Tech for Luddites

It’s a big day for the Amazon Echo and its smaller sibling, the Echo Dot!

• The new second generation of the Dot has a more powerful processor and some cosmetic differences from the previous version (a little smaller and lighter, different volume controls, etc.) and a big price discount in the U.S ($50 vs $90). They also now have an option to buy 5 and get 1 free. The Dot is available for pre-order now and will start shipping in late October.
• Both the Echo and the Dot now come in black and white versions.
• Both devices are now available in the U.K. and Germany for the first time.

The Amazon Echo is a full Bluetooth speaker for playing music, podcasts, audiobooks, etc. The Echo is powered by Alexa, Amazon’s cloud-based voice-enabled software, which not only lets you control the speaker but provides a whole slew of additional capabilities like announcing news, weather, and sports updates, answering questions, playing games, creating shopping and to-do lists, and controlling Internet-enabled devices, including lights, thermostats, ovens, and even some car functions.

The Echo Dot is a smaller version of the device, with a basic speaker that’s suitable for voice communications (works great for finding out what time it is if you wake up in the middle of the night!). You can also use it to add Alexa’s full capabilities to any speaker in your house (or headphones) by connecting them via audio cable or Bluetooth.

Learn more about the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot and read customer reviews at Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K. and Amazon Germany. >>

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