One of the bigger surprises at today’s big Amazon event was something the company didn’t announce. After a couple of years of speculation that the company was working on its own version of the HomePod and Google Max, we still don’t have a truly premium Echo. That’s due, in part, to the fact that Amazon […]
View More Echo HomePod? Amazon wants you to build your ownCategory: Amazon Hardware Event 2018
Amazon introduces APL, a new design language for building Alexa skills for devices with screens
Along with the launch of the all-new Echo Show, the Alexa-powered device with a screen, Amazon also introduced a new design language for developers who want to build voice skills that include multimedia experiences. Called Alexa Presentation Language, or APL, developers will be able to build voice-based apps that also include things like images, graphics, […]
View More Amazon introduces APL, a new design language for building Alexa skills for devices with screensGoogle’s fingerprints were all over today’s Amazon event
Hidden amongst the 70 or so announcements Amazon made at today’s big Alexa event was one key hidden presence. Google’s offerings loomed large over much of the news flowing out from the big event. It’s easy to understand why, of course. Assistant and Home have steadily been making up ground on Amazon over the last […]
View More Google’s fingerprints were all over today’s Amazon eventAmazon’s new Echo Dot, up close and hands-on
If the Echo Show was the Amazon device most desperately in need of a makeover (please and thank you), the Dot was certainly a close second. After all, while the cheapest (and best selling) Echo device has already been through a couple of iterations, the hardware wasn’t exactly the sort of thing you’d proudly display […]
View More Amazon’s new Echo Dot, up close and hands-onAmazon’s new Echo Show up close and hands-on
The Show was far and away the Echo product most in need of a makeover. The original device, introduced two years back, was far more concerned with function than form. That, of course, is in line with many of the company’s hardware offerings, which are often designed to simply show what things like Alexa are […]
View More Amazon’s new Echo Show up close and hands-onUp close with Amazon’s $60 Alexa Microwave
Amazon was quick to note at today’s event that not all that much has been done to update the microwave for the 21st century. While that’s probably a pretty fair criticism of the ubiquitous home appliance, the new AmazonBasics microwave is less about space-age technologies than it is helping to usher in the future of […]
View More Up close with Amazon’s $60 Alexa MicrowaveEcho Auto brings Alexa to cars
As Amazon noted at today’s event, the company has already been working with a number of car companies to bring Alexa to vehicles. There are already a number of high-profile partners, including Toyota, Ford, Lexus, BMW and Audi. Today, it announced its plan to bring the assistant to the rest of the “hundreds of millions” […]
View More Echo Auto brings Alexa to carsAlexa Guard turns Echo products into security devices
Here’s another unexpected surprise, as the hardware announcements have started coming fast and furious. Alexa Guard is a home security device that integrates with existing Echos. When the users is away, the product, flips the smart speakers in “Guard Mode,” so they listen out for sounds like breaking glass. The product features smoke and carbon […]
View More Alexa Guard turns Echo products into security devicesAmazon launches an Alexa microwave with built-in popcorn Dash button
One of the weirder rumors ahead of today’s Amazon event has come to fruition. The company’s attempting to make a big push into home appliances, so it’s leading the way with its very microwave. The Amazon Basics Microwave apparently began life as an in-house reference product, as the company was developing an API for third-parties […]
View More Amazon launches an Alexa microwave with built-in popcorn Dash buttonAmazon launches an Alexa Smart Plug
Amazon wants to make it easier to set up your smart home. Today, the company introduced a new Smart Plug device that brings Alexa’s voice control capabilities to anything you want to control – a coffee pot, a light, or anything else that can be powered on or off at a power outlet. What makes […]
View More Amazon launches an Alexa Smart PlugAmazon introduces a new subwoofer and amp for the Echo line
The Echo Sub isn’t quite a HomePod competitor, but it’s pretty darn close. In fact the the Amazon-made subwoofer actually looks a far bit like Apple’s high-end smart speaker. But the device is actually designed to work in conjunction with the Echo line, offering a much deeper sounds than any of the current devices. Along […]
View More Amazon introduces a new subwoofer and amp for the Echo lineAmazon refreshes its best-selling Echo Dot
The first big piece of hardware news at today’s Amazon event is a long-awaited refresh to the Echo Dot — what the company calls the “best selling speaker, ever.” The new product features a fully refreshed design with a much nicer cloth covering — akin to the new Echo and Echo Plus, along with Google’s […]
View More Amazon refreshes its best-selling Echo Dot