Amazon.com Inc. recently spoke about its vision of expanding and pushing its vision for smart homes powered by Alexa voice assistant deeper into the consumer lives. From functions for every room of the house to handle a wall clock to microwave and security camera, the technology is all set to create a storm.
The Internet giant wants to popularize the technology that is yet to go mainstream and connect more and more people to Amazon’s universe of things to buy.
Chief executive Jeff Bezos sees voice as the next interface linking people and machines, like a mouse on personal computers and touchscreens on smartphones.
The New Features and Devices
Amazon has also introduced a subwoofer to go along with existing Echo products as well as a pair of amplifiers that work like audio control centers for the home making it one of the best-sold products of Amazon.
Amazon also made improvements to the Echo Show speaker and added a bigger screen with better sound. Alexa and will now respond directly to commands on a new $60 (around ₹4,300) Amazon Basics-branded microwave oven. For instance, now consumers can simply say “defrost peas” or “cook a baked potato” without having to figure out how long that will take.
Also launched is the new Alexa Guard, a high-end security system that can detect, smoke, carbon dioxide, or breaking of glass and send an alert to your phone. The Echo Wall Clock means you won’t have to worry about the switch to daylight savings time again.
Amazon is also bringing out Echo Auto, priced at $50, this device will connect to the car’s speakers via Bluetooth and help with directions and also respond to direct commands like, “Alexa, where is the nearest gas station or a coffee shop?” Those who have screen-based interface systems would also be able to see the direction map just like any other GPS device.
The Market
Global spending on smart home devices such as speakers, thermostats, and lights will hit $96 billion this year thanks to new gadgets from companies like Amazon, Alphabet Inc.’s Google, ADT Inc., and Samsung Electronics Co.
More than 70% of US consumers already use voice-activated technology on daily basis for more than shopping. GPS directions, weather forecasts are the most commonly used features. And the technology is soon evading the entire world. The response of such devices is slowly picking up in India too and people are becoming more receptive to AI technology used.
The Future
Amazon is also trying to shorten gaps and using AI to make Alexa even smarter. A new feature called Alexa Hunches will soon be added that will analyze the usual patterns. For instance, if you say, “Alexa, good night.” It will say, “You left the porch light on. Should it be turned off?
These advancements in technology are surely the future of the world. Have you used the home assistant yet?
