Echo Dot
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Florida police obtain Alexa recordings in murder investigation
Police have once again obtained Alexa voice recordings as part of an investigation, although they're not necessarily expecting a treasure trove of information this time around. Law enforcement in Hallandale Beach, Florida has used a search warrant to collect Alexa recordings from two Echo Dots as part of a murder case. Investigators want to know if the smart speakers inadvertently picked up audio of a July altercation between Adam Crespo and his wife Silvia Crespo. She died of a spear wound to the chest; Adam maintained that it was the result of an accident that snapped the spear, but detectives want to know if Alexa preserved any evidence of possible foul play.
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 will let parents control who kids chat with on their Echo
Amazon is under pressure to make its Alexa products safer for kids. With that in mind, the company is introducing Alexa Communications for Kids, which allows parents to whitelist contacts that their kids are allowed to talk to viia Echo devices. Theoretically, the parental controls will allow kids to talk to people through their Echo with reduced risk. That could appeal to parents and grandparents alike.
Amazon's new Echo Dot has a built-in clock
How is Amazon going to improve on last year's Echo Dot? By turning it into an alarm clock, it seems. The company has introduced a fourth-generation Dot with a clock built into the side. You won't have to ask Alexa what time it is when you wake up prematurely. It can also display extras like the temperature or alarm times to answer some of your other obvious questions. And if you do use it as an alarm clock, you can tap it to snooze the alarm for some extra shut-eye.
Best Buy’s weekend sale includes up to $500 off 12-inch MacBooks
Best Buy's three-day weekend sale includes a bunch of discounts on Apple and Amazon products, as well as cuts on laptops, TVs, smartwatches and smart home products. The sale runs through Sunday, and if you've been waiting to buy a new device, it's worth checking out.
Monopoly Voice Banking isn’t that smart, but it makes the game tolerable
Monopoly is one of the best-known board games... and one of the most reviled. Games take forever to finish and can end in tears or fisticuffs. But that hasn't stopped Hasbro from churning out version after version, with themes ranging from Mario Kart to broke millennials. The latest variant, Monopoly Voice Banking, would seem to be another gimmick capitalizing on the recent uptick in smart home devices. But it actually removes a lot of the pain points, boiling down Monopoly into the parts that are actually fun.
