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Alexa

You’ll have to wait until January 21 to get an Amazon Echo

The #AmazonEcho is a popular device for the Holidays. Thanks to the Alexa voice assistant, users can get a lot more done with just their voice. However, you will have to wait for at least a month if you want to get the Echo for yourself or your loved ones. This is according to the official Echo page on Amazon, which says the product will only be in stock by the 21st of January.

Luckily, customers will be able to avail the holiday season discount for pre-orders as well, which means you can get the Echo for just $139.99, though the delivery will be by late January 2017. The Amazon Echo Dot will be in stock by the 27th of December, while the Amazon Tap is still up for grabs, so you’re not too late if you want to buy either of these two devices.

Analysts and experts have predicted that Google Home could benefit by the absence of Amazon Echo. The product is still very much in stock, so for the people who can’t get the Echo, Home will naturally be an alternative. Have you purchased or pre-ordered any of these products yet?

Source: Amazon

Via: Phone Arena

Amazon launches new Fire TV Stick with Alexa powered remote

#Amazon has upgraded the popular Fire TV Stick, with one important addition – Alexa voice assistant. This is done via the remote that is supplied with the Fire TV Stick, which comes with a dedicated Alexa button to receive voice commands. This feature will no doubt make it an attractive proposition for customers who are seeking a low cost alternative to the larger consoles.

The Fire TV Stick also has some crucial upgrades under the hood. Most importantly, the device now has a Mediatek 8127D chipset, the ability to decode H.265 video, support for Bluetooth 4,1, WiFi 802.11ac and much more. The storage and RAM capacity remains unchanged at 8GB and 1GB respectively.

On the software front, the Fire TV Stick is still running the same Fire OS, which is believed to be based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. While this might sound disheartening to Android purists, the Fire OS has been tweaked extensively to give users a pretty decent software experience. The device can be pre-ordered right away and will be available for purchase on the 20th of October for $39.99. Hit the link below for more details.

Source: Amazon

The new Amazon Fire HD 8 comes with Alexa on board

Amazon has just taken the wraps off its new Fire HD 8 tablet, which comes with Alexa on board. In addition to this attractive voice assistant service, the tablet also comes with a handy specs sheet underneath. However, this won’t contend with the high-end tablets that are available out there. This is evident by the starting price of $89.99. The company is taking pre-orders right away, with units expected to ship by September 21.

Let’s have a quick look at the hardware of the Fire HD 8:

8-inch 1280 x 800 display
1.3 GHz quad-core processor
2MP rear camera
VGA front camera
16/32GB storage (expandable)
1.5GB RAM
Android with Fire OS (upgradable to Fire OS 5.4)
4,750 mAh battery
Stereo speakers (Dolby)

The pricing for the models are as follows:

16GB with special offers – $89.99
16GB without special offers – $104.99
32GB without special offers – $119.99
32GB without special offers – $134.99

Given that you’re spending under $135 regardless of the model you pick, we think you’re getting a very good bargain here. Amazon’s Fire HD tablets have always catered to the budget-conscious public, so this is not particularly surprising to us. You can head over to Amazon page below to pre-order the tablets right away.

Alexa powered CoWatch reaches Indiegogo: prices starting at $159

Smartwatches are currently in trend now and we’ve seen plenty of them already. However, every now and then, we see a manufacturer push the envelope and bring out something truly remarkable. One such wearable has hit Indiegogo now, known as the CoWatch. The key feature of the smartwatch is that it features Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant on board, This is despite Amazon not being associated with the project in any capacity. So we’re not exactly sure how they managed to get Alexa on board, but it’s there.

The CoWatch comes in two variants for now, one is priced at $159 and the other at $179. These are said to be early bird prices, so we can expect it to surpass $200 when the wearables become available on a wider scale. The goal has been set at $80,000 with about $10,000 already being met in a day. The campaign ends on the 15th of May, so it seems like the CoWatch is on its way to reaching the target.

The manufacturers have promised to ship the products three weeks after the campaign deadline, so you can expect to have it sometime by June if you become a backer now. As for the smartwatch itself, it is developed by companies iMCO and Chronologics. It will be compatible with Android 5.0+ or iOS 9+ devices.

There will be a standard 22mm rubber watch band available in an exterior which kind of looks like a Huawei Watch. That can only be a compliment as the Huawei Watch is one of the best-looking smartwatches out there. The manufacturers say that the wearable will be available in Carbon Black and Mineral Silver color variants at launch.

Interested? Check out the Indiegogo page below.

Source: Indiegogo

Amazon Echo now allows third party apps to control media using voice commands

The #AmazonEcho is a pretty versatile device as most of us know. This device can be controlled with just your voice thanks to the onboard voice assistant known as Alexa. However, some of the Alexa features like pause/playing media, adjusting volume etc were only limited to Amazon’s apps. Well, Amazon is now allowing third-party apps to enable support for this feature as well, bringing seamless voice controls to more apps out there.

These features are making their way with the new Alexa Voice Service update. You can find the changelog below:

Volume Control: Ability to adjust and mute/unmute volume on your product using voice or buttons.
Media Control: Ability to control media playback (e.g. play/pause) on your product using voice or buttons.
Timers and Alarms: Ability to create and manage timers/alarms on your product using voice.
Amazon Alexa App Enhancements: Control volume, media playback (e.g. Amazon Music, Audible), as well as manage timers/alarms on your product using the Amazon Alexa App.

Developers will have to make use of the new APIs in order to bring this feature to their apps. Since Amazon has left the choice to the developers, it’s up to them to add support.

Source: Amazon

Via: Android Police

Amazon’s Tap and Echo Dot are the company’s newest Alexa powered smart devices

The #AmazonEcho is a revolutionary product with its always-on voice assistant Alexa being our favorite. The company has now decided to diversify the lineup with the release of two more products based on Alexa. These are known as Tap and Echo Dot.

The Tap is basically a more convenient version of the standard Echo and comes with the same set of features and as a bonus comes with a battery underneath too. This means that the device can function independently without requiring a power outlet, unlike the original Echo. Amazon claims that the device has a battery life of about 9 hours, which should be more than enough. It can pair with your devices over WiFi as well as Bluetooth.

But there’s one caveat here and that’s the lack of an always-on microphone. Amazon is not providing this feature on the device since it operates on battery. So in order to make a request every time, you will have to tap on the microphone button on the device. This might be a bit of an inconvenience for standard Echo users, but not much of a sacrifice given that it can be carried around with you. The Amazon Tap can be pre-ordered now for $129.99 with availability commencing on March 31.

The Echo Dot is essentially a shrunken down version of the full sized Echo, which naturally means that it has a very small speaker as well. However, the Echo Dot comes with the same 7-microphone arrangement as on its larger sibling. It can pair with a nearby Bluetooth speaker or use a 3.5mm jack to connect to bigger speakers, so the lack of a proper speaker module is not exactly a concern. This product is exclusive to Amazon Prime users and requires customers to make the purchase over a Fire TV or an existing Amazon Echo, which is kind of weird. This product can be snatched up for $89.99.

Source: Amazon

Amazon Echo users can now book an Uber with just their voice

If you have an #AmazonEcho at home, you will know about its versatility and the range of features it brings to the table using just your voice. A tie up with #Uber now allows users of the Echo to book a cab with a very basic and simple voice command, thus negating the need to manually whip out your device and call for one.

Of course, this will only work if you’re at home and not outdoors, so the functionality is quite limited. But even then, one can imagine lying down in their couch and calling for an Uber by simply using the Echo voice assistant.

In addition to calling for your Uber, Alexa can also tell you how far the cab is. All you have to ask is, “Alexa, how far away is my Uber?” or something along those lines and you will get an appropriate response from the smart voice assistant.

We’ve seen Alexa being integrated into a multitude of Amazon’s products, but the Echo is where the feature is front and center. Alexa is one of the crucial features of the Echo and has been instrumental in its sales, especially during the Holiday Season last year. Do you own an Amazon Echo at home or your office? Make sure you give this feature a try.

Source: Uber

Via: Android Headlines

Amazon updates first-gen Fire TV with Alexa voice assistant

While Amazon’s popular new #FireTV comes with #Alexa voice assistant, the feature is sadly missing from the older gen hardware. That’s all set to change now though with the first gen Fire TV getting an update containing the Alexa voice assistant on board.

The feature is making its way to the devices with the Fire OS 5.0.5 update that is currently being sent out to the first gen machine. Users are advised to wait patiently for the update as not all devices might see it right away. In any case, it should be relieving enough for the customers to know that Amazon hasn’t forgotten them and is bringing the goodness of Alexa to them as well.

Alexa is essentially Amazon’s version of a home voice assistant and brings a wide range of functions to the table, thanks to its always-on microphones. Make sure you sound off in the comments section below if you’re already seeing an update with Alexa on your Fire TV.

Source: AFTV News

Via: Engadget