September has been a hectic month for new hardware. Following Apple and Microsoft, Amazon is taking the (virtual) stage to unveil new additions to its Echo and Ring lineups (last week, it announced new Kindles too). However, unlike its peers, Amazon isn’t offering a public livestream for its hardware event—it’s invite-only. Don’t worry, WIRED has you covered. We’ll be updating this story as Amazon reveals new products, so make sure to hit refresh throughout the hour.
Here’s everything Amazon has announced so far.
A Cheap Thermostat
It’s almost surprising that Amazon hasn’t come out with a smart thermostat until now. The company has partnered with the appliance manufacturer Honeywell to debut a simple-looking smart thermostat for an astonishingly low price of $59, well below the price of the average smart home thermostat (as Amazon well knows, seeing as how they sell tons of them).
It works with most existing HVAC systems and accomplishes the standard thermostat tasks, like setting routines in your home on when to lower or increase the temperature. Amazon notes that potential energy savings will help customers meet sustainability goals. At this price, it will also help Amazon edge companies like Nest and Ecobee out of the market.
Echo Show 15
The Echo Show 15 is designed to be mounted to a wall in portrait or landscape mode, like a modern-day family bulletin board. With a 15.6-inch Full HD display, it’s Amazon’s largest Echo with a screen to date. The home screen has been redesigned to include widgets for calendars, to-do lists, and shopping lists, among others, as well as support for picture-in-picture mode. It can be used as a TV to stream Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu, with support for Sling TV coming soon. When you’re not using it, it can display art (or family photos).
You can train Alexa to recognize specific sounds with the Echo Show 15—like the sound your fridge makes when it’s accidentally left open for too long or your doorbell ringing. The device will send a notification to your phone whenever it picks up on that specific noise.
For all the latest Technology News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.