Companies explore shopping by voice

Companies explore shopping by voiceNEW YORK: A shift to voice-centric services is forcing businesses to rethink how they present information to consumers. It’s similar to the way websites once had to slim down to work on the smaller screens of smartphones.
The software company Adobe, for instance, is announcing new tools that could help companies create simple voice interfaces for travel and shopping. It’s not a simple task, since a voice-based digital assistant can’t really list dozens of options.
That means companies have to figure out how to winnow down those choices to the few travel options or products people are most likely to want – an inherently fraught undertaking.
The technology is still in its infancy, but its announcement shows that voice assistants are becoming important channels for reaching consumers.-AP