Baidu launches three new smart speakers that don’t need Alexa or Google Assistant
https://www.theverge.com/ces/2018/1/8/16866068/baidu-smart-speakers-dueros-ces-2018
Baidu is one of the biggest web companies in China, so naturally, it’s trying to take over the smart assistant market there just as Google and Amazon are in the US. To that end, Baidu is introducing three new smart speakers today, all with very different core functions: there’s a lamp, a ceiling-mounted projector, and a screen that’s a lot like an Echo Show.
The smart screen is called the Little Fish VSI; it’s a tinier version of the original Little Fish, which came out at this time last year. The VSI looks like what would happen if Google made an Echo Show: the device has a wedge shape with the screen on top and room for a speaker on bottom, and it’s wrapped in fabric. There are going to be four different color options, but so far we’ve only seen it in gray.