Amazon Alexa users located in the United States can now speak with the personal assistant in Spanish, the company has announced. The support has arrived for Alexa on Echo products and other devices that have the assistant built-in. Thanks to this support, developers now have the option of creating Alexa skills designed for Spanish-speaking users.
GM has announced that it will be bringing owners of Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles from 2018 and up model years Alexa compatibility. Not all of the 2018 and newer cars, trucks, and SUVs will have compatible infotainment systems. Those that do will get the Alexa voice experience that leverages the Alexa Auto Software Development Kit. The upgrade will give the GM owners access to standard Alexa skills and capabilities.
Amazon isn't afraid to make a weird product, and while you can question the value of Alexa inside a microwave, there's no denying that the idea of connected appliances and other gadgets is one worth exploring as the IoT spreads. Today's big news might have been more mainstream smart speakers like the Echo Studio, along with cutting-edge experimental tech such as the Echo Frames, but that didn't mean Amazon lacked some oddball gadgetry as well.
It looks like a HomePod with a letterbox slot, but make no mistake, the Amazon Echo Studio isn't playing around when it comes to audio. Slotting in at the top end of Amazon's smart speaker line-up, the beefiest of all the Echos sets its sights on audiophiles with a Dolby Atmos tie-in.
Alexa in your glasses isn't the only unusual place Amazon has been embedded its assistant today, with the Echo Loop another exploration of how wearables and voice tech could blend. Second of Amazon's Day 1 Editions, its tentative innovation tech offering an invite-only taste of what the future could hold, the Echo Loop is a smart ring with Alexa embedded.
Even if you hate Alexa, you may have to concede that Amazon could well have made the product of the 2019 holidays in the Amazon Echo Buds. Announced today, the Bluetooth earbuds not only cut the cord from your phone or laptop, but bake in the Alexa assistant and some active noise reduction powered by Bose.
Smart glasses may bring to mind complex augmented reality eyewear, but Amazon's Echo Frames are taking a more focused approach with Alexa using audio alone. Announced at today's hectic Amazon hardware event, the Alexa smart glasses are part of what the retailer is calling its Day 1 Editions range: products it's experimenting with, and will be offering to buyers by invitation only.
The folks at Amazon launched a new Eero mesh router system today for approximately $99 USD. This device will launch with dual-band radio system support and support for the Eero Secure and Eero Secure Plus subscription systems. This is the first product launched by Amazon with Eero since Amazon acquired Eero in March of 2019.
Alexa has a new, even smaller and more convenient smart speaker to colonize your home, with Echo Flex plugging straight into an outlet. Looking more than a little bit like a plug-in air freshener, Echo Flex addresses one of the big challenges Amazon says 3D printers and DIY fans have been embracing: how can you fix up an Echo dot in a place that's not sitting it on a table or a nightstand.
Amazon already has a few smart displays in its line-up, but Alexa is getting another screen to play with in the shape of the Echo Show 8. An 8-inch version of the existing Echo Show 5, it enlarges the Alexa smart display but keeps its privacy features, and arrives as Alexa gets a big new integration with the Food Network.
Amazon is adding three new Echo smart speaker to its line-up, with a new Echo Dot with Clock, a new Echo with improved audio quality, and a new Echo Studio for audiophiles looking for an all-in-one music experience. Announced in Seattle today, at Amazon's big hardware launch, it's a big push for improving Echo's audio credentials.
Amazon is preparing to launch its own fitness tracking device, a new report claims, and it may come in the form of wireless earbuds. The alleged product is reportedly codenamed 'Puget' and packing the hardware necessary to monitor the user's movements, offering details on things like how many calories were burned. The same leak also claims Amazon is working on a new Echo device offering better sound quality.