The JBL portable speaker range – including the Flip 3, Charge 3, Pulse 2 and Extreme – now all have a new lease of life thanks to a firmware update that allows users to speak to their devices. Harman International Industries, the connected technologies firm that owns JBL, announced this week that their line of portable JBL speakers will be able to control music through the voice alone.
If you’re listening to music, you can now press the multifunction button – a button that is used to play and pause – and the JBL portable speaker will listen for your command. Connect to an iPhone and you’ll be able to speak to Siri, or connect with an Android device and you’ll be able to speak to Google Now.
The Senior Director of Smart Audio at Harman, Andy Tsui, said:
“This new voice integration feature will allow users to take their listening experience to a whole new level. If you’re listening to a JBL portable speaker while shooting hoops or relaxing in the pool, there’s no longer any need to stop the fun and scramble to find your phone to switch songs…We’re excited for our portable speakers to play a bigger and better role in everyday life for JBL music aficionados.”
All future JBL portable speakers will now feature this ability as standard, but those who have already purchased speakers will simply be able to update their firmware and enjoy the same functionality as all modern speakers. Users simply need to head over to the JBL CONNECT application which can be downloaded via the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. The app will then hook your phone up to your speaker and update its internal software.
So don’t go worrying if you think your speaker’s out of date!
[Via BusinessWire]