Meet Mycroft Mark II, an Open-Source Alternative to Amazon Echo and Google Home

Remember Mycroft? It’s the open-source voice assistant that can be installed on various GNU/Linux distributions and be used on a wide range of appliances built on top of the tiny Raspberry Pi single-board computer, such as the Mycroft Mark I device. Well, now the Mycroft team wants to bring you Mycroft Mark II, the second-generation Mycroft Mark intelligent personal assistant for your smart home. Besides the fact that it stays true to its roots of being an open voice-activated assistant with respect for your privacy, the Mycroft Mark II is designed to challenge the proprietary Amazon Echo and Google Home voice assistants. The Mycroft Mark II processes all of your data in a transparent way that can always be verified and modified by the user. You’re in control of your data when using Mycroft Mark II.