Tag: Amazon

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Amazon’s ‘Hey Disney’ feature adds some familiar voices to Echo devices

If you — or a little person in your life — ever wanted to ask Olaf from Frozen what the weather is today, then oh boy, are you in luck.

At a September 28th product event, Amazon announced a new partnership with Disney related to its Echo voice-activated devices.

Those who own an Amazon Echo device will soon be able to say ‘Hey Disney’ to access a series of new features, activities and character voices.

The new ‘Hey Disney’ service, which includes “original character voice recordings and audio” and “over 1,000 magical interactions” is expected to be available to purchase in 2022, though there’s no word yet on what the mouse-themed add-on will cost.

Meanwhile, in an announcement designed specifically to make ‘Disney Dads’ run upstairs in their sensible arch-supporting walking shoes to grab their fannypacks, Amazon says that all Walt Disney World Resort hotel rooms will also be equipped with ‘Hey Disney’ Echo devices.

Disney World guests can use the Echo devices in their rooms — likely docked in the newly released Mickey-themed Echo Show 5 stands — to access voice-activated hospitality services powered by Alexa’s AI software.

Everyone else can also pre-order the stands now for $24.99 USD (roughly $31.72 CAD).

And if that’s not enough Disney x Amazon collab news for you, the Seattle-based tech multinational has also apparently literally made a real-life version of Wall-E?

Click here to read more of our coverage from the September 28th Amazon event.

Image credit: Disney/Amazon

Source: Amazon

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon makes a fitness band that looks like a Fitbit

Amazon is stepping up its fitness game with a new fitness tracker with a screen that looks like a Fitbit Charge device. Beyond that, the company is also creating a fitness subscription platform and a new service to help people eat healthier.

Amazon really pushed into the health and fitness/tech space in a weirdly big way at its fall event, but if these products make their way to Canada remains to be seen. The first Amazon Halo fitness band never did.

The new band has a screen that can track sleep, monitor blood oxygen levels, workout tracking and more. It’s also waterproof and has a skin temperature sensor. The device is called the Amazon Halo view and costs $79.99 USD (roughly, $101 CAD).

The following product is an app called Halo Fitness that offers subscribers hundreds of guided workouts similar to Peleton or Apple Fitness+.

Amazon also dropped Halo Nutrition. This is a subscription service that helps you plan out healthy meals and grocery lists.

More to come…

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon has a new giant smart display that you can wall-mount

Amongst the many new Amazon hardware announcements, the company also revealed its biggest smart display yet, the Echo show 15.

This giant display was touted on stage as being a good family hub and a kitchen TV. Beyond being able to be well-mounted, its main gimmick is that it also has a new software widget feature. This allows users to write digital sticky notes, check the weather at a glance and other valuable tools.

Notably, the shared calendar on the device is likely quite useful for families. I’ll also say that I use my smart displays more when they’re moved up to bar height or shoulder height, so I think that the fact that this can be wall-mounted is a really smart call.

The smart display has a 15.6-inch screen, but Amazon hasn’t shared what the PPI is yet, but I’d assume it will be above 1080p, which should be alright for a device of this size.

The device also has a webcam in its frame, which looks suspiciously like a Facebook Portal, that can recognize who’s using it and tailer what it’s showing to them. This replicates Amazon’s existing voice recognition services that it uses on its other smart displays but allows it to use it without having the user talk. While this makes sense since the sizeable 15-inch tablet is very touchable, it’s also likely a privacy concern for some.

The device also has Amazon’s new AZ2 processor, so it should be the fastest smart display the company has so far. This sounds like a meaningless spec on smart displays, but anyone using an older laggy smart display or in-car screen will know that lag can create a frustrating experience.

The device is listed for $249 USD (roughly, 349 CAD). It’s unclear if this device is launching in Canada.

More to come… 

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon announces its own smart thermostat

Amazon is moving into the smart thermostat game to more directly compete with Google in the smart home space.

During the event, the company announced the Amazon Smart Thermostat that works with Alexa voice controls and ambient computing which means it can cool down your home when you’re away or asleep.

The thermostat is being made in conjunction with Honeywell so it should work with many existing HVAC systems.

It’s also going to start at $60 USD (roughly, $76 CAD).

More to come…

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon Music launches Billy Talent and Arkells playlists for Toronto Maple Leafs doc

Amazon Music has rolled out two playlists featuring Billy Talent and Arkells music to coincide with the impending release of its All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs documentary.

The playlists were curated by the Canadian rock bands, so they include some of their own songs mixed in with other tracks. Billy Talent’s playlist can be found here and includes the likes of ‘Red Flag’ (Billy Talent), ‘Thunderstruck’ (AC/DC), ‘Familiar Drugs’ (Alexisonfire) and ‘Immigrant Song’ (Led Zeppelin).

Meanwhile, Arkells’ playlist will release on October 1st, the same day that All or Nothing premieres on Amazon Prime Video.

Narrated by Toronto’s own Will Arnett (Arrested Development), All or Nothing follows the Leafs during the historic 2020-21 NHL season. The series offers a behind-the-scenes look at the players, coaches and fans — both on the rink and into the locker room.

Image credit: Amazon

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon could have plans to reveal wall-mounted Echo, soundbar and more

A new leak-filled report from Bloomberg suggests that Amazon is on the verge of releasing at least three new Echo devices, among other Alexa features.

Around five years ago and after the failure of the Fire smartphone, I would have never expected Amazon to be such a dominant player in the tech space, but the company has proven me wrong with its expansive line of Fire TVs and smart home hardware.

The retail giant has a new hardware event coming up on September 28th, so it stands to reason that we’re about to see several new Echo devices, and this leaked report outlines exactly what we should expect.

Alexa soundbars

The report states that Amazon is working on a new soundbar with Alexa integration and a camera. This would ideally be used to make video calls from your TV, similar to Facebook’s Portal TV device.

This wouldn’t be the first soundbar with built-in access to Alexa, but it would offer users pretty substantial value as a soundbar. It will be interesting to see if it also runs Fire TV or something more akin to an Echo smart display.

Wall-mounted Echo smart display

Amazon has finally done it… reportedly. The leaks also mention that the company is working to port over a 15-inch smart display into some sort of wall-mounted smart home controller. I think this is a really smart idea, even if people don’t naturally gravitate towards buying it.

In my apartment, the moment I raised my smart display from table height to counter height, I started interacting with its touchscreen on it a lot more. I think this is simply because now I don’t have to bend over to use it.

That said, the leak indicates Amazon’s device will feature a 15-inch screen, which seems a little large. Still, I’ll reserve any more judgement until I see what it’s like if Amazon actually reveals it next week.

New Echo Auto

Alongside the other two new pieces of hardware, it looks like Amazon isn’t giving up on its in-car smart assistant dreams.  The latest update may include a way to charge a user’s smartphone.

I always found the Echo Auto a bit of an awkward device, so it will be exciting to see if Amazon has innovated on the previous version in any meaningful way if this leak ends up being true.

We might not see the Alexa robot

Over the past few years, there have been several rumours that Amazon is working on a smart home robot akin to the Samsung Ballie robot, at least in concept. However, the latest report claims that some Amazon engineers are against the product and are not sure that it’s actually something people want.

They might be right.

Karaoke feature on Alexa

The report also mentions a scrapped Karaoke machine that featured Alexa. This sounds hilarious and kind of useful if you could ask Amazon’s assistant to play songs back for you to sing along to.

Overall, this is stacking up to be a pretty lacklustre Amazon show, but perhaps the company will have a few surprises that will steal the headlines. The event takes place on Tuesday, September 28th at 12pm ET/9am PT.

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon’s limited-edition Billie Eilish Echo Studio speaker isn’t coming to Canada

It looks like Amazon Canada is once again the “bad guy.”

Amazon has confirmed to MobileSyrup that its limited-edition Billie Eilish Echo Studio smart speaker that features the cover art for the artist’s Happier Than Ever album is not coming to Canada.

In the U.S., the smart speaker — which seems to be identical to a standard Echo Studio beyond its cover that features Eilish — is available to pre-order now and releases in October for $230 USD (roughly $291 CAD).

“I can’t wait for my cutie fans to be able to listen to my new album Happier Than Ever in spatial audio, available on Amazon Music Unlimited,” said Eilish in an Amazon press release. It’s unclear why Amazon and Eilish partnered for this speaker, but it could have something to do with the online retail giant acquiring MGM, the company behind the James Bond franchise. Eilish wrote the theme for the upcoming James Bond film No Time To Die.

Billie Eilish

The reveal of the rather strange smart speaker comes ahead of Amazon’s September 28th fall hardware event where the company is expected to reveal several new Echo and Rin devices.

One thing is for certain — if I was Amazon, “I’d never treat me this shitty.” It’s unclear if Finneas O’Connell, Eilish’s brother and creative partner, plans to release his own special edition Nest Audio.

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon’s 2021 fall hardware event to take place on September 28

Amazon has officially announced its upcoming hardware event, which will take place on Tuesday, September 28th at 12pm ET/9am PT.

Amazon hasn’t given any details about what it plans to show off, but as per The Verge‘s invite, the company will show off “news about our latest Amazon devices, features, and services.”

As with previous years, we’ll probably see some Echo devices, updated Alexa features, or maybe the actual launch of Echo Frames.

MobileSyrup will be covering this event so stay tuned to learn about Amazon’s upcoming devices.

Source: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon to hire more than 15,000 full-time and part-time employees in Canada

Amazon is hiring more than 15,000 full-time and part-time employees across all of Canada throughout the fall and will increase employee wages.

Frontline employees will receive $17 to $21.65 per hour with comprehensive benefits starting from the first day. According to an Amazon press release, the benefits include health, dental, and vision. The company will also offer training and education programs like the Career Choice program and family support plans.

Current, full-time, and part-time employees will also get $1.60 to $2.20 per hour starting immediately, regardless of their tenure.

Further, Amazon says that each of its full-time employees has access to the following benefits:

  • Wages from $17 per hour to $21.65 per hour, with a $100 bonus for new and current employees who show proof of vaccination
  • Comprehensive health benefits starting on day one with no waiting period
  • RRSP matching
  • Stock units
  • Kids & Company special packages including a guaranteed spot at Kids & Company Child Care locations within six months of registration, a 10 percent  discount off monthly in-center tuition, waived registration fees, back-up care options and access to virtual workshops and events
  • Employee and Family Assistance Plan provided by LifeWorks and available 24/7 to help Amazon employees and their family members feel supported, by phone, online, and in-person
  • Access to up-skilling training programs that meet employees where they are, through Amazon’s commitment to invest $75M to skills-train 100,000 Amazonians by 2025
  • Additional paid parental leave benefits for eligible employees

The press release also indicates that all full-time employees can join Amazon’s Career Choice program that can cover up to 95 percent of tuition fees.

In other recent Amazon Canada news, the company expanded in B.C. with new fulfillment sortation centres, closed a warehouse back in May in Ontario, announced plans to launch a robot-operated warehouse in Parkland County, Alberta and cancelled Prime Day in Canada. 

Source: Amazon

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Mobile Syrup

Best Buy partners with Amazon to sell more Fire TVs

This fall, Best Buy shoppers will soon start seeing more  Fire TVs in the aisles as the retailer gears up to launch its next generation of Pioneer and Toshiba smart TVs.

These new TVs will run on Amazon’s Fire TV operating system, and some include built-in microphones for hands-free Alexa controls.

New Pioneer sets

The new Pioneer TVs are 4K capable and come in either 43-inch or 50-inch sizes. They also support HDR10 and Dolby Vision high dynamic range content. Since these TVs work in Amazon’s ecosystem, you can stream audio from them to Echo devices.

These sets also include Amazon’s Alexa voice-activated assistant built into the remote so you can use voice controls to navigate the television’s UI or ask regular questions regarding the weather or set a timer.

Best Buy has the 43-inch version up for pre-order for $529, while the larger 50-inch model costs $629. The TVs are set to launch on September 13th.

Toshiba TVs

These Toshiba sets are a little more interesting since they actually feature microphones in each television so it can operate as its own Alexa device without needing to hit a button on the remote. This is very similar to the Amazon-branded TVs the company revealed yesterday.

These TVs won’t be available until the spring of 2022 and will come in 55-inch, 6-inch and 75-inch sizes when they launch.

One of the interesting perks of these TVs is that you can pick them up at your local Best Buy immediately once you order them.

Source: Amazon