Functionality from Amazon's voice assistant Alexa was added to Razer Chroma this week. In the near future, users will be able to command the many combinations of colors and color functionality on their Razer Chroma light-embedded devices. This comes at the same time as the Razer Chroma Connected Devices program, now active, tags on 15 new parters and 300+ Chroma-enabled devices.
Sony has bestowed its WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones with support for Alexa. The headphones, which are already available, enable a voice-controlled experience via the push of a button. Until now, the WH-1000XM3 headphones only supported Google Assistant, but that will change in the near future thanks to a new software update bringing Alexa.
Key by Amazon, the retailer's in-home package delivery option for Prime subscribers, has expanded with a new garage delivery option, as well as the new Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt and compatibility with Ring. Perhaps the most notable of the changes is Amazon Key for Garage, which feels like a less creepy compromise between leaving packages on the porch or giving a stranger access to one's home.
It's been clear for several years now that Amazon has been dominating the smart speaker market with its voice assistant Alexa, with the AI having successfully made the jump from the company's own Echo line of speakers to a wide range of third-party devices. Now Amazon has finally revealed how many products with built-in Alexa it's sold: more than 100 million.
Amazon is planning to expand its physical store presence throughout the US in a big way, a new report claims, by building new Whole Foods destinations. The alleged business plan will put more people within the coverage range for Amazon's two-hour delivery service, the sources claim. The Internet giant has reportedly already scoped out multiple potential retail spaces for the expansion.
It would appear that a malicious app by the name of "Setup for Amazon Alexa" climbed the Apple app store charts all the way to the top 10 before its removal. This app's true intent is not yet known, but it most certainly was not made by any sort of official Amazon entity. This app reached at least number 6 on the app store charts for Utilities, and within the top 60 for "top free" apps in general. Now it's been removed.
Even though Christmas has come and gone, those of you with some holiday cash to burn can still partake in some gaming deals for Xbox One and PlayStation. It's a particularly good time to be picking up some new games, as both Microsoft and Sony are hosting sales on their digital storefronts. If you're in the market for a new console, there are a few discounts still available for you as well.
Loup Ventures has published its annual smart speaker IQ test results, revealing how the four big personal assistant AIs performed when asked 800 questions each. Compared to the previous year, three products saw the biggest gain in IQ points and were able to answer a substantially higher percentage of questions versus 2017. However, Google Assistant still beat them all across the board.
Amazon is expanding its Prime Air fleet of cargo planes to 50 jets over the next two years. The expansion is made possible by a batch of Boeing 767s that are being retired from American Airlines' fleet. The airliner will be replacing its jets with the Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the result being a total of twenty 767s passenger jets arriving on the used market for conversion into cargo freighters.
NASA has tapped Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to launch nine of its sponsored technology payloads into space. The launch will take place using the private space company's New Shepard rocket, the agency said in a statement today, with the launch taking place "no earlier than December 18 at 8:30AM CST." The company plans to broadcast the New Shepard launch live on its NASA TV platform.
Amazon's Echo smart speakers typically work better on the smart side, rather than the speaker quality front, but the new Echo Input promises to pair Alexa with your own choice of speakers. Part of the company's wide-ranging gush of Alexa hardware this year, the $34.99 gadget is effectively an Echo Dot that can only talk back to you if it's plugged into an external audio player.
Apple Music is now a supported music streaming service on Amazon Echo speakers, joining Spotify, Deezer, Pandora, and other competing services. The new support is rolling out to the Alexa mobile apps, giving users the option of enabling Apple Music as a music service. Once linked, Echo owners can ask Alexa to play their favorite tunes from Apple Music.