Amazon revamps Echo smart speaker family

-
 Echo Spot

Amazon has announced new versions of its Echo smart speakers that promise improved sound and voice recognition.

The basic model also allows its shell to be changed to give it different looks - a feature already offered by Google's rival Home device.

A larger Echo Plus adds a "home hub", letting it control smart light bulbs and other third-party products without a separate data-linking device.

And the Echo Spot has a screen, making video calls and camera feeds possible.

Amazon has never released sales figures for the earlier Echo line-up.

But researchers suggest it and its smaller sibling the Echo Dot have been the best selling devices of their kind.

The Echo family accounts for 75% of the US market for internet-connected speakers with built-in smart assistant functionality, estimated Consumer Intelligence Research Partners earlier this month. It suggested 15 million devices had been sold to date.
Colour choices

The new Echo is smaller than its predecessor and benefits from a dedicated bass tweeter.

It launches with a choice of six swappable shells that come in different materials.

It will cost £90/$100/100 euros - making it about 40% cheaper than the previous version, as well as undercutting the £129 Google Home.

The Echo Plus - which is compatible with the Zigbee smart home protocol - costs £140/$150/150 euros.

And the Echo Spot, with its 2.5-inch screen, has been priced at $130.

"Amazon was first mover in this market, so it had an advantage over some of the others that entered the same space," commented Blake Kozak from the IHS Technology consultancy.

"But it's incredibly important for them to do this refresh - the original Echo came out in 2014 and the hardware hadn't been updated since, although the software and back-end services have been improved continuously.

"Since then we've seen other more 'premium' systems get announced - with higher quality speakers - so, Amazon needed to be seen to match the competition."

Many of those newer systems also feature Amazon's Alexa assistant and will not be seen as a threat.

Amazon has previously said it sells its speakers for roughly the price it costs to produce them, since its ultimate goal is to use Alexa as a means to drive sales of other goods and services.

But at Berlin's Ifa tech show earlier this month, several big name manufacturers - including Sony, Panasonic and JBL - launched systems powered by Google's rival Assistant.

At its Seattle event, Amazon also announced Echo Buttons - small Bluetooth-based buzzers that can be used to play games on its speakers, including a forthcoming version of Trivial Pursuit.

In addition, it revealed the Echo Connect, a device that connects to a landline and turns its speakers into speakerphones.

And it announced a deal to bring Alexa to some of BMW's cars, including its Mini brand.

"Amazon has the momentum in the smart speaker and voice assistant space," said Geoff Blaber from the tech consultancy CCS Insight.

"These announcements are designed to deepen its role in our daily lives.

"This raises the bar significantly for Apple and Google."

BBC

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Five Incredible Technology Trends for 2018

-
Image
Photo credits: Odd ANDERSEN / AFP You don't have to be a technology enthusiast, you will always look forward to the tech developments especially the tech trends that will make a difference in the future or New Year. Jumia Travel , the leading online travel agency, highlights 5 technology set to define 2018. Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) will be bigger this year. More and more organisations will embrace AI which is made possible through machine learning algorithms and will be incorporated in uncountable applications. 5 Generation Technology This year, developers and engineers are getting ready to make a new generation of internet possible. By the end of 2019, 5G networks and phones with 5G will be available. 5G internet has the potential to be almost 10 times faster than 4G, making it even better than most home internet services. Data overload In 2018, data collection is going to become an even higher priority as companies have seen the advantage of coll
Read more

Nigerian Oshi Agabi unveils the computer that can smell

-
Image
TEDGLOBAL Photo credits: GETTY IMAGES  Nigerian Oshi Agabi has unveiled a computer based not on silicon but on mice neurons at the TEDGlobal conference in Tanzania. The system has been trained to recognize the smell of explosives and could be used to replace traditional airport security, he said. Eventually the modem-sized device - dubbed Koniku Kore - could provide the brain for future robots. Experts said that making such systems mass-market was challenging. All of the big tech firms, from Google to Microsoft, are rushing to create artificial intelligence modelled on the human brain. While computers are better than humans at complex mathematical equations, there are many cognitive functions where the brain is much better: training a computer to recognise smells would require colossal amounts of computational power and energy, for example. Mr Agabi is attempting to reverse-engineer biology, which already accomplishes this function with a fraction of the power it would take a
Read more

Food: Four Popular Bukkas in Lagos

-
Image
Bukka meal Local resturants popularly unknown as "Bukka" is considered unsafe for few while some takes pleasure patronizing them. Maybe because it is affordable and offers quality local meals and it's easy to find one around. They are usually small or fairly sized rooms with wooden or plastic tables and chairs, with the cooking pots in view, in most cases. Eating out in bukkas is a very major part of Nigerian life, at least 70 percent of Nigerians have eaten in a bukka and a very good number visit frequently. Bukka food Bukka, which is also known as "Mama Put" is Nigeria’s version of street food. Food is a major part of tourism and  bukkas are a good way to experience the local and authentic food culture of Nigerians. Bukkas are on almost every corner of Lagos. Here is a list of four safe and popular ones in Lagos. Amala Shitta Location: 26 Rabiatu Thomson Crescent, Shitta, Surulere, Lagos. Amala Shitta has been named the best place to get amala i
Read more

Samsung Electronics' record-breaking earnings

-
Image
Image credit:AFP PHOTO / JUNG Yeon-Je South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics posted record-breaking earnings Thursday, putting it on course to better rival Apple’s quarterly profits as it seeks to move past a bribery scandal and a damaging recall debacle. The firm said huge sales of its new Galaxy S8 smartphone and demand for its memory chips were behind the jump in April-June and predicted another blockbuster report for the current quarter to September. Operating profit soared a forecast-beating 72.9 percent from the previous year to 14.07 trillion won ($12.6 billion), compared with consensus forecasts of $10.6 billion for US titan Apple, which is due to report next week. However, Greg Roh, an analyst at HMC Investment Securities, told AFP: “Samsung has surpassed its rivals for now but Apple usually sees little fluctuation in its profits whereas Samsung’s profits fluctuate largely on memory chip prices.” Apple is expected to outstrip Samsung in full-year resul
Read more

Technology deranges Nigeria’s used-car market

-
Image
Technology is fast becoming a major influencer of the already thriving used-car market in Nigeria, hence disrupting the entire value chain of auto business in the country. Nigeria spends an estimated N1.2 trillion on importation of vehicles as recent statistics has shown. PriceWaterhouseCooper (PwC), Nigeria’s professional service firm in a recent report release mentioned that more than 70 per cent of these imported vehicles are used ones, also known as Tokunbo. This trend has created a thriving used-car market, spurred more by Nigeria’s new automotive policy – a development that saw car import tariff hiked by 35 per cent. Over the past five years, technology has proven handy in playing a vital role in the success of the used-car market. Specifically, technology has reared its head in creating online marketplaces, curating inventories of used-cars and connecting buyers with sellers. According to Lukmon Oloidi, who is a used-car dealer in Lagos., technology has made it easy for deal
Read more

Ghana connects to Nigeria’s Internet Exchange point

-
Image
Ghana Internet Exchange Point has connected to Nigerian’s Internet Exchange Point (IXPN) to route traffic locally within the region.While this process is on a vice-versa and partnership basis, The Guardian learnt that the move is expected to enhance the chances of Nigeria becoming the regional hub for Internet content in the region and the continent; it will also serve as an opportunity for both countries to reduce cost and improve latency on the route.   Further analysis showed that the Internet traffic destined for the two countries will now remain local, meaning that instead of the traffic coming from Ghana to Nigeria, which first goes to Europe or the Americas before returning to Africa, will come straight to the region.This way, there will be some cost saving, improvement service delivery, and making services safer.     Besides, should Nigeria become the Internet hub for Africa, it will help the country to create contents, especially local that can serve the international mark
Read more

Simple Ways To Prepare Nkwobi

-
Image
Nkwobi is a sweet and amazing delicacy everyone should have a taste of especially tourists. It's one of Nigerian's best and tasty cuisine. Steps below could be of help while preparing it for the first time. Ingredients    (1).  500g cow leg    (2).  1 tbsp potash    (3).  1/2 cup palm oil    (4).  1 tsp calabash nutmeg (ehu seeds)    (5).  1 onion    (6).  Seasoning cubes    (7).  Salt, to taste    (8).  Utazi leaves, to garnish    (9).  Ugba    (10).  2 tbsp crayfish    (11).  Habanero peppers (optional) Method     (1). Cut the cow leg into chunks and boil until tender. Season with salt, stock cubes and pepper.     (2). Dissolve potash in some water then leave it to settle for a few minutes. Pour out the top part of the potash water.     (3). In a pot, mix the palm oil with a little potash water; the result is a thick yellow paste.     (4). Add ugba, calabash nutmeg, diced onion, peppers and crayfish to it.     (5). Add the cow leg and put the pot on medium heat to w
Read more

Etihad, Alibaba, Ant partner on customer experience

-
Image
AFP PHOTO / Andreas SOLARO Etihad Aviation Group (EAG), Alibaba Group Holding Limited, and Ant Financial Services Group (ANT Group) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to expand their partnership and deliver superior products and services to Chinese customers. The group plans to expand cooperation through greater collaboration on respective loyalty programmes. In addition, new products and services will be introduced to deliver an improved guest experience and improved logistics. Under the agreement, Alibaba and Etihad Guest, the award-winning loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, will explore enhanced programme benefits and opportunities for cross-acquisition of loyalty points. This will include points’ conversion to Etihad Guest Miles, reciprocal benefits across premium tiers, and the ability to redeem Etihad Guest Miles for Alibaba products. In addition, Alibaba Group and Etihad Airways will enter into a brand partnership agreement that will integrate the Alibaba G
Read more

The UK's first Holocaust Memorial planned for London

-
Image
Photo credits: Adjaye Associates Photo credits: Adjaye Associates A memorial honouring  millions who died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust will be set in the Victoria Tower Gardens next to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, it has been decided. The new landmark - expected to be completed by 2021 - aims to be “a living place, not just a monument to something of the past”, offering visitors an “immersive journey” and “sensory experience” throughout the site. Featuring a series of 23 imposing bronze fin structures, with the spaces between each symbolising the 22 countries where Jewish communities were destroyed during the Holocaust, the striking memorial will have a modern, minimalist feel. However, Visitors can expect different experiences along each pathway between the fins before the walks culminate at a cavernous main hall (known as the Threshold), intended to be a place for contemplation before moving into the adjoining Learning Centre in the leve
Read more

Nissan Leaf electric car adds one-pedal driving feature

-
Image
  Nissan launches a longer-range version of it's best-selling Leaf electric vehicle. According to the firm, the new model can travel about 50% further on a single charge than it's predecessor. Other features include a new one-pedal driving system, auto-parking tech and a more modern design. More than 283,000 Leaf cars have been sold since the Japanese firm launched the brand in 2010, making it the world's most purchased electric car. However, it is facing increasing competition in the fast-developing "green" car market, fuelled in part by tightening emissions standards around the world. "The general industry standard for model cycles is around six-to-seven years, so the launch of the second generation Leaf falls neatly in to this timeframe," commented Ian Fletcher, principal automotive analyst at the IHS Markit consultancy. "However, the next three to four years looks set to see further upgraded and brand new vehicles, and manufacturers in this sp
Read more