Christmas is not that far away, and, if you've left your shopping til the last minute, the Echo Dot could be what you're looking for.
With the big day only 7 sleeps away, you've gotta get your presents ready. For those who love tech, the second gen Amazon Echo Dot could be the right choice. With Alexa - the hands-free voice assistant - you can get things done without lifting a finger.
The 2nd generation version is better than before, and it's cheaper than its daddy - the Amazon Echo. The Echo Plus is now also available.
So. What is it?
As said above, it's a new hands free assistant from popular online store Amazon. It's activated and controlled using your voice, too.
Echo Dot comes in two colours: Black or White.You can speak to it and ask a huge range of questions. For example:
"Alexa, set a timer for 20 minutes." "Alexa, what's the weather like?" "Alexa, what's on my calendar today?" "Alexa, play music from Jax Jones". Cleaver, huh?
It has a small built-in speaker, in which you can speak to it, as stated above. It's good quality so you can hear your music through it. For room-filling sound, the Amazon Echo is what you'll need. Echo Dot has a built in AUX port so you can control sounds from a louder speaker. Your can pair your Amazon Echo Dot with Bluetooth speakers and products as well.
The Echo Dot has seven (7) microphones built in, so no matter where you are, it'll hear you!
Your Echo Dot is always learning. You can ask it what's on your to-do list, and it'll tell you. Asking it to re-order items, such as bread and milk is easy. Just start your sentence with "Alexa". You will need your Alexa to be paired and setup with certain apps to do these.
Alexa can book Uber rides for you, and can make your home smarter. With special plugs, thermostats and light bulbs, you can ask Alexa to dim the lights, unlock doors, turn of the TV in your living room, and turn the lights off in your bedroom without even having to get out of bed!
Alexa works with various brands and we're sure more will be compatible in the feature. Hive and Alexa mean you can control the heating with your voice, and Hue means you can turn on and off a number of lights in your home. TP-Link also provide various wall plugs so you can turn the kettle on with your voice when you wake up in the morning.
There is also a great little app for you Apple or Android phone or tablet so Alexa can be with you, even if you're not with your Echo Dot.
Will will be bringing you more about Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Dot soon. If it sounds like a must have, then add it to your Christmas list. Echo Dot is currently £34.99 at Amazon.co.uk - RRP £49.99
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