Your Amazon Echo speaker can now keep an eye on your home while you’re away.
A new feature called Alexa Guard lets your speaker listen for signs of danger while you’re out. If your speaker has a built-in camera, it will also provide a direct video feed into your home.
Amazon revealed today that it reached an agreement to acquire mesh Wi-Fi router maker Eero, giving the online retailer another powerful tool in its effort to dominate the smart home market.
Smart speakers are microphones that other people can listen to. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
You know the Apple FaceTime bug that everyone’s going crazy about? It’s a huge screwup, for sure, but at least we know it’s just a bug. Being able to call someone and eavesdrop on their conversations without them knowing is clearly a privacy nightmare, which is why Apple disabled Group FaceTime until it can issue a proper fix.
Amazon, on the other hand, offers silent eavesdropping as a feature for its Echo speakers. It’s called Drop In, and if you’ve enabled it, you should probably turn it off.
Look out for Apple Music on other Alexa speakers soon. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple Music will make its way to third-party Alexa speakers eventually, Amazon has confirmed.
The streaming service finally joined Alexa earlier this week — you may have gotten an announcement notification on your iPhone — but it’s currently available only on Amazon’s own Echo devices.
The Echo finally plays nice with Apple Music. Photo: Amazon
Amazon’s Alexa speakers can finally connect to your Apple Music account.
Support for Apple Music on the Amazon Echo was rolled out today, giving iPhone and iPad owners the option to pump out their favorite jams without signing up for an Apple Music competitor like Spotify Premium.
Getting the new Apple Music integration up and running is ridiculously easy, but we’ll walk you through the entire process.
Amazon's new microwave is super smart. Photo: Amazon
Amazon hosted its annual “secret” event this morning in Seattle where the company unleashed a tidal wave of new Alexa-powered Echo products that are designed to take on pretty much every major tech company in the world.
From its new microwave to a pricey new subwoofer, Amazon has a new product for pretty much everybody at every price point. The event was so action-packed it was hard to keep up with the catalog of new options, but we’ve rounded them all up so you can figure out what Alexa products you should splurge on next.
This is the best deal yet on Amazon Echo Show. Photo: Amazon
Echo Show is Amazon’s finest Alexa device. It not only answers your queries, plays your music, and controls your smart devices like every other Echo speaker, but it also has a 7-inch touchscreen and built-in camera that let you do so much more.
It’s usually priced at $229, but from now through Prime Day on July 16, Amazon has slashed a whopping $100 off its price tag.
Now your little ones can get to know Alexa with the new Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition.
It’s just like a regular Echo Dot, but it comes inside a colorful protective case and a one-year subscribtion to the “FreeTime Unlimited” service that gives parents complete control over content. You’ll have to pay a premium for those extra features, though.
HomePod sales are already suffering. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple has been forced to cut HomePod orders as inventories continue to build up in its retail stores, according to a new report.
The $349 speaker enjoyed a promising start when it made its debut in February, but demand has fallen quickly as smart speaker shoppers turn to more affordable options from the likes of Amazon.
HomePod will get software updates just like your other Apple devices. Photo: Apple
Don’t make the mistake of comparing HomePod to rival smart speakers and lamenting its $349 price tag. There are good reasons why the device costs more than three times as much as an Amazon Echo — and yet is still an absolute steal.