{"id":10071,"date":"2017-10-03T16:18:52","date_gmt":"2017-10-03T23:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.hellotech.com\/?p=10071"},"modified":"2021-06-11T08:54:04","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T15:54:04","slug":"new-amazon-devices-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hellotech.com\/blog\/new-amazon-devices-announced","title":{"rendered":"The Wacky, Wonderful, and Worthwhile: New Amazon Devices Have Been Announced"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amazon headquarters was buzzing with excitement as the company recently unveiled a slew of amazing gadgets. If&nbsp;you\u2019re on a hunt for the coolest yet most practical tech deals this time of the year, you might want to listen up. Here&#8217;s the low-down on the new Amazon devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-quirky-echo-buttons\">Quirky Echo Buttons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ll start off with one of the oddest of the new Amazon devices: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/b?node=17045325011\">Echo Buttons<\/a>. For just $20\/pair, you\u2019ll get your hands on these smart buzzers that connect to your Amazon Echo in case you feel like playing a friendly game of trivia with family or friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With their use being a little too specific, a lot of folks were hoping to get more info on how else to use the handheld buzzer. Much to everyone\u2019s dismay, Amazon didn\u2019t give away any more details beyond them being used only for Alexa-powered trivia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-upgraded-fire-tv-4k\">Upgraded Fire TV 4K<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It sure took a while, but Amazon has finally given its Fire TV box some much-needed love. Not only that, the Seattle-based company is also pushing the right buttons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The latest Fire TV can now handle 4K video at up to 60 frames per second (fps). It\u2019ll be built with a 1.5 GHz quad-core CPU and an 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity, too. What\u2019s more, it\u2019ll come with a remote that supports Alexa voice control. This means you can control the new Fire TV remotely using any of the Echo devices you already own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even better than all these updates is the fact that it\u2019ll come at roughly the same price as Google\u2019s Chromecast Ultra ($70). It\u2019s so much more affordable than the Apple TV 4K, too. Plus, the Fire TV 4K gets an edge in the accessories department right off the bat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-all-new-amazon-echo\">All-New Amazon Echo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Visual appeal hasn&#8217;t been the original Echo\u2019s strongest suit. Amazon, however, took note of the criticism and got plenty of ideas from competing smart speakers. The result is a better-looking Amazon Echo that immediately impresses with its softer, homelier aesthetics, which may be reminiscent of the designs you see on both Google Home and HomePod. It\u2019s certainly a welcome change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond aesthetics, the 2<sup>nd<\/sup> generation Echo got its audio hardware done better this time with the addition of a dedicated woofer and tweeter. It even adds hardware support for Dolby Surround sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eager to know more about the latest, $99 Echo? Read up on our initial review of the much-improved smart speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bigger-better-echo-plus\">Bigger, Better Echo Plus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It pretty much looks like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Amazon-SK705DI-Echo-White\/dp\/B01E6AO69U\">first-gen Echo<\/a>, but with a trick up its sleeve. The Echo Plus is a dedicated smart home hub right out of the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the likes of Google, Apple, and Samsung vying to become the sole \u2018brain of your smart home\u2019, Amazon looks to surpass them all by replacing the need to own a dozen other smart home hubs. The Seattle retailer claims that about 100 brands will readily connect to the Echo Plus. Theoretically, it would be compatible with most IoT devices you may already have at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-itsy-bitsy-echo-spot\">Itsy-Bitsy Echo Spot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Combine the Echo Show and its attractive screen with the Echo Dot and its adorable size and you\u2019ll get the teeny-weeny Echo Spot. You can get this cute, little alarm clock for just $130.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s no ordinary timepiece, though. The Spot does everything Echo devices can do, but having a built-in camera means it supports video calls. You could now be checking and monitoring loved ones with the Echo Spot sitting right at your bedside. Wouldn\u2019t that be neat?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fascinating-echo-connect\">Fascinating Echo Connect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As it is, Echo devices can be tapped to make phone calls over VoIP. What if your home\u2019s Internet connection suddenly bogs down and you need to place an all-important call?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that case, use the brand-new Echo Connect to link to your landline and give someone a good ol\u2019 fashion ring. For the most part, Amazon is pitching this box as a must-have for worst-case scenarios. And for just $35, that\u2019s not such a bad deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-connected-fish-d-cor\">Connected Fish D\u00e9cor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In what turned out to be the weirdest&nbsp;of the new Amazon devices, Amazon revealed that Alexa may one day be able to command a motion-activated Big Mouth Billy Bass wall plaque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They had a little discourse on their Gadgets API and how it\u2019ll connect Alexa to external devices down the road. Now, imagine a future where the voice assistant could command the silicon fish (via Bluetooth) and make it lip-sync and dance whenever music plays. It\u2019s an intriguing premise, at the least. It still has ways to go, though, before the concept translates into some practical, everyday application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With all these new, exciting announcements about new Amazon devices, many were slightly dismayed that there was no word on a new Kindle e-reader. It\u2019s been more than a year since Amazon released its latest Kindle and it\u2019s about time we get new models or upgrades, at the least.Overall, it has been an eventful day at Amazon\u2019s Seattle headquarters and we\u2019re excited to see the company pushing its major innovations a little further towards perfection and ubiquity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, it has been an eventful day at Amazon\u2019s Seattle headquarters and we\u2019re excited to see the company pushing its major innovations a little further towards perfection and ubiquity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amazon headquarters was buzzing with excitement as the company recently unveiled a slew of amazing gadgets. If&nbsp;you\u2019re on a hunt for the coolest yet most practical tech deals this time of the year, you might want to listen up. Here&#8217;s the low-down on the new Amazon devices. Quirky Echo Buttons We\u2019ll start off with one of the oddest of the new Amazon devices: Echo Buttons. For just $20\/pair, you\u2019ll get your hands on these smart buzzers that connect to your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10103,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17587,17579],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-smart-home"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.10 (Yoast SEO v20.10) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Wacky, Wonderful, and Worthwhile: New Amazon Devices Have Been Announced - The Plug - HelloTech<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019re on a hunt for cool yet practical tech deals this time of the year, you might want to listen up. 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