The pandemic has made clear that low-resolution webcams are only the tip of the video calling iceberg: in an ideal world we'd all have our own cameraperson to make sure the angles were perfect. That's what Amazon's Echo Show 8 (2nd Generation) promises, turning Alexa into your personal videographer but - to keep the new smart display to $130 - with no moving parts involved.
Amazon Sidewalk launches this month, but I just headed into the Alexa app to make sure I wasn't automatically enrolled into the controversial shared neighborhood network. Part of Amazon's Echo and Ring products, Sidewalk makes big promises about more resilient connectivity, useful features like lost object tracking, and even helping get new smart home devices online. At the same time, though, Sidewalk and the way Amazon is launching it has given many users pause.
As lockdown gradually lifts, the active noise cancelling earbuds which have made working from home more bearable are about to get a taste of the outside world. Amazon's new Echo Buds (2nd Gen) arrive just in time for that, pitching not only true wireless audio but hands-free Alexa and ANC with a head-turning $129.99 price tag.
Ford is baking Alexa into more vehicle dashboards, part of its new Power-Up OTA updates that will see some drivers get three years of free cellular data with which to interact with Amazon's assistant. The new feature builds on Ford's existing Alexa support as part of its SYNC infotainment platform.
Amazon has revealed two new smart displays, and while the 2021 updates to the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 5 may not have an auto-swiveling screen like the Echo Show 10, they're also a lot more affordable. Both get upgraded cameras, with the Echo Show 8 adding digital panning and zooming for video calls to help keep you centered int the frame as you move around.
If you were one of the people who pledged to buy the Smart Sticky Note Printer introduced as one of Amazon's Day 1 Edition concepts, good news: the device will start shipping later this summer. As expected, the tiny portable printer can be used to print out reminders on-demand using Alexa voice commands, as well as puzzles, recipes, and similar things.
Amazon today announced the second-generation Echo Buds, keeping much of the functionality from its predecessor while giving the Buds themselves a new design. While the new Echo Buds feature similar functionality to the old ones, that doesn't mean there aren't any new features. For instance, Amazon says that these new Echo Buds will offer improved call quality thanks to some souped-up microphones, while the earbuds should offer a better fit with more charging options.
They say that inspiration can strike anywhere, sometimes when you're not at the place where you needed that inspiration in the first place. That works not just for creative activities but even for ideas on what game you want to play next. When that happens away from your PC or console, you'll have to remember to take note of it for later. If you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription and an Alexa-powered device, however, you can simply just ask Amazon's smart assistant to download that game for you, even while you're on a run outside.
Amazon's Echo Show 10 has seen a big price cut, with a new deal on the motorized smart display making it a much easier sell for your kitchen counter or desk. Announced late last year, the third generation of the Alexa-powered smart display mounts its 10-inch screen on a twisting speaker body.
Amazon has added a new Car Mode to its Amazon Music app, aiming to make it easier to handle playback while minimizing driver distraction. As you'd expect, the new interface includes simplified controls and bigger text to save you from squinting at your smartphone, along with Alexa voice control so that you might not even need to move your hands from the wheel.
Amazon's Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) has added support for Zoom and Amazon Chime, with the face-tracking smart display getting a lot more useful in the process. Launched earlier this year, the newest - and so far largest - Echo Show has a motorized base that can rotate its 10-inch display so that it's always facing you.
Lamborghini has announced that it is now integrating enhanced connectivity services into one of its most sought-after performance cars, the Huracan EVO. Enhanced connectivity services began this year and include navigation, comfort, safety, and entertainment functions. Lamborghini Connect has new "peace of mind" services utilizing the connection to the Lamborghini UNICA app.