Amazon announces new Alexa devices (Echo Dot, Echo Input, Echo Plus, Echo Sub, Amazon Smart Plug, Amazonbasics Microwave, Echo Wall Clock, Alexa Guard, Ring Camera, Echo Show, Alexa recast, Echo Auto) (September 2018)





This may explain why the price of the Echo Show has dropped so much. These are my favorite echo devices; but I am hesitant to buy anymore for fear of a new and better model is coming out soon.

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1 pm ET today


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I added a sub-woofer to an Alexa group by using an Echo Dot Aux Out to Audio In of a sub-woofer.

Works well but I always wondered why they didn’t make a sub add-on to begin with…

Realizing, Alexa is really “dumb” compared to Google Assistant, at least IMHO. Never-the-less, I am up to 30 Alexa devices but there is always room for more! :rofl:

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You never know what they might release…


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100w 6" Down Firing Woofer. Ahhh how cute. Here I am getting ready to upgrade to 18" Subs for my HT!

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new Dot, same price, 70% louder
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Echo input. Basically a Dot without speakers that connects to a “dumb” speaker via 3.5mm line out. $35
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The anticipated Echo sub. And multi room music now available to all Alexa devices.

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Interesting.

GE has an Alexa enabled microwave ( it doesn’t have Alexa in it, but you can use Alexa to set it and pause it) that costs around $150, but I haven’t bought one because of two issues that a number of the reviewers point it out.

First, it’s only 900 W, and the most microwaves these days are 1100 or 1200, which means you can’t use the instructions on the box so you have to keep re-calculate everything which is a pain.

Second even though it has a “scan to cook” feature, which is particularly nice for items which want you to change the power level Midway, that feature itself doesn’t adjust for the 900 W of the microwave, so it’s almost always wrong even for items which are in the database.

And a third factor which the reviewers don’t mention, but which matters a lot to me, Is that you still have to physically push the button on the microwave door to open it. That doesn’t necessarily prevent me from using it as I can and a Push microbot for just that button. But it is something I have to be aware of.

Anyway, it will be very interesting if the Amazon model is still under $200 but is a 1100 W microwave. We will see. :sunglasses:

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this would be nice with SmartThings. Only Echo PLus, though.
“And we’ll begin supporting local voice control for smart home devices. If you have unreliable internet access, or you experience a temporary internet outage, you can still control your smart plugs and lights connected to Echo Plus while your connection is down.”

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The new echo plus can trigger routines by temperateure. Wonder if they’ll open that up to SmartThings devices?

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Yeah, I think this is going to be similar to what voice control with home automation was back in the 90s, that it will only work for specific phrases. Not natural language recognition. But that might work for many people for things like “turn on the lights.” :sunglasses:

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Add an Amazon Smart Plug to your smart home setup, Alexa asks if you want to rename it, then lets you do so with just your voice. “Call it the bedroom light.”

Oops, routines by voice just failed in their demo

Alexa hunches. Predictive AI

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Is there a livestream?

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Not that I am aware of. I am watching the CNET live blogging of the event

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