon's Echo, the HomePod is a typical Apple move.

HomePod的成本是亞馬遜Echo的兩倍還要多，帶有典型的蘋果風格。

So - a cynic might say Apple has just launched the world's most-hyped bluetooth speaker - not much imagination there.

所以，一個憤世嫉俗的人可能會說，蘋果剛剛推出了世界上最誇張的藍牙揚聲器，並且沒有什麼想象力。

But let's face it, before AI and machine learning really matures, most home assistant devices are essentially voice-controlled speakers, and so Apple dedicating its effort into making it sound great is probably a smart move.

但是我們不得不承認，在人工智能和機器學習成熟之前，大多數的家用助理設備基本都是由語音控制的揚聲器，所以蘋果努力讓揚聲器音效更棒可能是一步好棋。