Amazon has made it possible for Alexa Routines to control your Fire TV, Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Stick, or Fire TV Edition television. Through routines, either triggered automatically by some event or manually through a spoke Alexa command, Alexa can new automatically launch apps, play content, navigate home, pause/resume video, and even control the power and volume of your TV. Read more ›
Amazon has announced today that they’ve significantly expanded what Alexa commands you can say to an Amazon Echo device to control your Fire TV or Firestick. For a long time now, it has been possible to ask an Echo that has been linked with your Fire TV to perform a few basic tasks, such as launching apps, searching for content, and controlling video playback. When the Fire TV Cube was first released, what you could do hands-free with Alexa and a Fire TV expanded, but all the new capabilities required speaking directly to a Fire TV Cube and did not work through a separate Echo or Echo Dot and something like a Fire TV Stick. Today’s Alexa expansion on Fire TV brings many of those voice commands that formerly only worked on the Fire TV Cube to the rest of Amazon’s Fire TV devices. Here’s the full list of Alexa voice commands that can be used to control a Fire TV hands-free. Read more ›
Amazon is offering certain Prime Day Deals only if you order through Alexa via voice commands. These deals must be ordered through an Alexa device, like an Echo or Fire TV, to get the lowest possible price. You can also order by voice using the Alexa app for iOS or Android phones. Currently, there are only 5 Alexa-exclusive deals, but, during previous Prime Days, Amazon has cycled new deals in and old deals out throughout the day, so keep an eye on this page for the latest Alexa-exclusive deals. I’ll keep an updated list of current and past deals here as well. Read more ›
The Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite and 3rd-gen Fire TV Stick are the latest Fire TV models to add support for being grouped with Amazon Echo speakers to form an Alexa Home Theater System. Using Echo speakers for improved Fire TV audio was first introduced with the release of the Echo Studio last year, thanks to its Dolby Atmos capabilities. The feature has since expanded to also include compatibility with the 1st & 2nd-gen Echo Plus, 2nd & 3rd-gen Echo, 3rd-gen Echo Dot (with or without clock), and the Echo Sub. All of these Echo speakers can be grouped, in the Alexa app, to the Fire TV Stick 4K, both 1st & 2nd-gen Fire TV Cubes, the 3rd-gen Fire TV, and now the two new 2020 Firesticks. Grouping the devices together into a Home Theater System allows the Fire TV’s audio to automatically and wirelessly use the smart speakers instead of your TV speakers. Instructions for how to do so can be found here.
Along with the plethora of things announced today by Amazon, among them is the news that Netflix is finally going to be available through Amazon Echo Show smart displays. The world’s most popular streaming service joins Prime Video and Hulu as the newest streaming service on Amazon’s displays, just a couple of months after Netflix became available on Google’s smart displays. Amazon says you will be able to use your voice to search Netflix for shows and movies, as well as control playback. It’s not known yet if all Echo Show models will receive Netflix or only select models. It was shown off on the new Echo Show 10 announced today, so it’ll obviously be available on that device, which makes sense since it can literally follow you around the room to keep the screen in view while watching content.
Amazon has announced a series of new spherical ball-shaped Echo smart speakers. Seen above in the following order is the new 4th-gen Amazon Echo for $99.99, the new 4th-gen Echo Dot for $49.99, the new Echo Dot with Clock for $59.99, and the new Echo Dot Kids Edition for $59.99. While the new Amazon Echo may look just like the new Echo Dots from the outside, they’re quite different on the inside. The Echo packs in premium sound, thanks to its dual 0.8″ tweeters and 3.0″ woofer, as well as a Zigbee smart hub, while the Echo Dots have just one 1.6″ speaker. Read more ›
At their big hardware announcement event, Amazon revealed the all-new Echo Show 10, which is the 3rd-generation of their flagship smart display. Available in both charcoal and white for $249.99, the Echo Show 10’s biggest trick is that it now moves to keep you in view. A motor built into the base allows the device to automatically swivel when you interact with it so that you always have a good view of the screen. Read more ›
Amazon has updated the on-screen visuals that accompany Alexa responses on Fire TV devices to be more compact and unobtrusive. Prior to this update, all Alexa responses that displayed something on Fire TVs would take up the entire screen. These new visuals take up only the lower third of the screen and don’t take you away from what you’re currently watching. Only select Alexa responses will use the new visuals and they’re only available on some Fire TV models. Read more ›
Amazon and AT&T have teamed up to allow AT&T mobile customers the ability to make and receive phone calls through Alexa devices. AT&T calling with Alexa works by first linking your existing AT&T mobile number to your Alexa account, which is done in the Alexa app under Settings > Communications. Once linked, you’ll be able to say “Alexa, call [NAME]” to place calls, where [NAME] is someone from your contacts, and incoming calls will ring on your Alexa device where you can say “Alexa, answer” to pick up the call. Read more ›
Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant has gained a new feature that allows it to pay for gas at the pump using voice commands. The new capability, which is already live, works at over 11,500 Mobil and Exxon gas stations in the US. By simply saying “Alexa, pay for gas” and then confirming the station location and pump number, the pump will activate and be ready to use. Read more ›
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