Amazon Echo: So much more than a smart speaker
Published on Feb 15, 2016
More than a year after its debut, Amazon's breakout speaker with its virtual assistant Alexa might be the most transformative piece of home tech money can buy.
More than a year after its debut, Amazon's breakout speaker with its virtual assistant Alexa might be the most transformative piece of home tech money can buy.
The number of tricks in the Amazon Echo toolkit keeps growing. Here's a look at some of the more surprising ones.
Want the increasingly popular smart speaker to control the Nest Learning Thermostat? You'll need a little help from IFTTT.
Better voice controls prompt us to change our thermostat of choice for the CNET Smart Home.
Steve Wozniak explains why his favorite piece of technology has nothing to do with Apple.
Amazon's virtual assistant has no shortage of secret geek cred -- if you know what to ask her.
You — or anyone in your family—can tell Alexa to turn lights on, off, or dim them to your favorite light level. Need to be quiet? Use your Lutron Pico remote for those moments when silence is golden.
Some of Alexa's devices work well together, others don't. We discuss the best combinations so you can find the one that works for you.
Apple’s Siri and Amazon Alexa are similar in that they’re both voice-controlled virtual assistants, but that’s where the similarities end. Which is better? The Verge’s Lauren Goode reports.
The Alarm.com skill for Amazon Echo is here, making it easier than ever to control your smart home with the hands-free convenience of voice commands. Here it is in action.
Amazon Echo/Echo Dot UK hands-on review: More than a year after Amazon formally launched the original Echo in the US, the company has finally decided to bring its intelligent connected speaker across the pond, complete with Alexa.
Totally non-gratuitous video of cute kids talking to Alexa. Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!
Got your hands full? The Amazon Echo is an amazing voice-activated personal assistant. The brand new Echo Dot takes the brains of the Echo, and scales it down into a smaller package. In this video, our Multimedia and Software Editor Danny Chadwick shows us how simple it is to connect an iPhone to the Echo.
One of the most important reasons you would want to connect your iPhone to the Echo is to play your own music! Whether your favorite playlist or a fresh podcast, learning to quickly connect your iPhone is essential. Amazon has made that easy. By simply saying the command, "Alexa, pair" your Echo will be available in your iPhone's Bluetooth settings. Then just select your Echo model in the list of "My Devices" and you can start jamming!
By the way, we've tested and reviewed the sound quality of the Amazon Echo. Have a look:
"Amazon Echo Review"
by Jeph Preece
November 30, 2016
Uber is in more than 375 cities worldwide. Using the smartphone app, you can order a ride or have food delivered.
And since your bank account information is already saved with Uber, no money changes hands. Convenient, right?
Well, it’s getting even better cause now you can order an Uber using your Amazon Echo.
Changing the wake word on your Amazon Echo really is so easy!
Alexa is the name of that little voice that lives inside your Echo. If you’ve got a kid, or worse – ex-girlfriend that shares the same name, fear not – you can change the settings to it’ll respond to a different name.
Connecting your Amazon Echo to IFTTT really is so easy!
IFTTT, also known as If This Then That, is a free Web service that uses triggers to execute an electronic response of some sort.
The Amazon Echo and its Alexa smart assistant is connected to the service, which means you can use it to trigger specific events.
For example, if you let Alexa know your shopping list is complete, then it will email it to you. If you’re home for the evening, then Alexa will alter your smart thermostat's temperature.
Here’s how you do it.
Amazon’s Echo taps into Amazon's universe of services and becomes the personal assistant you never knew you needed.
Here are the top 10 things Alexa can do which make us love the Amazon Echo.
The gap has closed between the Google Home and the Amazon Echo for voice assistant supremacy just one year later. Which will be crowned the Prizefight champion?
Amazon's Alexa-powered speaker has some perks beyond being a great little assistant.