Amazon launches new Echo devices and companions

Amazon Echo PlusAmazon is gearing up for the holidays with a bevy of new Echo products to address a variety of needs and wants. First off there are three new Echo speakers: the Echo Dot, Echo Plus, and Echo Show. There are also two new Echo “companions” to bridge the gap between your smart home and Echo devices: the Echo Sub and Amazon Smart Plug.

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Microsoft adds Amazon Alexa support for the Xbox One

For select gamers in the U.S., starting up your Xbox One is as easy as calling out for Alexa. The console now supports voice commands via Amazon Alexa—that is if you’re part of the Xbox Insiders program. This Amazon Alexa skill will let you do things like switch the console on, open games, capture screenshots, control media playback, among other things. Not sure what else you can do, just say, “Ask Xbox what can I say?” Of course, to play, you will need to use your controller.

This isn’t the first time voice control has come to the Xbox One. Microsoft’s own assistant Cortana is supported by the Xbox One but you’ll need either their headset or the now discontinued Kinect cameras and motion tracker to get this to work. So, of course, the convenience of talking to nearby smart speakers will make things more convenient. In case you’re asking, the Xbox One doesn’t support Google Assistant just yet. But Microsoft isn’t closing the door on supporting it in the future. The company has said it will "continue to evolve this experience and grow our voice integration across devices, digital assistants, and voice services."

Amazon becomes second company to reach $1 trillion market cap

Amazon has finally nailed the $ 1 trillion valuation target. The company, which has diversified its business from selling books online in the mid-90's, to creating the eReader market, spearheading cloud services with AWS, upending retail with its formidable online stores and changed the world with its massive A.I. and voice assistant technology,

Amazon seized the vaunted $1 trillion valuation earlier today, around a month after Apple Inc. became the first technology company in history to do so. Amazon’s stock fell back to the stratosphere late Tuesday with a market value of $995 billion. The company's shares were up 1.3% at $2,039.51.

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Guide to the best sites for back to school shopping

By Sonya Davison

It’s the beginning of August and it suddently hit me, I have one kid going off to university and one off to high school. Whelp. Yes, I know we’re at mid-point of summer vacation and while I really don’t want to rush things, I'm seriously getting the case of FOMO. Back to school shopping has begun (and even done) with some families I know. Cue the tears...mine. Particularly for the university-bound kid who’s all of the sudden seems waaaay more grown up. The boy that had me carry a purse load of Hot Wheels is now driving himself and soon he'll be one of the thousands that will be moving into residence at the beginning of September.

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