Amazon is set to overhaul Alexa, but access to its most advanced features might come at a cost. Reports suggest a $5 to $10 monthly subscription fee on top of a Prime membership to unlock the AI-powered Alexa. This revamped assistant is expected for launch in August 2024 and boasts several improvements.

This new, advanced Alexa will also likely offer custom advice for say, shopping, or art.

Saying “Alexa” repeatedly might become a thing of the past. The new version is rumored to understand and complete multiple requests in one go, like writing an email and ordering takeout simultaneously. It could even learn user habits and personalize routines, like turning on the coffee pot when the alarm goes off. This advanced Alexa is also expected to offer sophisticated shopping advice.

However, Amazon isn’t abandoning the free tier entirely. A basic version of Alexa with new generative AI features will still be available. This move seems to be a response to the increasingly competitive AI assistant market, with Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and even Apple‘s improved Siri vying for user attention. The future of Alexa appears to be a two-pronged approach: a free basic service and a premium tier with advanced capabilities.

(Via)

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Amazon Alexa might be getting a cool new feature in the near future. The company plans on offering an update that would allow the AI voice assistant to mimic voices, which basically means that Alexa can sound like whoever you want it to.

According to a Reuters report, the popular online retailer and tech giant plans on offering users an Alexa that sounds like their grandmothers, a former president, or just about anyone else. During the MARS conference held earlier this week in the US, Amazon senior vice president Rohit Prasad stated that the idea is to let Alexa copy anyone’s voice after hearing it for less than a minute.

Prasad also added that the goal is to have Alexa help “make the memories last” after “so many of us have lost someone we love” during the pandemic. Although, it is currently unknown when the company plans on rolling out this feature but we know its coming sometime in the future. Notably, there are possibilities of illegal and criminal activities being performed through this feature. But there should be some levels of safeguards as well.

Furthermore, the new feature for Alexa can also have applications as a companion feature. In the video shared by Amazon, a child asks that “Alexa, can grandma finish reading me the Wizard of Oz?” Alexa then proceeds to read the children’s book using the kid’s deceased grandmother voice. So, it is a sweet and wholesome feature, if not a bit creepy as well.

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Lenovo is known for its smart clock range powered by Google Assistant. At CES 2022, the company has introduced yet another model in the lineup. Unlike previous models, the new one comes with Amazon Alexa. Hence, it is aptly named Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa Built-in.

Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa Built-in Specifications and Features

The newly announced Lenovo smart clock is almost similar to the older Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with a slightly tweaked design lacking the built-in nightlight. Apart from featuring Amazon Alexa instead of Google Assistant, it also arrives in two new colors, namely Clay Red and Misty Blue.

Apart from the above-mentioned differences, the new model is the same as the older one. Additionally, the company has also unveiled a new accessory called Lenovo Ambient Light Dock. The clock is also compatible with the Lenovo Wireless Charging Dock, which debuted alongside the Lenovo Smart Clock 2 last year.

Talking about specs, the device sports a 4-inch monochrome LED non-touch display with support for customizable clock faces. It features a soft-touch fabric finish and multiple buttons for volume up/down, alarm, and Alexa.

It also has a microphone mute toggle and a USB Type-A port to charge other devices. Most importantly, the clock houses a 1.5-inch 3W speaker and a far-field microphone array consisting of 2 units.

The accessory is powered by an Amlogic A113X chipset paired with 4GB RAM and 4GB storage. It has all the essential sensors like an ambient light sensor, accelerometer, and proximity sensor.

Connectivity options on the product include single-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.1. The older Essential model with Google Assistant has dual-band WiFi but Bluetooth 5.0.

Last but not least, the clock weighs 249g, which is 9g more than the older variant.

Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa Built-in Price and Availability

The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa Built-in starts at $59.99 and will hit the shelves from January 2022 itself. On the other hand, Lenovo Ambient Light Dock starts at $29.99 and it will be available sometime later in Q1 2022.

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Amazon’s Alexa Internet is a 25-year old service whose name has now been overshadowed by Amazon’s more illustrious digital assistant. Alexa came on board in 1996 but was bought by Amazon in 1999. It has provided web traffic analysis since then. Amazon has now indicated that the Alexa service will be retired by May 1, 2022.

The Alexa subscription service is very popular in some quarters with the Alexa Rank, which provide ranking metrics for the most popular websites. The Alexa team has now announced that it has stopped offering new subscriptions effective December 8, as it has activated its winding down processes. Being a subscription service, the Alexa.com team is providing the opportunity for paid users to export their data and thereafter delete their account. No solid reason was given by the team for the decision to retire Alexa.

Alexa had operated as a go-to resource for content research, competitive analysis, keyword research and several other web traffic metrics. It had helped many firms to convert find, reach and convert their digital audience consistently for the past 25 years. While the service was highly coveted in many quarters, it has also had its share of accusations that Alexa Rank could be gamed, thus calling its credibility to question. However, the brand had sustained its relevance these 25 years with a great performance and would be bowing out with a flourish.

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Xiaomi is India’s largest smart TV brand. The company’s television offers a unique software experience in the form of PatchWall. The firm is known for updating its TVs with new features every now and then. Select Mi and Redmi televisions have now started receiving a new system update with an interesting feature.

All the TVs sold by Xiaomi in India run Android TV with PatchWall content aggregation service. Hence, they come with Google Assistant by default. In fact, it is the only smart home platform available on these televisions. 

The company is now changing this by introducing the ‘Works with Alexa’ app for select TV models. The application enables users to control Amazon Alexa-powered through their televisions.

The app is currently being rolled out to the Redmi Smart TV X series and Mi QLED TV 4K 55 via a software update. This system update arrives with build numbers R21.10.29.3261 and R21.10.29.3261 for the former and the latter respectively.

Apart from bringing the Alexa application, the latest update also bumps up the security patch level. 

The announcement of this software update comes directly from Sudeep Sahu, the head of the TV category at Xiaomi India. He says that the update will be rolled out in batches.

If you have any of the above-mentioned televisions and have received the update, then do let us know your experience in the comment section below.

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It appears Amazon is not done taking over our homes seeing as the e-commerce giant has announced its own TV lines dubbed the Fire TV Omni Series and Fire TV 4-series. With these new products, Amazon is challenging established TV brands such as Samsung, Sony, LG, TCL, and Hisense. Let’s not forget brands like Xiaomi, realme, and OnePlus.

Fire TV Omni Series

The Fire TV Omni Series will be available starting on October 27, and when it launches, buyers will be able to pick it up in 43”, 50”, 55”, 65”, and 75” sizes, all of which have a 4K resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Digital. The more premium 65” and 75” models also have Dolby Vision.

The designs of the TVs are a bit different but they are not unlike what we have seen from other brands. Amazon has adopted the same design for the 65” and 75” models with bezels that measure just 1.1mm in size while the other smaller models have a less-premium appearance.

The Omni Series have hands-free Alexa support, so you don’t need the remote to watch your favorite content. All you have to do is call on Alexa to play your favorite show or movie, or control that smart appliance, thanks to the built-in microphones. If you are concerned about privacy, Amazon has added a switch that electronically disconnects the microphones. The Omni series also supports two-way video calling with Alexa Communications but you will have to purchase separately a compatible webcam.

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All of the Fire TV Omni Series TVs have Bluetooth 5.0, 3 HDMI 2.0 ports, 1 HDMI eARC 2.1 port, 1 USB port, an ethernet port, cable/antenna port, optical port, IR emitter, and an audio jack. They also have two 8W speakers. Amazon will ship the TVs with an Alexa Voice Remote and an IR emitter.

Below are the prices for the different sizes:

• 43” = $409.99
• 50” = $509.99
• 55” = $559.99
• 65” = $829.99
• 75” = $1099.99

Fire TV 4-series

The Fire TV 4-series are Amazon’s more affordable line of TVs and they are available in 43”, 50”, and 55” sizes. All three have 4K LED screens with HDR 10 and HLG. They also have the same port selections as the Fire TV Omni Series and the same dual 8W speakers. So what’s different?

There is no hands-free Alexa, which means you are stuck with the Alexa Voice Remote or the Fire TV app. There is also no support for two-way video calling with Alexa Communications.

The Fire TV 4-series will also be available starting on October 27. The 43” model will sell for $369.99, the 50” model is $469.99, while the 55” model is $519.99. All of the TVs are available for pre-order now.

Amazon has not announced when and if the TVs will be available in other regions.

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Amazon has just announced that Amitabh Bachchan will be its first Indian celebrity who’s voice will be available on Alexa earlier today (19th August 2021). Now, Indian users can add the Indian superstar’s voice to their Echo smart displays and smart speakers by pressing the mic icon on the company’s shopping application.

The e-retailing tech giant has just released the voice of one of the most influential actors of Indian cinema for its Echo devices. Keep in mind, this feature is only available for the company’s Android app. To enable this feature, the company has launched this with an introductory price of 149 INR or about roughly 2 US Dollars per year. Furthermore, users can also simply give a command to the company’s voice assistant by saying “Alexa, introduce me to Amitabh Bachchan” to purchase this ‘voice pack’ and start interacting with him through the wake command “Amit Ji.”

Notably, the Amitabh Bachchan voice for Alexa will also arrive with select content that were handpicked by the Indian celebrity himself. Users will be able to listen to stories from his life, a selection of poems from his father, tongue twisters, motivational quotes, and more. Through the “Amit Ji” command, one can also ask to play songs, set alarms, and get weather updates among other features.

Echo devices will even support commands in Hindi as well while you can now also ask the superstar to wish you on your happy birthday by saying “Amit ji, it’s my birthday.” Amitabh Bachchan also stated that “Working with Amazon to introduce my voice on Alexa was a new experience in bringing together the magic of voice technology and artistic creativity. I am excited that my well-wishers can now interact with me via this new medium, and looking forward to hearing how they feel about this.”

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Earlier this year, tech giant Amazon announced a new “Show Mode” for the PC version of the Alexa app. The feature hopes to expand the user base of Amazon’s smart home app as it brings features that are found on the Echo Show including skills that can be activated only by a voice prompt.  The company has now announced that the feature will be making its debut on some Lenovo laptops.

Amazon describes the Show Mode for PCs as a “voice-first, interactive Alexa experience for PCs”. The mode can be activated via a voice command asking the virtual assistant to open the feature. It can also be activated using the Show Mode icon domiciled in the Alexa app.

When activated, the app displays in fullscreen mode on the PC’s screen, showing information that the user will find vital. The interface is exactly as it is on the Echo Show with features such as calendar appointments, weather information, and others. In addition, users can perform actions such as playing a song on Amazon Music, controlling connected smart home devices, checking for weather updates, and creating to-do lists.

The feature will also be enabled automatically when the laptop is idle and become sort of a screensaver. This feature, Lenovo says, is optimized to deliver optimal battery conservation. Lenovo’s Igor Bergman, Vice President of Cloud and Software, Intelligent Devices Group says; “By enabling Show Mode on Lenovo PCs, we are providing customers with a highly versatile user experience on a natural and convenient interface”.

The company listed the models in which the new feature will be available to include the Lenovo Yoga, IdeaPad, and ThinkPad PC models equipped with the Alexa app built into the Windows 10.

The feature will be available in the following countries; US, UK, Germany, Japan, India, Ireland, Austria, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. Amazon plans to expand the compatible models with the addition of other Lenovo models in due course.

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(source)

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Amazfit launched the GTS 2 mini in India back in December 2020. At the time of launch, it didn’t have the Amazon’s Alexa assistant features built-in. However, it is getting it now via an OTA update in India.

Amazfit has sent a press release(via XDADevelopers) to notify the new feature on the Amazfit GTS 2 mini. Accordingly, users of the smartwatch are now getting the Alexa support via an OTA update. After updating the wearable to the latest firmware, users can send voice commands to Alexa AI Assistant via their smartwatch.

Specifically, you can now play music, set an alarm, provide weather forecasts, get traffic updates, and do more via the Alexa. For the unware, Alexa is a virtual assistant AI technology developed by Amazon. It was used on the company’s Echo devices initially in November 2014 and expanded to other devices gradually.

Coming back, the update has a firmware version 1.0.2.31 and it should enable all the features of Alexa assistant on GTS 2 mini. The GTS 2 mini is currently retailing on the Amazfit website and Amazon India for ₹6,999($96.24). It is available in Black, Sage Green, or Pink color.

You can follow the steps below to enable the Alexa on your GTS 2 mini:

• Pair the watch with your phone via Bluetooth(Zepp App)
• Open the Zepp app, click on profile, and select GTS 2 mini
• Update the firmware to version 1.0.2.31
• Once the update is complete, swipe left on the watch home screen
• Tap on “Authorize Alexa on the device page of the app”
• Open the Zepp app, tap on profile, and select add accounts
• Click on “Amazon Alexa”
• Log in to your Amazon account

After this, you should be able to get help from Alexa through voice commands. Let us know your Alexa experience with GTS 2 mini down in the comments below.

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Amazon’s line of Echo devices includes a variety of products. This wide range of products which include smart speakers and smart displays are powered by Alexa, its smart assistant. A new report says that Amazon is working on a new Echo Show, its line of smart displays, that will be wall-mounted.

The report from Bloomberg says that Amazon’s Lab126 division is developing on an Echo Show that will be 10 inches or 13 inches in size. Amazon is said to be undecided about the size. What will differentiate this new device from existing models is that it will be mounted on the wall rather than one that sits on a surface such as a table or a desk.

Since this will be wall-mounted, it means that it should be thinner than the current Echo Show models. The upcoming model will also have a microphone and camera so users can use it to make video calls.

Amazon is expected to launch the wall-mounted Echo Show by the end of 2021 or the end of 2022 with a price tag between $200 and $250. We expect other manufacturers that launch Alexa-powered displays to announce their own version of the wall-mounted Echo Show. We also won’t be surprised if other companies such as Google (Google Assistant), Xiaomi (XiaoAI), and Tmall (AliGenie) also jump on the train in the future.

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Amazon’s Alexa is one of the top smart assistants. It is not only available on phones but also on tablets, computers, TVs, smart displays, smart speakers, and even microwaves. You will also find the assistant available in vehicles as Alexa Auto. Now, Amazon has announced a service that will allow customers (read car makers, consumer electronics manufacturers, and service providers) to customize the assistant.

Called Alexa Custom Assistant, it will allow manufacturers to build their own experiences on top of Alexa in a fashion similar to the way phone manufacturers build their own experiences on top of Android.

With Alexa Custom Assistant, manufacturers can have their own smart assistant name and create their own wake word in addition to skills and routines. They will also be able to create custom voices with help from Amazon’s own “voice science experts”.

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Amazon said the solution will help manufacturers reduce the cost and complexity of building their own intelligent assistants.

“By reducing the burden of building the core capabilities of an intelligent assistant, companies can focus their time and resources on creating unique capabilities that delight their customers,”

One of the manufacturers that have signed up for Alexa Custom Assistant is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The car manufacturer has plans to bring a custom assistant to select vehicles.

Amazon Alexa Custom Assistant should help bring smart features to a lot more products now that manufacturers don’t have to build from the ground up. Amazon says it will manage the data generated by these manufacturers and it will apply the same “rigorous privacy and security policies” that it uses for Alexa.

The service is already available in countries where Alexa is supported such as the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Brazil. Amazon says more countries will follow.

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Amazon has just announced that its virtual assistant, Alexa now supports a Live Translation feature, allowing users who speak different languages to communicate with each other. The complex process will involve the virtual assistant translating both sides of such a conversation.

At the moment, Alexa can translate English, Spanish, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Hindi, with the Live Translation feature. Amazon said the feature is supported on Echo devices with the location set to English U.S.

The Live Translation feature draws support from existing Amazon systems and features, including Alexa’s automatic-speech-recognition (ASR) and its text-to-speech systems.  These, in combination with Amazon Translate, as well as the whole gamut of Amazon’s machine learning models, designed and optimized for conversational-speech translation all combine seamlessly to produce the Live Translation feature, Amazon said in a recent statement.

The berthing of this translation feature opens up new vistas in real-time communication, providing exciting possibilities with the seeming demolition of the communication barrier. 

Similar to what obtains with most ASR systems, Amazon said that the live translation system incorporates both an acoustic model and a language model, both models combining to provide insights for the ASR system to decide between alternative interpretations of the same sequence of phonemes.

To provide users with a near-natural experience, Amazon adapted Alexa to a conversational speech by modifying its end-pointer to accommodate longer pauses for the Live Translation feature. Alexa uses the end-pointer to determine when a person has finished speaking. Alexa can also easily identify pauses in the middle and end of sentences.

Search engine giant Google also offers a similar feature called Interpreter Mode. It is yet to be seen how the two services square up side by side, but this certainly provides an additional option for live translation and inter-language communication. 

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Indian acting legend, Amitabh Bachchan, has partnered up with Amazon to bring a new celebrity voice experience for its userbase in India. The Bollywood veteran star will have his voice recorded for interactions with Alexa.

Indian customers will be able to get the actor’s iconic baritone voice on Alexa by buying the Amitabh Bachchan voice experience. Although, this feature will be available sometime 2021. According to the actor himself, “Technology has always given me an opportunity to adapt to new forms. Be it in movies, TV shows, podcasts, and now, I am excited to create this voice experience in partnership with Amazon and Alexa. With voice technology, we are building something to engage more effectively with my audience and well-wishers.”

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Amazon will be adding iconic dialogues from Amitabh Bachchan’s famous movies like Shehenshah. Furthermore, the voice experience will also include other features like jokers, the current weather, shayaris, motivational quotes, advice, and more. After its launch next year, customers will also be able to invoke the voice experience by interacting with Alexa. They will be greeted by the superstar’s voice which will respond to some of the most popular requests.

“Mr Bachchan’s voice is truly memorable for any Indian who has grown-up with Bollywood. This combination delivers a perfect pitch to further delight and simplify the lives of our customers. We are excited to see how our customers will respond when they use Alexa and hear his voice,” said Puneesh Kumar, Country Leader for Alexa, Amazon India.

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In early July, the Amazfit Band 5 was spotted at the FCC. The listing revealed a number of details including an image of the printing on the retail box. The fitness tracker has now been spotted on Amazon with a release date set for the end of the month.

The Amazfit Band 5 shares the same design as the Mi Band 5/Mi Smart Band 5 and can actually pass for Xiaomi’s own fitness tracker which of course is manufactured by Huami. However, some of its features are different.

For example, the Amazfit Band 5 has Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant built-in. So you can talk to the band and ask it questions, set alarms, and timers, create shopping lists and control compatible smart home products.

The Amazon listing says the watch also has a SpO2 monitor, PAI health assessment system, sleep quality monitoring, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, stress monitoring, breathing exercise, women’s health tracking, and support for 11 sports modes including swim tracking.

The Amazfit Band 5 has an HD color AMOLED display with over 45 watch faces that includes 2 customizable ones. It has support for music control and can also serve as a remote control for your phone’s camera. The battery life is put at 15 days for typical usage and 25 days in power-saving mode.

The fitness tracker has a price tag of $49.99 and will be available in Orange and Midnight Black. According to Amazon, it will be released on September 30 but you can pre-order it now.

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Yesterday, Lenovo launched Tab P11 Pro and Smart Clock Essential. At the same time, the company also unveiled Tab M10 HD Gen 2 as an entry-level budget Android tablet. It comes with modest specifications compared to the other model.

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Lenovo Tab M10 HD Gen 2 Specifications and Price

As the name suggests, the newly announced Lenovo Tab M10 HD Gen 2 features a 10.1-inch HD ( 1280 x 800 pixels) IPS LCD panel with TDDI (Touch and Display Integration) technology. That means the screen will not have a weird gap between the glass and the actual panel like the entry-level iPads.

Further, the display on this tablet is rated to cover 60% of NTSC color gamut and output a maximum brightness of 400 nits. Also, this panel is certified by TÜV Rheinland for lower blue light emission.

As for design, the casing of the tablet is made of aluminium and it is boxy in shape with slight curves at the corners. What’s underwhelming is its internals as it is powered by MediaTek helio P22T SoC paired with 2/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB internal storage. If the memory is not enough, users can insert a microSD card up to 250GB in size.

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Other features on this new entry-level tablet include Android 10, newly announced Kids Space, dual speakers powered by Dolby Atmos, dual microphones, 8MP primary camera, 5MP front-facing camera, FM Radio, 5,000mAh battery and two colors – Iron Grey & Platinum Grey. On the connectivity front, it comes with 4G LTE, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, and two pogo pin connector for accessories.

As for price, the regular Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 2 starts at  €159 (including VAT) and is expected to start shipping later this month. 

Lenovo Tab M10 HD Gen 2 With Google Assistant/Amazon Alexa

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The tablet also comes in  Google Assitant and Amazon Alexa variants with a charging dock. They feature the same specs as the regular version except for changes in microphones. The former model sports only a single low-power DSP. On the other hand, the latter retains dual microphones, in addition to extra three far-field mics and 3W speakers on its dock.

Their prices (including VAT) start at €179 and  €199  with shipping commencing from October and November respectively.

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The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 announced in 2019 is a device that doubles as a tablet and a smart display. The device can function as a smart display thanks to a speaker dock that it ships with. Yesterday, Lenovo announced a second-gen model that ships with Amazon’s Alexa assistant.

The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 FHD Plus has a 10.3-inch FHD IPS screen with slimmer bezels and dual-front facing speakers. It also has a TDDI chip (Touch and Display Driver Integration) for better touch sensing and for a more efficient display.

Lenovo says it has a faster and more powerful mobile processor which is MediaTek’s Helio P22T 2.3GHz octa-core processor. It will be available in 2+32GB, 4+64GB, and 4+128GB variants with support for storage expansion (256GB max.).

Lenovo has added Face Unlock, a “Drop In” feature that allows it to function as a two-way intercom, and messaging and video calling at no cost between supported devices. The rear camera is an 8MP sensor while the selfie camera is a 5MP sensor.

The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 FHD Plus also has an improved Kid’s Mode with dedicated kids’ content, parental control, eye protection features, and posture and bumpy environment alerts. There is also Dolby Atmos.

Inside the tablet is a 5000mAh battery that charges via a USB Type-C port but there is no mention of fast charging support. It also has a nano-SIM slot, Bluetooth 5.0, an audio jack, and pogo pins for connecting to the dock.

The Smart Dock now comes in Graphite Grey and has a modern fabric covering it. The speakers in the dock are dual 3W speakers and it connects via Bluetooth 4.2.  However, you get three far-field microphones that can pick up your voice from across the room.

The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 FHD Plus will go on sale in June for €229 with the Smart Dock included.

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Amazon has announced a new smart display, called the Echo Show 8, in India. The Echo Show 8 was originally announced in the US back in September 2019 and is positioned between the Echo Show 5 and the Echo Show.

The Echo Show 8 has an 8-inch HD touchscreen with stereo speakers that allow users to stream their favorite shows and movies from platforms such as Prime Video and Voot.

Like any other Amazon smart display, you can ask it questions, ask it to show your security cameras, or use it to control other supported smart home products such as lights and Air Conditioning units. You can also ask the Echo Show 8 questions about the weather and the latest news. The device also has a camera, so you can use it to make video calls.

Amazon is concerned about privacy and has added a shutter to cover the 1MP camera and also the option to mute the microphone. You can also ask it to delete your voice recordings. For example, you can say “Alexa, delete everything I said today”.

Setting up the Echo Show 8 is simple and just takes three easy steps according to Amazon:

1. Plug in the Echo Show 8.
2. Connect to the internet using Echo Show 8 (you probably have to input your Amazon login details at a point here). This is easier and faster when you use WiFi simple setup and already have a previous Amazon device and have saved your WiFi password to Amazon.
3. Ask Alexa about the news, play movies, and more.

The device measures 200.4 x 135.9 x 99.1 millimeters and weighs 1.037 kilograms. It has its volume controls at the top alongside the camera shutter button and microphone button. The power port is on the back and you also get a 3.5mm audio out port in case you want to connect it to an external speaker. The device itself has 2 x 2.0” (52mm) neodymium speakers with a passive bass radiator.

Amazon has put a price tag of INR 8999 (~$126) on the Echo Show 8 and it says it is a “limited period launch price”. You can pre-order now before its February 26 release date.

UP NEXT: Amazon India rolls out electric delivery auto-rickshaws

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Along with the launch of Echo Buds, all-new Echo, and Echo Dot with clock, Amazon also launched a couple of more devices in its Echo lineup, including the new Echo Studio and an updated Echo Show 8.

Echo Studio

The new Amazon Echo Studio aims to offer an immersive sound and compete against the likes of Google Home Max and Apple HomePod. It comes with 1″ tweeter, three 2″ mid-range speakers, and a 5.25″ woofer. This set produces powerful bass, dynamic midrange, and crisp highs. With 33W of peak power, it offers deep and rich bass by using the bass port at the bottom.

It comes with Dolby Atmos technology, making it the best sounding Echo lineup device so far. It has 24-bit DAC and a power amplifier with 100KHz of bandwidth for high-res, lossless music playback.

The company says that a couple of Echo Studio devices can be paired with the Fire TV Stick 4K for audio playback with multi-channel sound and support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio 5.1, and stereo audio. It automatically senses the acoustics of your space and fine-tunes playback to deliver optimal sound.

You can also use voice commands to control music as well as smart home devices. With support for Alexa skills, the company says that the Echo Studio is built with users’ privacy protection in mind. The Amazon Echo Studio costs $199 (₹22,999 in India) and is now up for pre-orders, with shipping scheduled to start from November 7.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha 5G Concept smartphone launched with a mind-blowing 360° Surround Display & 108MP Ceramic Camera Strip

Echo Show 8

Months after the launch of Echo Show 5, Amazon has today launched the new Echo Show 8, which is an 8-inch version of the Amazon Echo Show. The company says that the user will be able to watch Food Network TV shows on the device and there’s a new feature that enables users to ask Alexa to save a recipe.

You’ll also be able to ask Alexa about any ingredients that might show up in a recipe. The Show 8 will also include the new Drop-in On All feature, which lets users create a large group chat with family and friends.

Aside from the display size change, no much information on the distinctions between the 10-inch and 8-inch models were shared. Priced at $129, the Amazon Echo Show 8 is now up for pre-order and will start shipping ahead of the holidays.

UP NEXT: Amazon introduces its new Echo and Echo Dot with clock; shipment starts next month

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Smart displays became popular last year and more are expected to launch this year. Lenovo already has one that is powered by the Google Assistant but at CES 2019 this week, it unveiled two new ones for Amazon’s Alexa. It turns out that the two tablets also have a version for Baidu’s DuerOS.

So if you reside in China and purchase either the Lenovo Smart Tab P10 or Lenovo Smart Tab M10, you get Baidu’s DuerOS smart assistant when you dock the tablet. You can use the tablet to control DuerOS compatible smart devices or ask the assistant questions.

The Lenovo Smart Tab P10 and Lenovo Smart Tab M10 both have a 10-inch 1920 x 1200 display and are powered by the Snapdragon 450. The M10 has 2GB/3GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB of storage while the P10 has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

For optics, the M10 has a 2MP front-facing camera and a 5MP rear camera while the P10 packs a 5MP selfie camera and an 8MP rear camera. The M10 has 2 front facing Dolby Atmos speakers and packs a 4850mAh battery while the P10 has 4 front-facing speakers and a 7,000mAh battery. It also has a fingerprint scanner, unlike the M10. Both tablets run Android 8.1 Oreo.

The dock is the same for both models. It has 2 x 3W full-range speakers and 3 x far-field microphones. There is also a mute button and volume control buttons. Charging is via a pogo pin connector. When docked, the tablet also charges.

READ MORE: Lenovo announces portable smart clock with speaker and Google Assistant

Lenovo has priced the Alexa-version of the Smart Tab M10 at $199.99/ £179.99 while the Smart Tab P10 is priced at $299.99/£259.99. However, it hasn’t revealed the price of the tablets in China.

For more CES 2019 coverage, check out this link.

(Source)

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After launching Echo, Echo Plus and Echo Dot, Amazon has now launched yet another smart speaker in the Indian market — Amazon Echo Spot. This comes after Google launched its own Google Home and Home Mini in India earlier this month.

The biggest difference between Echo Spot and other Echo devices available in India is that the Echo Spot comes with a touchscreen display. Another device that has a display is Echo Show, but the company currently has no plans to launch it in India.

In terms of design, the Amazon Echo Spot looks like an alarm clock and comes with a circular display that measures 2.5-inches in diameter and has a screen resolution of 480 x 480 pixels. There are multiple options available to the user to configure the watch face, either in analog or digital form.

Just like other Echo devices, this one too is powered by the second-generation far-field technology that uses four microphones. It also has an acoustic beam-forming technology and enhanced noise cancellation support.

For the connectivity, there’s Bluetooth and a 3.5mm Aux-in port that lets user transform the Echo Spot into a home entertainment system. Users can browse through songs on the device by asking Alexa to show or play songs by genre, artiste, decade, composer, and film language. It also has a multi-room music feature that helps synchronize music across multiple Echo devices.

Unlike other Echo speakers which read the news briefings back to the user, the Echo Spot can play the flash briefings from various news organizations. Further, users can also play the whole movie through Prime Video as well as video clips from IMDB. However, the experience may not be good enough given the smaller display size.

According to the company, Echo Spot is still a voice first device at heart and is meant to be even more personal than the other Echo speakers. The audio from the speakers is supposedly loud enough that the device can just rest on the kitchen counter or table top.

Furthermore, the Echo Spot also comes with a front-facing camera sensor that enables Alexa-to-Alexa voice-controlled video calls. Video calls and messages work between any two Echo Spot devices and on Android and iOS devices using the Alexa companion app.

Read More: Facebook Is Reportedly Delaying Its Smart Speaker Launch Amid Data Crisis

Priced at Rs. 12,999 (approximately $194), the Echo Spot is available in two color options — Black and White. It can be purchased in India through Amazon India as well as through Amazon devices kiosks in Bengaluru and Mumbai, and over 350 offline retail outlets across 20 cities in the country.

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At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, China-based Coolpad Group, a mobile manufacturer, has announced that select phones of the company will now receive the Amazon Alexa voice service in India.

The company has announced that the Coolpad Cool Play 6, Note 5, and Note 5 Lite will get Amazon Alexa through an over-the-air (OTA) update, while the future Coolpad devices will include this feature out-of-the-box.

With this Amazon Alexa integration, users of Coolpad’s devices will be able to perform certain tasks such as play their favorite music tracks or shop from Amazon.in using voice commands. They will also be able to access information about weather, calendar, and to-do lists, or listen to the latest news briefings directly using the Alexa app.

Notably, the similar Alexa integration is already available in the United States. However, Coolpad has become the first Amazon Exclusive smartphone brand in India to natively offer Alexa on its devices. Commenting on this development, Syed Tajuddin, CEO of Coolpad India, said in a statement:

We are working to immerse more AI and tech into smartphones to make the experience more intelligent, friendly, and beneficial for the customers. Incorporating Alexa in Coolpad smartphones is one such step in that direction.

Recently, Amazon Alexa app introduced voice command support to Android devices in several markets, including the US, UK, Germany, and Austria. While the introduction of this new feature brought voice commands, it didn’t include support for “Alexa” hotword functionality.

Read More: Coolpad Cool Play 6 Officially Launched in India For INR 14,999 (~$234)

The latest offering from Coolpad in India is the Cool Play 6 which was launched last year. It comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display and a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 653 processor with 6GB RAM and 64GB of storage space. It packs a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front-facing snapper. The phone comes with Coolpad’s Journey UI based on Android Nougat operating system out-of-the-box and is powered by a 4,060mAh non-removable battery.

For More MWC 2018 Coverage, Click Here!

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On February 15, Essential announced three new color variants for the PH-1. The three colors – Ocean Depths, Stellar Gray, and Copper Black are $100 more expensive than the first two colors but they do look really nice. Yesterday, Essential announced a 4th new color variant that comes with an additional feature.

The new color variant is called Halo Gray but looks like the Stellar Gray version. It has the same matte finish which hides fingerprint smudges but its frame is silver like that of the Pure White variant.

That is not the only exciting about the Halo Gray variant. Unlike the other colors, it comes with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant built-in.

This version is an Amazon-exclusive and will be available for purchase on February 21, though you can pre-order it now. However, unlike the other three released this week, the Halo Gray variant sells for $449 and $499 with the 360° Camera and a free pill case.

The pill case is a new addition used for carrying the 360 camera instead of the small cloth sack that used to come with it.

READ MORE: Essential Rolls Out Android Oreo Beta 8.1, Includes February’s Security Patch, Bug Fix, and New Features

Don’t want the new Halo Gray variant? Fine. Amazon is also selling the Black Moon and Pure White variants at $449 without the camera and $499 with the camera and pill case. This is way cheaper than the $499 price for the phone and $678 with the camera (excluding pill case) on the online Essential Shop.

Fact: Amazon is also an investor in Essential.

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(Source)

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News has it that Amazon will develop its own custom AI chip for use in its future echo devices. The custom AI chip is expected to improve how the Alexa voice assistant works.

The decision to design its won chip will put Amazon in the same category as Apple and Google – the two other tech giants designing custom processors for use in their devices. It will also mean loss of business for those who are current suppliers to Amazon.

Chipmakers who currently supply Amazon with chips for its Echo devices include Texas Instruments (Amazon Echo 1st Gen), Intel (Echo Show), and MediaTek ( Echo Dot 2nd Gen). If Amazon cuts them out, it sure is going to be a significant loss but with third-party manufacturers in the mix, there is still money to be made elsewhere.

Amazon seems to have been planning this for a while as its recent acquisitions have shown. According to The Information who first reported the news, Amazon acquired Annapurna Labs – an Israeli chipmaker in 2015. It also bought Blink – a security camera manufacturer last year. Amazon is also reported to have over 400 employees with chip experience.

READ MORE: Amazon’s First Wearable Product Could Be An Alexa-powered Smartglasses

No one knows how soon Amazon’s custom AI chip will appear in its Echo devices. There is also the question of who will handle fabrication. However, the good news for consumers is that Alexa will get better than it is currently.

(Source, Via)

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Vuzix, a U.S.-based supplier of wearable display technology, VR and AR will be announcing a pair of AR smartglasses that will be featuring Alexa assistant by Amazon. It will be unveiled  at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 and it is expected to be available for buying by the second quarter of this year.

Vuzix’s upcoming smartglasses featuring Alexa will make it possible for the users to ask questions to the virtual assistant and view the answers on its field of view. Hence, its users will be able to view updates like stock prices and weather data seamlessly without accessing their smartphones. In order to use it, a wearer needs to have an account with Amazon.

The exact name of the product is not known yet. It is expected to launch with a price tag of $1,000 in Q2 2018. Paul Travers, the CEO of Vuzix has said that the pricing of the Alexa enabled smartglasses will be reduced to $500 in the next year.

Google could not find success when it attempted to commercialize Google Glass in 2012 because of its costly price tag and complicated distribution procedure. Companies who are looking to launched AR enabled smartglasses have learnt from the failure of Google Glass which indicates that we may soon see a new market for it in future.

Read More: Motorola’s New Moto Mod Is A Smart Speaker With Amazon Alexa

Apple is expected to debut its smartglasses in 2020. Analysts are of the view its popularity could be higher than the iPhone. Travers is of the view that Amazon may release its own Alexa and AR enabled smartglasses in the near future.

Since last year, Amazon has been making its Alexa assistant available on non-Amazon devices. By making its personal assistant available on numerous third-party devices will allow the retailer giant to generate good revenue since it can drive users to make purchases on Amazon.

(source)

 For more coverage from CES 2018, check out this link! 
 

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Amazon’s Alexa AI assistant has become very popular since its launch but is available in a few markets. It is available on a bunch of devices including Amazon’s own Echo line. In order to expand its reach, the retail giant has launched three of its Echo devices in India, its first Asian market.

The Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and the just released Echo Plus will be available in India. They will provide a user experience that is customized for the Indian market. Alexa will speak in English but with an Indian accent.

Amazon says there are up to 10,000 skills available already including support for popular services like ride booking platform Ola, food delivery service Zomato, and even professional services request from UrbanClap. It can also play songs from Saavn, Amazon Prime Music, and Tunein. Amazon’s Alexa app has also gained support for Indian names, places, music and local knowledge.

Users will also be able to set reminders, update shopping lists, and control smart appliances using their Echo device.

To purchase any of the Echo devices, you will have to request for an invitation first. After a few weeks, you will receive an email confirming your invitation, after which you can then purchase your Echo device.

READ MORE: Amazon’s First Wearable Product Could Be An Alexa-powered Smartglasses

The Echo Dot will retail for INR 4,499 (~$70), the Echo will sell for INR 9,999 (~$154) and the Echo Plus has a INR 14,999 (~$230) price tag. Those who get invited to purchase the device will get a 30% discount and a one year Amazon Prime subscription.

Amazon says its next market is Japan and a launch should come later this year.

(Via)

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A report carried by the Financial Times alleges that U.S online retail giant Amazon is working on its first wearable device and it is going to be a pair of smart glasses powered by its voice-activated Alexa assistant. Amazon has quite a large catalogue of products to its name and under the brand but its consumer electronics products include just the Amazon Kindle, Amazon Echo and Fire TV. The Amazon Echo smart speaker is the first product powered by the Alexa voice assistant but now the wearable will be joining the list.

The smart wearable would be designed just like a regular pair of spectacles and will come with wireless connectivity which will allow it to connect to a smartphone wirelessly. Also among its features would be a bone-conduction audio system which would allow the wearer to hear the voice prompt by Alexa even without having a headphone in his or her ears.

Read Also: Lenovo Smart Assistant with Amazon’s Alexa Announced

The rumour speculated that Amazon may be looking to enter the emerging market for  “augmented reality” goggles. In addition, what readily comes to mind is Google’s own augmented reality glasses which was discontinued last year but has been re-introduced earlier this year. It may not feature a camera and virtual screen which created a storm of controversy for Google Glass but some of the personnel involved in its development have been closely associated with Google Glass in the past. There are also indications that Magic Leap, Apple and Facebook are working on various headsets that would display digital images in front of the viewer’s eyes.

Amazon is yet to comment on this report nor have they revealed such product is in development.

(via)

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Amazon’s Alexa is a pretty big deal. It is one of the most popular smart assistants and is available on a variety of devices and even cars too. Microsoft’s Cortana on the the other hand is available on Windows 10 computers, phones, as well as the Xbox One. However, both giants have announced a partnership that will see the two assistants become buddies.

Cortana works mainly as a reminder while Alexa does so much more. It can answer questions, place orders on Amazon, and can also control smart devices like your lights. With the announcement it means you should be able to order that new Xbox controller on Amazon by calling up Cortana to open up Alexa or asking your Echo device to call up Cortana to check your work calendar. It is strange but I guess they have to make it work somehow.

READ MORE: Microsoft Transfers 500 Nokia Design Patents To HMD, Lumia Camera UI Included

Google on the other hand has added the ability to be able to shop on Walmart using the Google Assistant. So you can call the Amazon and Microsoft partnership a sort of take on Google and Walmart’s alliance.

Do you use Cortana? Are you excited about it coming to Echo devices or about Alexa coming to Windows 10 devices? Let us know what you think in the comment box.

(Source)

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Apple has Siri voice assistant on its iPhones. The Google Assistant was introduced on Google Pixel smartphones. Microsoft smartphones have Cortana onboard and Amazon’s voice assistant is called Alexa. Also, Samsung is heavily pegged to launch Bixby voice assistant on Galaxy S8. Fresh information has revealed that Huawei, the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world is all set to rival the existing AI assistants by introducing its own digital assistants.

According to Bloomberg, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is currently developing its own voice assistant and it has over 100 engineers working on it.  The report states that Huawei’s digital assistant would be aimed towards domestic audience as it will carry support for Chinese languages.

Huawei smartphones that will be sold outside of China will include AI services from Google and Amazon. As of this writing, none of the existing Chinese smartphone manufacturers have its own voice assistant. Hence, Huawei smartphones that will come its own AI service will be stand out from devices from the oversaturated Chinese smartphone market where Google services are blocked and Amazon’s Alexa does not support Chinese language.

Related: Huawei P10 Plus Images Leak Days Before Launch

Google Assistant comes preloaded only on Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. It Is also available on Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches and Google Home. Google is rumored to introduce Google Assistant on third-party devices by making it available pre-installed.

Google has been struggling to re-launch its services in China and if the world’s third largest smartphone maker launches its own AI service, Google’s plans will be further affected. According to IDC, Samsung and Apple are currently leading the global smartphone market and Huawei is placed on the third spot. Richard Yu, the consumer head of Huawei has said that the company aims to grab the first spot by 2021.

Unlike Apple and Samsung, Huawei smartphones are not sold through popular carriers of the U.S. such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint. Huawei is also expected to increase its market share in the U.S. market by partnering with major carriers.

(source)

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After making a comeback with Nokia 6 Android smartphone, the company is now rumored to be working on a virtual voice assistant like Siri , Google Assistant, ad Cortana. It is expected to be called Viki.

Rumors are rife that Nokia has registered a trademark for a personal voice assistant called Viki in the EU. In the application, the product is described as ‘software for the creation and monitoring of mobile and web assistants working with digital knowledge and combining all data sources into a single chat and voice-based interface.”

Related: Nokia 6 is Official: 4GB RAM, Snapdragon 430, and ¥1699 (~$245) Price

Even though Nokia seems to be working on a similar voice assistant for its devices, other speculations suggest that Viki may not be a voice assistant and may be associated with some other project from the company. Adding voice assistants on smartphones seems to be a growing trend with smartphone companies.

Recently, Huawei had announced that it will be including Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant in the next flagship that it will release in the U.S. Apple has Siri on its devices since 2011.

Alexa voice assistant is available on Amazon since 2014. The Google Assistant was introduced with Google Pixel smartphones. Devices running on Windows 10 Mobile have Cortana and Samsung is rumored to bring Bixby voice assistant on Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone that is expected to launch by April this year.

(Source)

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The Huawei Mate 9 was released last year in Europe first before making it to its home country in China. A spokesperson revealed that it will be heading to US markets soon. But that’s just half of the good news as the source also added that the US version will be getting an Alexa update.

Amazon’s Alexa is having an amazing year already with so many 3rd party manufacturers launching devices with the assistant baked in. An example is the Lenovo Smart Assistant that not only has the AI companion but also shares design similarities to the Echo. Now Huawei is joining the Alexa train not with the Honor 6X that was just launched in the US but with the flagship Mate 9.

This is good news for both parties. First for Huawei, as it will give the Mate 9 a huge boost in sales; and for Amazon, since this is an opportunity for Alexa to be integrated into phones seeing as the Amazon Fire Phone was not a success.

Quite a number of Americans already have Alexa in their homes via the Echo, Tap, and Dot speakers but the Mate 9 puts it in their pockets.

The Huawei Mate 9 has a 5.9-inch display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage; a 2.4GHz Kirin 960 SoC; dual rear cameras (20MP+12MP) wit OIS, optical zoom, and laser focus; an 8MP front facing shooter; rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a 4000mAh battery with Supercharge.  The Mate 9 also ships with Android Nougat out of the box.

READ MORE: Huawei Achieves 140 Million Sales Goals in 2016 Company VP Reveals

The Huawei Mate 9 will be available for purchase on Amazon, Best Buy, B&H,and NewEgg starting at $599. There is still no date of release yet but we presume it shouldn’t be far off.

(Source)

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