The technology ambitions of Sber, Russia’s state-controlled financial giant, were demonstrated again yesterday as the company presented its new smart media speaker.
Sber claims the device was “created with the latest product design trends in mind” and touts it as a “one-of-a-kind in its category.”
Christened ‘SberBox Time,’ the device combines the functionality of three gadgets at once – a smart speaker, a set-top box, and a music alarm clock. Its also integrates a variety of offers from Sber subsidiaries and partners: from food deliveries, to music and video catalogs, to gaming, to educational apps.
As described by the company, SberBox Time’s features include:
- Front panel: A hip mechanical clock with an LED mode indicator. Depending on the smart assistant you have chosen – Sber, Athena, or Joy – the indicator light will be soft green, blue or orange.
- Voice control: The Salute virtual assistants will be happy to do what you tell them to: put on the music that clicks your mood, your favorite radio station or a podcast, an exciting lecture for adults, a bedtime story for children or just chat with you. ‘Detailed conversations’ with artificial intelligence will start if you say: “Salute, let’s chat.” SberBox Time is especially convenient when using voice to control smart home devices by Sber and partners*, get a weather forecast, stay on top of news, set a timer, a reminder or an alarm clock. For pleasant and comfortable morning wake-ups, the user can select any of the 65 million songs in the SberSound library for an alarm clock sound. You can also add any devices paired with the Sber smart home platform to your alarm clock scenario: for example, adjust the color and brightness of a bedside lamp or turn the coffee maker on once you wake up.
- Powerful sound: High quality and powerful sound are delivered by two wideband speakers and a passive radiator to ensure the right balance of low, mid, and high frequencies. SberBox Time is a smart speaker, but it can also be used as a conventional Bluetooth speaker, stream sound to headphones or a standalone audio system.
- Voice recognition: Thanks to its five-microphone matrix, SberBox Time recognizes voice commands perfectly – unless there is loud music, the device will hear them even from the next room. If you seek some privacy, the microphones can be turned off physically through the ‘mute’ button.
- TV compatibility: SberBox Time can be used as a full-fledged TV media center when plugged to a TV using HDMI. A TV connection unlocks multimodal control – with voice, a physical or a virtual remote in the Salute application or a gamepad.
- Media center mode: opens access to a wide collection of video, audio, and gaming content through the favorite interface of hundreds of thousands of Russian users of SberBox set-top box. On top of the functionality of the no-screen-mode, users can watch TV channels, online videos, feature films, cartoons and series with Okko and other online cinemas. You can throw karaoke parties, shop online with the Layer function, order groceries or pizza for watching a movie from Delivery Club right on the big screen.
“The ever-growing collection of the app catalog will offer hundreds of gaming, entertainment, kids and educational smart apps,” Sber pledges.
The device will “fit into almost any interior, thanks to its smooth lines and laconic design.” SberBox Time is now available only in black and white, but more colors will be offered in the future.
Source: Sber
