Amazon pulls Echo Wall Clock off the market due to connectivity issues
After customer complaints about connectivity issues, Amazon has pulled the Echo Wall Clock from the market. The clock was introduced in September and launched in December, only to be taken off the market about one month later. Amazon plans to start selling the clock again when the problem is resolved.
Sing with Freddie Mercury with the ‘Ay-Oh with Bohemian Rhapsody’ Alexa skill
20th Century Fox announced a new Alexa Skill for Freddie Mercury fans. To celebrate the digital release of Bohemian Rhapsody and a National Day of "Ay-Oh," fans can download the "Ay-Oh with Bohemian Rhapsody" Skill. Once enabled the skill prompts fans for an immersive sing-along with callback.
You can play NPR’s ‘Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me’ on your smart speaker
NPR's popular comedy news game show is making its way to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can play "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" on Amazon Echo speakers or Google Home devices with the new Wait Wait Quiz. It's hosted by Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis and will be updated every week with new questions.
Here’s everything Amazon and its partners announced for Alexa at CES
Amazon Alexa is rocking CES 2019. After selling millions of Echo and Dot smart speakers during the 2018 holiday season, extending its reach in the U.S. and the world, Amazon announced a ton of new partnerships with device manufacturers. Here's a list of all the announcements for Amazon Alexa and Key by Amazon.
Here are the craziest things that work with Amazon Alexa at CES 2019
Amazon is one of the most powerful companies in the world, and its presence at CES 2019 is as substantial as ever. Here are a bunch of products that you wouldn't think would work with Alexa, and yet they have gone ahead and integrated the digital assistant. What's next, an Alexa-enabled wall?
HERE Navigation On-Demand integrates Amazon Alexa for voice-first navigation
HERE Technologies and Amazon Alexa announced a collaboration with HERE's Navigation On-Demand platform at CES 2019. Drivers can keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel as they use Alexa voice interaction to manage the vehicle navigation system. The integration works inside and outside the vehicle.
Five smart home trends we expect to see at CES this year
CES 2019 is finally here. So what smart home trends can we expect to see this year? Whether you're looking to find that beautiful Amazon Alexa-enabled toilet or that perfect home security system with bells and whistles, chances are you'll find it on the floor at CES 2019. Here are our predictions.
Nobody asked for an Alexa-powered bicycle, but Cybic Legend built one anyway
Amazon Alexa goes mobile this summer as part of the new Cybic Legend smartbike. The bicycle comes equipped with the digital assistant, which can not only answer questions but will also provide updates on traffic and navigation via a 3G always-on cellular connection. The bike will be exclusive to the U.K. for now.
Amazon sends a user someone else’s Alexa recordings by mistake
When you have a voice assistant, you have to know that it's listening at all times. However, the expectation is that it's only listening to you. One Amazon Echo user in Germany was accidentally given more than 1,700 recordings from someone else, sparking concerns about privacy.
Like a proud parent, Amazon recounts everything Alexa achieved in 2018
Four years after its initial launch, Amazon Echo's Alexa voice assistant continues to gain capabilities, add skills by the tens of thousands, and work with additional devices. The Alexa team highlighted 2018's developments including more languages, new partnerships, and the growing emphasis on visual features.
With a simple command, Alexa can arm all your security devices
Alexa customers can query status plus arm or disarm home security systems several companies. New Alexa Guard skills set your home to away mode, send alerts when alarms or sensors go off, and contact home security monitoring services. Use Alexa Routines to enlist all Alexa-connected devices to protect your home.
Amazon Alexa enhancements add geolocation, kids’ Routines, and more
Amazon's Alexa continues to evolve at a remarkable rate and the company has unveiled a host of new features for the end of 2018 including new features that use geolocation to help users find and contact local businesses as well as new features embedded into Routines to help parents get their kids to sleep.
Amazon starts crowdsourcing Alexa’s answers. What could go wrong?
Amazon announced a new resource for its Alexa voice assistant. Alexa Answers is an invitation-only program to which select Amazon customers will be invited to supply brief answers to questions that Alexa was asked but couldn't answer. Answers will be screened before use and answers that are used will be customer-rated.
One band explores the dystopian downside of smart devices in our homes
A video from Brooklyn-based band Big Data, L1zy portrays a dystopian view of life when smart home voice assistants take over. Produced by Ghost+Cow Films, the video starts with the happy arrival of a device on the doormat and quickly leads to disturbing interference with all aspects of family life.
Give your kids a direct line to St. Nick with Alexa’s Call Santa skill
Amazon released new holiday features for children including Alexa-interactive calls to Santa. Customers who own Echo Dot Kids Edition or subscribe to FreeTime with Alexa can check in daily for new stories or jokes. With the Santa Letter Blueprint skill, kids can send their wish lists and check in for daily updates.
Amazon has an even dozen new smart devices. Here’s how to order
Amazon's hardware announcement was in September which meant a whole bunch of new Amazon Alexa devices. Digital Trends attended the event, and will be updating you here as we learn more about the devices. From a microwave to stereo equipment, the number of new gadgets could total as many as eight.
You can now make Skype calls on Amazon Echo devices
Amazon's Alexa can now make video and voice calls with Microsoft's Skype audio and video calling. Alexa-enabled devices can make voice calls. Alexa devices that support video, including the Echo Show, Echo Spot, and Fire Tablets with Show Mode can also make video calls to computers, mobile devices, and Xboxes.
Pandora Premium joins Alexa’s Amazon dance party today
Amazon has just upped its music game for its popular Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show smart speakers by adding a new integration that allows users to play music from Pandora Premium, the ad-free music streaming service that can now be controlled by using voice commands.
Huawei could soon take on Google and Amazon with a new digital assistant
According to a report from CNBC, Huawei is working on a new digital assistant that could try to take on the likes of Google and Amazon's Alexa. While Huawei already has a digital assistant in China, the report notes that the new assistant will be specifically targeted at markets outside of China.
The Echo Dot is on sale today for $30, but it might not last long
The Amazon Echo Dot is the perfect solution for anyone who wants a voice assistant in their house to help out with some tasks but don't want to pay out for the full-blown Echo speaker. You can get the second generation of the Dot on sale today for just $30 but you'll have to act fast to get it.
August locks now have Alexa, Google Assistant Halloween tricks
This Halloween, there are sure to be a lot of unfamiliar and masked faced showing up at your door. When they arrive, you can be ready for them thanks to some new integrations for Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT in August's line of smart locks. This is no Halloween trick, but it is a treat.
This little girl really, really wants Alexa to play ‘Baby Shark’
Sometimes we just can't get what we want. That was the case for one poor little girl who just couldn't get Alexa to understand her request to play the undeniably catchy but undoubtedly annoying song 'Baby Shark.' She finally gets her wish and the song plays thanks to a little help from her mom.
Alexa outage foils hundreds worldwide, service now restored for many
Hundreds of users worldwide reported Amazon Alexa failures on Twitter and elsewhere in an outage with no apparent common characteristics. Users reported malfunctions ranging from bad server connections and login failures to the inability to execute specific skills. The outage spread as others regained service.
Publish a new Alexa skill this month and Amazon will give you an Echo Dot
Amazon' Alexa group announced a promotion encouraging new developers to publish a new Alexa skill in any country First-time developers who publish a new an Alexa skill prior to midnight October 31, 2018, will get a free third-generation Echo Dot directly from Amazon. This promotion is open to U.S. residents only.
Alexa will trick or greet you with custom doorbells this Halloween
Amazon just released new Alexa-compatible smart doorbell application tools for developers. The new APIs allow smart cameras and doorbells to use motion sensing and doorbell presses to start Alexa Routines, sequences of events that occur on command. Customers can set up Routines in the Alexa app Smart Home Section.
Speakers gone wild: Alexa, Google spook customers with reefer reminders, F-bombs
Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant sometimes freak users out in spectacular and sometimes humorous ways. From F-bombs to alarms for cocaine and reefer, here are some examples of colossal smart speaker fails. Has anything weird involving smart speakers ever happened to you?
Amazon’s Alexa app gets new interface to simplify use, control more devices
Amazon is gradually upgrading the Alexa app to improve the appearance, usability, and device control of the budding empire the retail juggernaut is building around its Alexa smart home voice assistant. Multi-room music setups, slicker communications controls, and more accessible device management highlight the new app.
Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant goes silent across Europe
We're used to having Amazon Alexa answer us when we ask it a question or to perform a task. Users in Europe yesterday were met with an unsettling silence every time they made a request of the voice assistant, as Alexa suffered a major service outage across much of the continent.
Alexa invests in manufactured housing with Plant Prefab startup
Amazon's Alexa Fund invested in Plant Prefab, a manufactured home startup company that focuses on smart home technology and sustainable building practices. As Amazon continues to extend voice technology within the home, backing prefabricated housing ventures is a strategic move to boost smart home implementations.
5 lessons from Amazon’s head-spinning, head-splitting Alexa fiesta
What, no Alexa-enabled kitchen sink? Yesterday’s surprise Alexa announcement was a deluge of fast-paced devices and software announcements. Here are five takeaways I have on the event and the devices that were announced. (Hint: one of them predicts Amazon world domination).
Amazon Alexa can now hitch a ride in any car with Echo Auto
At its massive hardware event, Amazon unveiled Echo Auto, a dashboard-mounted device that adds Alexa to any car. It is one of a broad range of ways Amazon is trying to integrate Alexa with cars. Echo Auto is available to select invitees and it will ship later this year.
Google Assistant will now help SimpliSafe keep homes secure
SimpliSafe has added Google Assistant voice commands to its home security control system. With SimpliSafe's new Google Assistant integration, customers can use a single voice command to configure their home security components when they leave home, ensuring that all the doors are locked and the lights are on.
Amazon reportedly will introduce an Alexa-enabled microwave, amp, and more
Amazon's Fall 2018 Alexa device rollout is about to begin, according to informed sources. Look for an Alexa smart microwave, an amplifier, receiver, and subwoofer, and even an Alexa voice-responsive device for your car. Amazon isn't revealing details, but the company is maximizing its voice-command presence.
Amazon wants Alexa to figure out how to fulfill users’ without help from Skills
There are more than 50,000 Alexa skills that allow Amazon's popular voice assistant to perform all sorts of tasks. Now, the company is planning on killing off those skills -- or at least the need to install them. Alexa will eventually be able to find skills that fit a person's request all on her own.