Articles about Amazon Echo

When I want to stream locally stored media to my television, I turn to Plex. The popular service has apps for many devices such as Xbox One and Apple TV -- both of which I own. Heck, even my Samsung 4K TV has Plex support built in. Ultimately, the value of the service is found in both its ease of use and cross-platform support.

Never known to stand on its laurels, Plex is constantly improving, and today, it gets a really exciting new feature. Users of the service that are also owners of Amazon Echo or other compatible devices can now leverage the Alexa voice assistant to interact with Plex.

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Starbucks coffee fuels the days of many people. While the company's beverages are a bit expensive compared to, say, McDonalds or 7-11, they are chock full of caffeine and very tasty. Quite frankly, I drink Starbucks coffee or tea pretty much every day, as I often work in its locations -- they have clean tables and free Wi-Fi.

The company has often embraced technology within its stores -- it offers a nice mobile app with Spotify integration, and many of its tables offer wireless smartphone charging. Today, the company rolls out voice ordering through its own mobile iOS app or Amazon Alexa. Unfortunately, the iOS feature will be limited to 1,000 beta testers at first.

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Looking for that last minute gift? You're running out of time, and some things are simply just no longer available. Many of the hottest devices this shopping season have proven tough to come by -- not really a surprise, as it's been this way every time for years.

While Amazon is offering free shipping (for Prime customers) through today, some things simply are not there and you won't be getting them in time.

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Amazon's Echo devices are incredible. I'll admit that I was a skeptic at first, but once I got my own, I was hooked. Not only can the Alexa voice assistant provide me with important data like weather, news, and traffic, but it can play music too. Most importantly, it serves as a brilliant IoT control unit. My house has several WiFi connected power outlets, and I can verbally tell Alexa to turn off my lamps. It can even control my television!

Much of Amazon's success with Echo and Alexa is thanks to third-party developers and hardware. Today, Conexant and Amazon announce the AudioSmart 2-mic Development Kit. This add-on for the Raspberry Pi should enable easier development of devices using Amazon's Alexa voice technology. This could ultimately lead to further growth and adoption of the Alexa voice assistant.

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If you happen to own the Amazon Echo and also happen to have a Fire Tablet sitting around, then you have an update for the tablet that has either arrived or soon will. Version 5.3.2 brings a very interesting feature that many users have been clamoring for.

This update rolls Alexa into the mix, bringing voice control to the handheld device. This means you can access the Echo from anywhere in your home, even out of voice range.

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Black Friday is still a week away, but that hasn't stopped stores from beginning the sales rush. The deals have been announced and some are already available.

Now Amazon has a unique idea to make shopping simple, but it does have one requirement -- you have to be an Alexa customer to benefit.

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We are currently in the golden age of television. Not only are shows like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones excellent, but there are so many ways to consume it all. Of course, you can watch TV live on cable or satellite, but thanks to DVR and streaming, you can watch on your schedule too. It is all quite glorious.

For those serious about their television watching, an investment in a quality remote control can be very wise. Logitech's Harmony line is arguably the best, and today, it gets even better. Owners of hub-compatible models can now link their Amazon Echo to the Harmony app, enabling voice controls for their AV equipment. Yes, fellow couch potatoes, we can now be even lazier when watching TV!

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If you have a Wink hub then it's easy to set up home automation across a number of different platforms. Throw in Alexa and do a little additional setup and you'll be able to control it all with voice commands.

In the past you've been able to use groups to control multiple bulbs -- simply name each bulb and then add them to a group which you also name.

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As prices continue to drop, and the technology becomes easier to use, 'smart home' devices are set to explode in popularity. As someone who once swore off such things, I now have Wi-Fi-enabled electric sockets and home cameras. When I am away, I can turn on a lamp and monitor my house. It is very cool, but slightly annoying that there is no central app for all of my connected home devices. Since I chose different brands, I unfortunately have a few different apps on my smartphone and tablet.

Today, iDevices announces 'Smart Home Essentials'. This focused kit is both Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa compatible. By purchasing this well-designed kit, you can avoid managing multiple apps. It even comes with free concierge service based in the USA for help setting things up (if needed).

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Amazon released Echo in the US a year ago, and has introduced a wealth of additional features to it since. You can use the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi-enabled cylindrical speaker to get answers to your questions, order food, request a taxi, play music and even control your home.

For those of us in Europe the wait for Echo -- and its personal voice assistant Alexa -- has been a long one, but today the retail giant announces the device is finally set to be made available in the UK and Germany.

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A report from Reuters, citing two sources close to Amazon, says that the online retail giant is about to launch a music streaming service to rival the likes of Spotify. The as-yet-unnamed service is expected to launch towards the end of summer or beginning of fall, pending negotiations with record labels.

With a rumored monthly fee of $9.95, the streaming service does nothing to compete with its rivals financially, but Amazon will still be hoping that it will help boost its Echo product. The paid-for streaming service will sit alongside the free one currently available to Amazon Prime subscribers. Amazon believes its ecosystem will help it stand out from Google Play Music, Apple Music et al.

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There is something of a trend for voice activated devices at the moment, and you might well be wondering if any of them are worth investing in. If you've been thinking about buying an Amazon Echo, you can now try it out in your web browser to get a feel for what it's like.

Amazon has launched the Alexa Skill Testing Tool which gives everyone the opportunity to test drive the virtual assistant for themselves. It's the perfect blend of try-before-you buy blended with clever marketing.

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Today at Google I/O, the search giant unveiled its Amazon Echo-baiting Home. Google Home is ostensibly a cylindrical speaker with an angled top featuring Google's iconic four colors. Far-field voice recognition allows you to issue commands to the device to control everything from music playback to look up something online.

Google's latest foray into the Internet of Things is much more than just a Wi-Fi speaker -- although it will function perfectly well in the role. Just like the voice-activated options in Android, Home can be used to set alarms and reminders, and can even be connected to other smart devices such as Nest thermostats.

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"Alexa, play Jeopardy". Many phrases uttered around here lately begin with "Alexa". Amazon's Echo can do an ever growing number of things from simply playing music to controlling home automation. Other tricks are always in the works from both Amazon and third-parties.

The latest "skill", as these things are called, is integration with travel giant Kayak. The company is announcing integration with all Amazon Echo devices, including Dot and Tap.

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It seems every product hitting the market these days is touted to be smart, with the catch-phrase Internet of Things being thrown around everywhere. While there have been security issues in this new product line, there are also some really cool things available, and it captures the imagination.

Alexa, the persona behind Amazon Echo, is one way to enter the market, though you need to add devices to pair with it. Lights, door locks, thermostats, there's no shortage of items to choose from and it's growing all the time.

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