Samsung's Bixby is lost in translation (The 3:59, Ep. 250)

We talk about the delay of Samsung's digital assistant, special Alexa-only Prime Day deals and the real threat of NotPetya. PSA: The 3:59 is on hiatus from July 10 to 24 and we'll be periodically filling in the gaps with some pre-taped shows.

Alfred Ng Senior Reporter / CNET News

Alfred Ng was a senior reporter for CNET News. He was raised in Brooklyn and previously worked on the New York Daily News's social media and breaking news teams.

See full bio

Ben Fox Rubin Former senior reporter

Ben Fox Rubin was a senior reporter for CNET News in Manhattan, reporting on Amazon, e-commerce and mobile payments. He previously worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and got his start at newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

See full bio

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News

Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.

Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials

SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.

See full bio

Alfred Ng

Ben Fox Rubin

Roger Cheng

July 5, 2017 10:03 a.m. PT

Samsung's voice assistant Bixby could use some more English lessons.

The South Korean electronics giant missed the mark again on bringing its voice assistant to phones around the world, which it promised would arrive in late April and then again in June. It has been struggling to roll out the English version of Bixby because the company doesn't have enough data to teach it work properly.

We chat about other obstacles Bixby will face as it tries to take on Apple's Siri, Google's Assistant and Amazon's Alexa.

Speaking of Amazon, the retailer announced several exclusive deals for Prime Day that you can only get through voice shopping. Yep, Amazon is still trying to make voice shopping a thing, and it's hoping these discounts will help.

And we also take a look at last week's ransomware epidemic and how it's likely a cover-up for something much worse.

The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you by the CNET News team in New York and producer Bryan VanGelder.

Check out the extended shows on YouTube.

Podcast

Subscribe:

Mobile Guides

Phones

Foldable Phones

Headphones

Mobile Accessories

Smartwatches

Wireless Plans

Mobile coupons