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Amazon has another Echo sale with up to $60 off
To get November (and the holiday shopping season) off to a flying start, Amazon has put many of its Echo devices on sale, including some of its more recent Alexa-powered gizmos. For instance, you can snag yourself or a loved one an Echo Show 5, which Amazon revealed in May, for $60 (down from $90).
Amazon's updated Echo Dot for kids is louder and more colorful
Last year, Amazon unveiled a child-friendly version of its affordable Echo Dot, which came in bright primary colors, offered age-appropriate content and parental controls. Today, the company is announcing a brand new version of the Echo Dot Kids Edition for $70, plus a couple of new features to its kid-friendly FreeTime app as well.
You can now ask Alexa to delete your voice history
As Amazon announced the brand new Echo Show 5 today, it also introduced several new features that will come to all Alexa-enabled devices. One of them is focused squarely on privacy. Instead of having to delete your Alexa voice history manually, you'll soon be able to just say something like "Alexa, delete everything I said today" to wipe out your recordings for that day. You can also say "Alexa, delete what I just said" to remove a recent utterance.
Amazon says Cyber Monday was its biggest shopping day ever
Amazon claims Cyber Monday was its biggest shopping day ever -- it previously said Prime Day in July this year was its largest shopping event. Over the five days from Thanksgiving to Monday, Amazon customers bought more than 180 million items from its online store as they took advantage of cut-price deals.
All of Amazon's new Echo speakers reviewed
Amazon may have defined the smart speaker category with the Echo and its successors, but many competitors have the company beat in one specific way: audio quality. Amazon says the No. 1 activity for Echo users is playing music, but anyone who has used an Echo knows that the sound quality is nothing to write home about. Amazon must have recognized this, because improved speakers in the new Echo Dot and Echo Plus were a major talking point when they were announced in September. Reading between the lines, it seems safe to say that Amazon believes its Echo speakers can be the centerpiece of a respectable home-audio setup. How else would you explain the new $129 Echo Sub, a device that does nothing aside from wirelessly pair with another Echo device to bring the bass?
Amazon is discounting Echo and Fire devices for Black Friday
You're probably familiar with the 12 days of Christmas, but how about the seven days of Black Friday? Amazon is getting the savings started early by cutting the prices on its own devices starting November 16th. The sale will run through Black Friday, November 23rd, and features some pretty steep discounts on Amazon's line of smart speakers, tablets and other devices.
Amazon adds a free Echo Dot to Xbox One purchases
Amazon's previously-announced combo offer to anyone in the market for an Xbox One is now available. Buy a brand new system, either the entry level S or 4K-capable X model, and get both NBA 2K19 and an Echo Dot for free. Both the game and the Dot retail for $60 and $50 respectively, giving you a $110 savings. As with many promotions this deal will only be available while supplies last. This deal comes after Microsoft announced new Xbox integrations with Alexa and Cortana. The features allow users to use Alexa to turn the console on and off, adjust volume, launch games and apps, start and stop Mixer broadcasts and capture screenshots all through voice. This isn't the only Xbox deal right now, however: GameStop is offering a generous trade-in deal for an Xbox One X State of Decay 2 bundle. Trading in the original Xbox One will net you $200 in trade-in credit, while the Xbox One S, PS4, and Switch will net you $250. The highest value comes from trading in a PS4 Pro, giving $300 in credit.
Amazon's new Echo lineup targets Google, Apple and Sonos
It wouldn't be an Amazon event without a slew of new Echo devices, and this time is no different. The company announced not one, not two, but seven new Echo products at an event today in Seattle. Not only are there now new versions of the Echo Dot, the Echo Plus and the Echo Show, Amazon also introduced several new Echo companions that you can use to bring Alexa to every room in your house -- and even your car.
Here's every Alexa device Amazon announced today
Amazon caused a few gasps at its Alexa event Thursday when it revealed it had 70 things to announce. If that sounds like a lot to take in, fret not -- not all of those were hardware announcements. We've rounded up all of the Alexa-infused products Amazon showcased, including speakers, an in-car device and, um, a microwave?
Amazon's new Echo Dot offers better sound at the same price
As rumored, Amazon isn't playing around and it's getting ready to launch a slew of Alexa-powered devices. First up, it's a new Echo Dot, which the company says offers better sound than before and it's still only $50. According to Amazon, this Dot is 70 percent louder compared the previous model, thanks to a 1.6-inch driver that's designed to deliver more powerful sound with lower distortion and "enhanced" bass. It also comes with an upgraded appearance, featuring a fabric coat that makes it look more stylish than the existing plastic hockey puck.
Saint Louis University will put 2,300 Echo Dots in student residences
If you're attending Saint Louis University this semester, you'll find more in your dorm room than the usual tiny furnishings. The school has unveiled plans to provide all 2,300 student residences on campus (both dorms and apartments) with Echo Dots by the time classes begin in late August. To no one's surprise, they're not just there for asking about the weather. They'll have access to an SLU Alexa skill that provides answers to "more than 100" common questions, whether it's the location of a building, event timing or library hours.
Wirecutter deals: The best Prime Day deals so far
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commissions. that support its work. Read Wirecutter's continuously updated list of Prime Day deals here.
Acer adds a free Echo Dot to its Alexa-equipped laptops
If you've been eyeing Acer's Alexa-enabled laptops, you may want to check out the company's deals on Amazon for Prime subscribers. The manufacturer has slashed $50 off all available models' prices, which really isn't that much -- good thing Acer is also giving out a free Echo Dot speaker with every purchase. These laptops come built-in with Amazon's voice assistant, and you can ask it questions and access skills like you would on one of the tech giant's Echo speakers.
Bonjour, Alexa: Amazon's Echo finally comes to France
While all my American and UK colleagues have had access to Amazon's Alexa for years, I've been left out of the party here in France. At last, however, folks in the nation (and Monaco) can parlez Francais with Alexa on Amazon's Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Spot. Those devices are now up for pre-order on Amazon at half price, with delivery set at June 13th for Prime members.
Alexa’s recording snafu was improbable, but inevitable
Amazon's Alexa recently made headlines for one of the strangest consumer AI mistakes we've ever heard of: A family in Portland, Oregon, claims that the company's virtual assistant recorded a conversation and sent it to a seemingly random person in the husband's contact list. Alexa didn't just make one slip-up -- it made several that, when combined, led to a pretty remarkable breach of privacy. The company's explanation, provided to news outlets yesterday, makes clear just how unlikely this whole situation was:
Amazon confirms the existence of a 'Fire TV Cube' (update)
The next-generation Fire TV might take on a cube-shaped form. AFTVNews has discovered a page on Amazon's website where you can sign up to receive more info about a certain "Fire TV Cube." While the page is pretty much empty other than the words "What is Fire TV Cube?" and the promise of more details coming soon, it could be all about the box-like device the same publication leaked last year. Back in September, AFTVNews published the photo you can see above. It said the boxy contraption on the right is some sort of a Fire TV-Echo Dot hybrid with hands-free Alexa support.
Do you need a smart home hub?
When life gets chaotic, it can be convenient to have all your smart home devices operating on the same wavelength. Achieving this sort of harmony sometimes requires a hub to consolidate the myriad gadgets in your house. But not everyone needs a dedicated smart hub to make their setup run smoothly. A smart speaker like the Amazon Echo or the Google Home can serve a similar purpose, with each device's respective apps acting as central command. Manufacturers have even begun bundling hubs into other devices like security systems and mesh WiFi routers, making home automation simpler for beginners.
Alexa can build Amazon Music playlists for you
Amazon announced today that Amazon Music listeners will now be able to ask Alexa to make a playlist through their Alexa-enabled devices. Commands like "Alexa, add this to my playlist" and "Alexa, create a new playlist" can be used and users can ask the assistant to add songs to a specific playlist or to create a new playlist from the current song being listened to.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals you can still grab
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.
The best audio gear to give as gifts
Maybe there's an audiophile on your list, or maybe you're shopping for someone who recently acquired a new phone and could use something better than the pack-in headphones. Either way, we have a slew of recommendations in the audio gear section of our holiday gift guide. On our list you'll find smart speakers from Google and Amazon alike, along with Sonos, whose new "One" speaker includes Alexa built in, with Google Assistant support coming soon. When it comes to headphones, our selections run the gamut from the affordable (Jabra's Move headset) to the high end (Bragi's Dash Pro wireless earbuds and these noise cancelling headphones from Sony), with a couple mid-range options in between. Rounding out the list, we have a soundbar, drum machine, synth app, the Amazon Echo Show and one of our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers. Find all that and many more items in our holiday gift guide, at the link below.
