Your Amazon Echo speakers can now work as an intercom

For Canadian and U.S. owners of Amazon Echo speakers, you can now turn your speakers into a one-way intercom system. The setup of Alexa Announcements isn’t complicated. All you need to do is talk to Alexa and say things like, “Alexa announce that dinner is ready.” And then all the Echo devices in your home will make the announcement. Or you can use other hot words like “Alexa, tell everyone…” or Alexa, broadcast…” It isn’t clear yet if this will work on other Alexa-enabled devices but for now we’re assuming it’s only for Echo speakers.

Source: Android Authority

Amazon claims its working on the laughing Echo devices

It’s like one of our worst nightmares coming true. Some Amazon Echo users are reporting that Alexa has started laughing at random without any prompting. One user on Twitter claims it started to laugh as he was about to fall asleep, another one on Reddit describes the laugh as sounding almost like a real person (after Alexa refused to turn off his lights after three tries). Amazon says they are aware of the issue and are working on the matter.

Here’s Amazon’s official statement about the issue: “In rare circumstances, Alexa can mistakenly hear the phrase ‘Alexa, laugh.’ We are changing that phrase to be ‘Alexa, can you laugh?’ which is less likely to have false positives, and we are disabling the short utterance ‘Alexa, laugh.’ We are also changing Alexa’s response from simply laughter to ‘Sure, I can laugh’ followed by laughter.” 

Source: Gizmodo

Amazon's Alexa-powered Echo speakers now available in Canada

Amazon’s anticipated cloud-based voice service, Alexa, is now available in Canada along with three Alexa-enabled devices: Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Plus. The lineup of innovative voice-controlled speakers allows users to experience a new level of convenience and intelligence. From simply asking Alexa for the temperature, or the news of the day, to controlling your entire home’s lights and locks, Alexa’s capabilities are endless and ever-expanding. You can order your Echo device today at www.amazon.ca/echo. Hit jump for specs and pricing.

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Amazon outs new Echo models

Amazon continues to buckle down on its Echo line and adds four new options for consumers to choose from. The first one is a new take to the original Amazon Echo. This time, it takes the fight to Google Home with swappable cloth or other shells that can wrap around the metal body of the Echo. It’s said to offer better sound with Dolby Audio support. It also has a dedicated bass tweeter and can handle audio playback across multiple rooms, putting it up against Sonos. It retails for US$99 (approx. CA$125).

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