After the near-disastrous fire-phone smartphone , we all thought that Amazon gave up on the idea of venturing into uncharted territory , but now the company is back with its new Echo wireless smart-speaker system , this cylindrical speaker - which costs $199 if you don't have a Amazon prime account (Prime users can bag one up for $99) can play streaming music via Bluetooth once you install the companion app on your iOS or Android device , the device also has Wifi which allows the device to reveal its secret weapon - Alexa (Personal assistant) , this personal assistant uses omni-directional microphones to listen to the keyword "Hey Alexa" and the question and task following it . Alexa is "always On" and it is connected to the internet via Wifi , you can assisn tasks , set reminders or ask silly questions like the ones said in this rather cheesy commercial which reminds us of the 90's TV commercials designed to teach people how to use the internet . Whatever it is the Echo looks like it holds some promise , $200 might be a bit steep for some people , but the addition of Alexa might be a huge selling point if people are into wireless speakers this season.
Written by Rakitha for MasHD
Source - DigitalTrends
Comments
Post a Comment