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'Jurassic World Revealed' exposes the limits of Alexa games
Turns out, I'm quite terrible at running away from dinosaurs. This is a thing I learned after playing all six chapters of the Jurassic World Revealed game on Alexa, which launches today in tandem with the movie. The first chapter is free, and you can get it by enabling the Jurassic World skill in your Alexa app.
Alexa and Echo will arrive in Italy and Spain later this year
Amazon's plan to put Alexa everywhere is extending from homes to hotels and, soon, the Mediterranean. It will bring Alexa and the various Echo devices to Spain and Italy later this year. Sonos and Bose will also start selling their Alexa-enabled devices in those countries before the year's out.
It's too easy to trick your Echo into spying on you
The main reason most people get an Amazon Echo, with its onboard AI servant,Alexa, is convenience. But, after a family in Oregon found out Alexa recorded at least one private conversation and sent it to a contact in their address book, you might want to sacrifice convenience for privacy and personal security. Or, maybe you should at least keep the microphone turned off when not in use. Not very convenient, I know.
Amazon Echo recorded a conversation and sent it to a random contact (updated)
A Portland, Oregon family has claimed that their Amazon Echo recorded a conversation and then sent it to a random person on their contact list. Two weeks ago, the person -- an employee of the husband -- sent them audio files of their chats that he'd received from their smart speaker.
Apple's HomePod smart speaker will ship February 9th
Apple's own vision for the future of home audio, the HomePod smart speaker, will begin shipping on February 9th. Pre-orders for the device open this Friday, January 26th, and are open to users in the US, UK and Australia, while those in France and Germany will be waiting until the "spring." It will, as expected, be priced at $349 / £319, and is available in either White or Space Grey.
Amazon’s Echo Spot bedside speaker clock comes to the UK
Last year was a big year for Alexa. First, Amazon released updated versions of its popular Echo speakers and then brought its smart assistant to screens with the launch of the Echo Show and the Echo Spot. However, like many Amazon products, they often take their time to travel across the Atlantic. The Echo Show took around five months to launch in the UK and we've been waiting since September for its smaller sibling to make its debut. Today, Amazon announced that its smart alarm clock will cost £120 and is now available to pre-order.
One in six Americans owns a smart speaker, according to study
There's no doubt that smart speakers are selling like hotcakes, but how many people own them, exactly? Quite a few, according to NPR and Edison Research. They've published findings of a study which estimates that one in six Americans (16 percent) owns a smart speaker of some kind -- a huge amount if the study is precise, and a whopping 128 percent higher than a year earlier. About 7 percent of Americans reportedly bought at least one speaker between Black Friday (November 24th) and then end of 2017, with 4 percent of Americans having bought their very first speaker.
BBC launches Alexa skill for live radio and podcasts
Every BBC radio station and podcast is now accessible through Amazon's Alexa assistant. So if you have an Echo or Echo dot in your home (or any Alexa-enabled speaker, for that matter), you can now launch Radio 1, 6 Music, or an episode of Desert Island Discs with your voice. The new Alexa "skill" offers granular control too, including "play," "pause" and "resume." You can also skip back to the "previous" episode of a podcast at any time.
Amazon Echo speakers and Music Unlimited head to 28 more countries
It took Amazon a while to get its streaming music strategy truly off the ground -- its Music Unlimited service, with competes with Spotify, Apple Music and the like, only launched last fall. But today, both Music Unlimited and the Echo smart speaker lineup are expanding in a big way: Amazon has announced that both are available in 28 new countries, most of which are found across Europe and South America.
Alexa and Echo will land in Australia and NZ in early 2018
Amazon just dropped its umpteenth Alexa skill, this time for Destiny 2 fans. Already in the tens of thousands, the digital assistant's tricks span shopping, news, smart home controls, pop trivia, kiddie pastimes, and now video games. But while a growing number of regions have access to Amazon's Echo family of smart speakers (including recent additions India and Japan), they're still missing in some spots. Now, it seems Alexa's global expansion is picking up speed, as the digital helper is (officially) heading Down Under. Amazon has announced that Alexa and Alexa-enabled devices will land in Australia and New Zealand in early 2018.
'Destiny 2' gets a Ghost Alexa skill and replica speaker
Whether you're a Destiny 2 newbie sampling its free trial or a hardened vet griping about player progress, one thing we can all agree on is the general awesomeness of the game's Ghost AI. The floating intelligence is a tipster, guide, and mechanic all rolled in to one. Activision is so enamoured with the virtual assistant that it's pairing it up with Amazon's Echo speakers. Yes, a Ghost Alexa skill is now available for players that want to bark voice orders at a real-life version of the virtual assistant. With it, you'll be able to ask Alexa to ask Ghost to equip load-outs, scout levels, and join a clan.
Amazon Echo update doesn’t forget the bass
Amazon's been listening. Not just to your every word (waiting for you say "Alexa"), but also to the widespread criticism of the audio quality on the new Echo. The company issued a software update on Friday to improve the second-generation Echo's sound profile. It should have installed automatically, meaning you may have already noticed a bit more bass in your music this weekend. You can see if you have the latest software by looking under the Settings section of your Alexa app. The version number should be "592452420."
Interactive fiction for smart speakers is the BBC's latest experiment
Smart home speakers have quickly become the hot gadget people didn't know they wanted. They can answer your movie trivia questions, call a cab, turn your heating on and do your shopping for you. They're gaining new features every day, but are more than just a utility product. These speakers are a ripe platform for all kinds of screen-free entertainment, and I'm not just talking about streaming a Spotify playlist. Earplay is a popular Alexa skill that tells interactive stories, for example, and never one to be late to a fledgling medium, the BBC has taken note. In one of its many experiments outside the bread and butter of broadcast TV, the BBC is releasing its first immersive audio tale today: The Inspection Chamber.
Amazon Echo review (2017): Good price, bad sound
Two years after its birth, the device that inspired dozens of copycat smart speakers and spawned thousands of integrations is getting a makeover. Amazon's "all-new" Echo is smaller and cheaper and promises better sound. But with a pile of new competitors and even more in the pipeline, the second-generation Echo needs to prove it's still worth your money.
Amazon offers $250,000 prize fund for Alexa skills aimed at kids
Amazon's latest bid to boost its smart assistant's skill set is centered around kids. Oh, and a big pile of money. Alexa Skills Challenge: Kids wants Alexa tricks aimed at kids under the age of 13, with the best ones claiming cash prizes from a fund of $250,000. The overall winner will claim $25,000, so a farm yard animal noise generator won't cut it. All eligible participants in the challenge will also pick up a limited-edition Echo Dot, and there's dedicated prizes for high school and university student devs.
Alexa can control all the Dish TVs in your home
Dish has been cozying up with Amazon of late. The Pay TV provider already offers an Echo Dot to new customers, which lets you control its Hopper DVR or Wally with your voice. And, now you can do the same with all the Joey-enabled TVs in your home as well. As long as you have one of Amazon's smart speakers in earshot, you'll be able to bark orders at your extra television sets, which is great for when you want to pause and resume the action between rooms. And, if you seek to rule the TV in the kid's bedroom.
Amazon’s confusing new Echo lineup: There’s a method to the madness
Amazon's overstuffed Echo event yesterday made one thing clear: it's not afraid of doubling down on smart speakers and its virtual assistant Alexa. The company announced a smaller $100 Echo (just as we reported in July); a $150 Echo Plus with smart hub features; and an Echo-powered alarm clock called "Spot". And that's not even including the truly strange stuff: Echo Connect, which turns your Echo devices into speakerphones for landlines; and a tiny Bluetooth button for games. Amazon's also bundling an Echo Dot with the new Alexa-powered Fire TV dongle for just $80, as well as with the Fire TV stick for $60. Whew.
Amazon's Echo Show is now available to pre-order in the UK
Thanks to a surprise event at Amazon's Seattle HQ yesterday, we got to see a whole host of new Alexa-powered devices. We played with the redesigned Echo, the all-new Echo Plus with smart hub, the cute Echo Spot and an overhauled Fire TV, giving consumers even more reason to buy into Amazon's ecosystem. While most of the event was dedicated to brand new Echos, the company also found time to update customers outside of the US on the status of the Echo Show. The good news is that the video-capable device is now available to pre-order in the UK and Germany for £199.99 and €219.99 respectively.
Joe Biden will give daily news briefings on Echo and Google Home
One of the most useful features across both Google Home and the Amazon Echo series is getting a daily news briefing. Asking both devices to tell you what's going on for your day can include a customized look at news that matters to you from a variety of sources. As of today, there's a new option for getting a news update from your smart speaker, and it comes from a somewhat surprising source: former vice president Joe Biden. "Biden's Briefing" is essentially a short daily podcast featuring news and info curated by Biden -- the content itself is sourced from a wide variety of news publications, including Axios, Bloomberg, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, MSNBC, New York Review of Books, Politico, Slate, Vice and Wired.
Alexa is coming to Bragi's wireless earbuds in October
Amazon's Alexa may be a useful digital assistant, but it's a lot less useful when you're away from your Echo hardware. Wireless headphone-maker Bragi is looking to bridge the gap between Alexa and your phone with its Dash and Dash Pro earbuds. Thanks to a software update coming in October, you'll be able to talk to Alexa using Bragi's headphones. Once you update your headphones and link your Amazon account in the Bragi app for iOS and Android, you'll be able to start talking with Alexa through your headphones the same way you can with Siri or the Google Assistant.
