When it comes to Alexa, while you might know about the virtual assistant developed by Amazon, these days it goes far beyond answering basic questions and playing music.
The new devices can do everything from water plants to checking the mailbox, or even take the laundry out when you enter the relevant room.
The latest devices — namely the Echo Dot Max and Echo Show 11 — feature Omnisense sensor fusion, including motion and temperature sensors, which allow Alexa to proactively adjust routines, alerts, and recommendations based on the household environment.
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For example, devices can detect when a room is occupied, or when the temperature changes, and trigger actions such as adjusting smart lights, reminders, or notifications, making homes feel more aware, responsive, and helpful.
Amazon has released two new clever Alexa devices. Credit: Amazon AustraliaEcho Dot Max
The newly-released Echo Dot Max ($199) is available for pre-order now. Credit: Amazon Australia
Top of the shopping list for many shoppers looking to embrace a bit of Alexa tech this year include the newly-released Echo Dot Max ($199) — which is available now.
Designed to deliver a rich sound experience, you can enjoy audio bliss with room-filling sound that automatically senses your room’s acoustics and fine-tunes playback.
It features a built-in smart home hub and Omnisense technology for enhanced ambient experience, all powered by an AZ3 chip for fast performance.
The $199 device also looks the part.
The stylish smart speaker fits beautifully in any space, delivering your personal sound stage with deep bass and enhanced clarity.
Other clever features of the Echo Dot Max include the ability to dim lights and lock the front door daily by 10pm.
You can connect compatible Echo devices in different rooms, or pair with a second Echo Dot Max to enjoy even richer sing-along sound.
Then, pair your Echo Dot Max with compatible Fire TV devices to create a home theatre system that brings scenes to life.
Echo Show 11
The Echo Show 11 ($429), available for pre-order now, has an 11” smart display that features a vibrant Full HD touchscreen. Credit: Amazon Australia
It’s not only the Echo Dot Max that Amazon has to offer right now either.
The Echo Show 11 ($429), available for pre-order now, has an 11” smart display that features a vibrant Full HD touchscreen, built-in smart home hub, AZ3 Pro chip for powerful performance, and Omnisense technology for enhanced ambient experience.
With it, you can watch your favourite shows on the vibrant Full-HD 11” screen and enjoy music and shows with the power of room-filling spatial audio.
Need to take a call and don’t have your phone to hand?
Video calls will feel natural on the vibrant 11” screen with a centered, auto-framing camera, 3.3x zoom, and noise reduction technology.
You can also use live view to check in on your family, pets, and more while you’re away.
One of my favourite features of the Echo Show model in general is how stylish it looks at home, whether you’re using it or not.
The 11” home screen doubles as a stylish digital photo frame when not in use.
For more information and to browse the new gadgets to see if they’re right for you, head here now.
You can also use live view to check in on your family, pets, and more while you’re away. Credit: Amazon Australia