Amazon’s new 2nd-gen Echo has interchangable outer shells

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Amazon thankfully decided to make their all-new 2nd-generation Echo in more colors than just black and white. It turns out that the outer shell of the Echo 2 is actually interchangeable and you can purchases additional shells separately if you’d like. The fabric shells are $19.99 each while additional wood or silver shells are $29.99. The silver shell is described as “polycarbonate with a silver paint finish,” so if you were hoping it was actually metal, I’m sorry to say it’s just painted plastic. The oak and walnut shells are described as “wood veneer with an oak/walnut-colored finish,” so it sounds like those, at least, are made of actual wood. The shells are available to pre-order today and will be released the same day as the Echo 2. Thanks @Erinescence for tip!

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Dear subscribers, I’m sorry for the flood of emails

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If you’re subscribed to receive an email notification every time I write a new post, you probably just received about a thousand emails from me. I’m so sorry. A few weeks ago I decided to take down all of my “deal” posts that were about deals that had already expired. Today I decided it was better to instead mark those posts as “[Expired]” and keep them on the site so that everyone can continue to read comments and information about past deals, even after they expire. It turns out that when I brought those posts back, the system that sends out email notifications to subscribers treated them as new posts and sent out a new notification for each post. Again, I’m so sorry inadvertently for flooding your inbox. Even though it won’t happen again, I wouldn’t blame you for unsubscribing from my site’s notifications, which you can do through the link at the bottom of any notification email.

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Small software update rolling out to some Amazon Fire TV devices

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A new software update is currently rolling out to some Amazon Fire TV devices. The update carries the same 5.2.6.0 version number as the previous software version, but the build number has increased from 587444320 to 587444820. I’ve only heard of the 1st-gen Fire TV box receiving this update, but I do not know if other devices will also receive it. Read more ›

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Amazon’s new Fire HD 10 is essentially a Fire TV 2 in tablet form

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Amazon’s new flagship tablet for 2017, the Fire HD 10, was released a few days ago. Like many, I had been patiently waiting for Amazon to finally release a tablet with a 1080p screen again, so when they announced that the all-new Fire HD 10 had a 1920×1200 IPS screen I put in my order and picked one up. While putting it through its paces this week, it dawned on me that, up until now, I overlooked something obvious about this tablet. The new Fire HD 10 shares the exact same internals as the 2nd generation Fire TV. Here’s a comparison of the two device’s specs and benchmark scores. Read more ›

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New Apps for the Week of October 8th thru the 14th

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This week there were 26 new apps and games released for the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. Two popular games on mobile platforms have made their way to the Fire TV. LEGO DC Mighty Micros is a racing game with over 10 million downloads on mobile devices, and Jungle Adventures 2 is a side-scrolling platformer game with over 5 million downloads on mobile devices. Both are free to play and worth checking out if you’re looking for a new game to try. By far the biggest app released this week is Movies Anywhere. You can read my article about it, but it essentially lets you link up your Google Play, Apple iTunes, and VUDU account with your Amazon account so most movies you purchase from any platform are available on the Fire TV. Lastly, to get your home ready for Halloween, check out the app They’re Here, which turns your TV into a haunted static display with creepy hands. Continue on for the full list of new apps and games released in the last 7 days. Read more ›

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Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman put the pedal to the plastic in new LEGO racing game on the Fire TV

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LEGO DC Mighty Micros is a new racing game from LEGO featuring numerous DC comic characters, such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. It has over 10 million downloads on mobile devices and has now arrived on all Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Edition television models. It works with either a game controller or the Fire TV remote.

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Jungle Adventures 2 arrives on Amazon Fire TV devices

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Jungle Adventures 2 is a new game that has just been released on all Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Edition televisions. It’s a side-scrolling platformer game that seems to be heavily influenced by the Donkey Kong Country games from the Super Nintendo. This game has pulled in over 5 million downloads on mobile devices and no it has arrived on the Fire TV. It works with either a game controller or a remote and it’s compatible with all Fire TV models.

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App Deal: DuckTales Remastered down from $4.99 to $1.99

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DuckTales: Remastered has just gone on sale for $1.99. This game has been lower only once before and that was nearly 2 years ago. This is an HD remake of the original DuckTales game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989. The game is beautifully remade with backgrounds drawn by Disney artists and voice acting by members of the original cast from the animated DuckTales series. DuckTales: Remastered is compatible with all Fire TV models except the 1st-gen Fire TV Stick. It works with either a remote or game controller.

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Everything that’s affected when you teach Amazon’s Alexa to recognize your voice

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This week, Amazon made it possible to teach Alexa to recognize your voice. Once you’ve completed the voice training process and created a voice profile, Alexa will be able to distinguish your voice from the voice of others who use the same Echo devices. Here’s a detailed breakdown of Alexa’s various features that are affected when the voice assistant recognizes the speaker. Most changes focus on improving Alexa use in a multi-user household, but somes actually improve Alexa even if you’re the only one using your devices. Read more ›

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Amazon originals ‘Lore,’ ‘City of Ghosts,’ and ‘Sigmund and the Sea Monsters’ debut today

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A pair of new original Amazon shows and an original movie are debuting today on Prime Video. The first and probably most anticipated is Lore, an adaptation of the popular podcast by the same name about non-fiction scary stories that has the backing of an executive producer of The Walking Dead and The X-Files. Next is Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, a childrens show remake of a series from the 70s. Last is the Amazon original documentary City of Ghosts that follows citizen journalists behind enemy lines in Syria, which has garnered a 99% Rotten Tomatoe score. Read more ›

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