Alexa and Amazon Echo devices are now available in France

Posted by Elias Saba on — 2 Comments

Amazon’s Echo devices are now available to pre-order in France. The Amazon Echo will regularly be €99.99 and the Echo Dot will be €59.99. Both will arrive at customer’s doors on June 13th. The Echo Spot is also being made available for €129.99 but it won’t ship until next month on July 23rd. Prices are being discounted for a limited time during launch. Ordering now will land you 50% off all devices. Once the new devices arrive, France will have localized skills from brands like Netatmo, Philips Hue, Uber, Domino’s Pizza, TP-Link, Franceinfo, Legrand, and La Fourchette. Other Alexa-enabled devices will be coming to France from brands like Harman Kardon, Sonos, Ultimate Ears, Netgem, Archos, Boulanger, and Sowee. France is now the 10th country to receive Echo devices after the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, India, Ireland, and Canada.

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Amazon Echo inadvertently sent conversation to family’s contact

Posted by Elias Saba on — 14 Comments

A Portland family was surprised to learn that their Amazon Echo inadvertently sent a recording of their conversation to one of their phone’s contacts through Alexa’s calling and messaging feature. Through a string of unlikely events, the Echo interpreted a background conversation as a request to send a message, resulting in what is essentially the modern equivalent of a “butt dial.” Read more ›

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Amazon Echo devices are now available in India without an invitation

Posted by Elias Saba on — 2 Comments

A few months ago, Amazon made Echo devices available in India for the first time, but as tends to be the case whenever Alexa arrives in a new country, the devices were only available by invitation. Amazon has now removed the invitation requirement, making Echo devices available to everyone. The Amazon Echo (₹9,999 or ~$150), Echo Dot (₹4,499 or ~$70), and Echo Plus (₹14,999 or ~$230) are available, as well as 3rd-party Alexa smart speakers such as the Harman Kardon Allure (₹22,499 or ~$350).

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Amazon Echo devices and Music Unlimited service are coming to Australia and New Zealand in February

Posted by Elias Saba on — 4 Comments

Amazon has announced that select Amazon Echo devices, as well as their Music Unlimited streaming service, will be headed to Australia and New Zealand next month. Customers can place a pre-order for the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Plus starting today. The Amazon Echo is $119 AUD (~$95 USD), the Echo Dot is $49 AUD (~$39 USD), and the Echo Plus is $199 AUD (~$159 USD). All three will be released on February 1st.

Also arriving on the same day is Amazon’s Music Unlimited streaming service. Like in other countries, it will be available in three plan options. $4.99 AUD per month grants streaming access to over 45 million songs on a single Echo, Echo Dot or Echo Plus. The Individual Plan for multiple devices and mobile streaming is $11.99 AUD per month, while the Family Plan, which will be available later, will be $17.99 AUD per month for up to six members of a household to share. New subscribers will get a 90-day free trial.

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Amazon Echo devices and Music Unlimited launching in 28 new countries

Posted by Elias Saba on — 6 Comments

Amazon has announced that both their Echo speaker and their Music Unlimited service are now available in 28 additional countries. Pricing for both the devices and the music service will vary by country. Music Unlimited will be available in the same three tiers as in US, which is an Echo only plan, a single user plan, and a family plan. The new country additions include Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, and Uruguay. About a week ago, the Echo was also made available in Australia and New Zealand.

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Amazon Echo now available in (RED) for a limited time

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Amazon now offers the all-new 2nd generation Echo in a limited edition red color. The new color is part of the Product (RED) campaign which seeks to raise awareness and funds to eliminate HIV/AIDS. The (RED) Echo costs the same as the other Echo colors, but Amazon will donate $10 to the charity for each one sold. It does not appear as though Amazon will be selling a (RED) version of the Echo shell separately. Along with the new (RED) Echo, Amazon is highlighting hundreds of other (RED) products at Amazon.com/red.

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Amazon Echos, Alexa, and Prime Music launch in Canada

Posted by Elias Saba on — 9 Comments

About a week after adding Japan as the fifth country to receive Alexa and Echo devices, Amazon has now launched their voice assistant and smart speakers in Canada. In addition to Alexa and Echo devices, Amazon is also simultaneously launching Prime Music for all Canadian Prime members. Read more ›

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Amazon Echo (2nd Gen) Review

Posted by Elias Saba on — 4 Comments

When the 2nd Generation Amazon Echo was announced, I (somewhat reluctantly) placed my order, even though I had more Alexa devices than I have rooms in my house. Here are my thoughts on the new smart speaker, what you need to know about it, and how it compares to the original Echo. Read more ›

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Latest 2nd Gen Amazon Echo software update greatly improves sound quality

Posted by Elias Saba on — 6 Comments

A new software update is currently rolling out to the 2nd Generation Amazon Echo that is, apparently, greatly improving the smart speaker’s sound quality. The new software update is said to make the Echo 2 sound fuller and noticeably improves the speaker’s bass, which was a common complaint from owners of the 1st generation Amazon Echo. Read more ›

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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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