Amazon debuts 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube

Amazon outed its most capable Fire TV recently. The third-generation Fire TV Cube brings hands-free use thanks to its built-in mics. It has an octa-core 2.0GHz processor promising a 20% improved performance paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The storage is double what's included on the cheaper Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

You get technologies like Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio. And then it adds on a new Super Resolution Upscaling feature that makes HD content appear sharper on 4K TVs. It's also future-proof with technologies like Wi-Fi 6E support and an HDMI port. It supports the new Alexa Voice Remote Pro, which is sold separately. The Amazon Fire TV Cube retails for $190.

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BMW is going to build an Alexa-based custom voice assistant

BMW cars already have support for Amazon's Alexa. But the carmaker wants to take things a step further by building its own custom voice assistant based on Amazon's Alexa core technology. This upcoming voice assistant will be built using Amazon's Alexa Custom Assistant. It's a service that allows automakers and device manufacturers to create their own digital assistants using Amazon's tech.

This service will allow BMW to create its customized wake words, voices, and capabilities with Alexa as the base. BMW hopes it can "enable an even more natural dialogue between driver and vehicle." This is critical for ensuring the voice assistant reduces distractions for drivers since it can help with things like finding directions, changing music, or even adjusting the heating or cooling in the cars. BMW aims to roll out its custom-built voice assistant within the next couple of years.

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Amazon Echo Dot gets smarter, improved bass

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Like the Amazon Echo Studio, there isn't much change design-wise with the Amazon Echo Dot. But the company has souped up the internals of both the Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock. Both get a redesigned audio architecture that promises two times the bass of the previous model. These Alexa-powered smart speakers now use Amazon's AZ2 neural edge processor, which allows these speakers to do actions locally.

The Echo Dots also have a new temperature sensor, tap gesture controls, and work as Wi-Fi extenders for an Eero Mesh system. The Echo Dot with Clock has a new brighter LED dot display with a higher resolution for more dynamic, glanceable information. You can now get a scrolling view of song titles and artists when listening to music, checking the weather, calendar events, or calculations.

The Amazon Echo Dot comes in a new deep sea blue colour, while the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock has a new cloud blue option. The Echo Dot retails for $69.99, while the Echo Dot with Clock goes for $79.99. There are also new Echo Dot Kids with owl and dragon designs for $79.99.

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Amazon Echo Studio gets improved spatial audio processing tech

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There hasn't been an overhaul of Amazon's "best-sounding speaker," but Amazon has released an over-the-air update for the Echo Studio. It gets new spatial audio processing technology and frequency range extension to improve its stereo sound. Nedim Fresko, VP of Amazon devices, told The Verge in an interview that the Echo Studio mimics the performance of a hi-fi stereo system. Meanwhile, its frequency range extension technology delivers improved performance, deeper bass, and better midrange clarity. 

Amazon plans to bring its spatial audio processing to the Echo Show 15 and other compatible Echo devices in the future. If you haven't gotten your hands on the Echo Studio yet, Amazon released a new Glacier White colour option for $259.99.