At an exclusive press conference e-commerce giant Amazon recently introduced a number of new and updated products including the robot Astro, Echo, Blink, the virtual assistant Alexa, and an alliance with Disney, among other announcements. Let’s take a look at some of the product and announcement highlights from the event.
Amazon Goes Full Jetsons and Unveils Robot, Astro.
Amazon unveiled a robot that can look around your house for people or pets. With Ring's subscription service, it can also be used to actively patrol your home.
Astro provides a way to help families find peace of mind by making it easier for them to interact and keep tabs on aging family members. However, the company says they have kept privacy front and center while delivering a robot that can effectively wander around your house somewhat autonomously. A setting for out-of-bounds areas will keep Astro out of any private parts of the home and a "do not disturb" setting helps the robot from moving around too much during the day or night. Amazon designed the device to do as much computing as possible without a network connection. Astro is expected to cost $1,000. To place an order when they first go on sale, you'll need an invite.
Alexa Upgrades
Amazon has rolled out an emergency response subscription service, tied ot Alexa. You can ask Alexa to contact emergency services and send a notification to a family member if you need help. With the subscription service, multiple caregivers can also stay updated. In order to let family members help you with IT issues and set up programs like music streaming on your own devices, you can enable remote help. The service has a monthly fee of $20, but for Alexa Care Hub users, Amazon is offering a free year of service.
Blink Camera Releases
The Blink camera division of Amazon is also growing its product line. The low-cost, stick-up cameras will soon include a video doorbell. You can now buy a wired or wireless Blink video doorbell for $49.
Ring Guard Pro Steps up Security
Amazon plans to combine internet security with a safe and reliable home security system. When combined with an Eero Wi-Fi 6 router, Ring Protect Pro manages a network of Ring cameras in your home and keeps an eye out for threats over the internet while also providing a stable internet connection that works even when the power goes out. The device has a $250 price tag.
Ring's new Edge feature is an also an option. Ring systems' data is stored and processed locally, rather than in Amazon's cloud. Better chips in the devices make it possible to skip sending and receiving data over the internet, speeding up processing.
Ring is Getting Ready to Fly
The company's stated goal for its Ring products is to make neighborhoods safer. The Ring Always Home Cam is one of the ways it's accomplishing this objective. If it detects motion or sounds, the Always Home Cam (a drone basically) will fly around your home to check things out. Because the camera is covered when the device is docked for charging, Ring claims privacy is already built in.
It won't be available for purchase right away on Amazon. Instead, an invite-only beta test will be the first step. It will cost $250.
Halo View, Fitness, and Nutrition
Halo is expanding to include a new product from Amazon, in addition to its fitness tracking band and companion app, both of which are already available. The new product will offer new fitness tracking features and access to premium workouts. I will have seven days of battery life, be swim proof, and will come in a variety of color and material options. The device can track fitness stats and classes and will cost you $80 for a year of membership. Amazon is also offering Halo Fitness and Halo Nutrition as additional products in the line.
Amazon Glow - Video Chat for Kids
Amazon’s Glow is designed to make video calls more interactive for children. Kids can interact with computer images projected on a table in a fun and engaging way. An 8-inch LCD display also allows for easy video chat.
The adult on the other end of the call will be able to use an app to interact with books, draw, and play puzzles, among other things. Instead of showing what the adult sees on their tablet, Amazon Glow shows what the child sees on their tablet. Amazon says the $249 device will have a privacy shutter and only allow kids to call people who have been preapproved by their parents for calls to protect their privacy and safety.
Alexa to Feature Disney Characters
You can now interact with Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars characters via an Alexa device thanks to a new partnership between Amazon and Disney. It's called Hey Disney, and it provides you with features that you'll have to discover for yourself, such as jokes, trivia, and story readings. You can purchase a subscription to use it on your own Alexa device or in Disney park hotels.
Amazon Kids Plus Delivers More Content
An upgraded subscription service for kids is now available, and it's compatible with the Echo Show, Fire TV, and Fire tablet devices as well as mobile apps for iOS and Android. Starting at $3 a month, the service will include new games and exclusive content, such as video content from the popular YouTube channel Blippi.
The New Echo Show 15
Amazon has a new take on the tablet, with a wall-mounted device designed to control our smart homes and deliver important information to the homeowner. It will include facial recognition features and deliver a variety of customized content and information for each user.
