Alexa is Wearable! Introducing the New Echo Frames Eyeglasses, Loop Ring, and Buds Earpiece

Check out what’s new in Amazon Devices!

At the Amazon Devices Event in Seattle, the company unveiled a bunch of new Alexa-powered devices. Before revealing the new products, Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices, began by addressing the issue of privacy. This has been an ongoing concern for users of Alexa and other home automation devices that record sound and video.

Here are some new features Amazon is rolling out to protect the privacy of its customers:

• You can now say, “Alexa, tell me what you heard,” and Alexa will read back your most recent voice request.
• You can also opt to have voice recordings older than three months or 18 months automatically deleted on an ongoing basis. This auto delete option is available in the Privacy Hub.
• There’s a new setting called Alexa Communications for Kids, which will allow you to determine the contacts kids can talk to on an Echo Dot Kids Edition.
• Ring video doorbells have a new feature called Home Mode, which will pause audio and video recordings when the owner is home.

In addition to a renewed focus on privacy, Amazon is striving to improve Alexa’s mobility. Here’s a preview of three new wearable devices that are designed to make it easy for you to take Alexa wherever you go:

1. Echo Frames

These Alexa-enabled glasses look like regular prescription glasses and at just 31 grams, they’re lightweight enough to feel like regular glasses too. Although they come without prescription lenses, you can work with your eye doctor to have them added to your Echo Frames.

These smart glasses don’t have a camera or display to obstruct your vision, but they do provide all-day access to Alexa while keeping your hands, ears, and eyes free to engage with the world around you.

The microphones in Echo Frames are designed to respond to the voice of the person wearing them, and they can be turned off with the double-press of a button. Amazon’s open-ear technology directs sound to your ears and minimizes what others can hear while leaving your ears uncovered, so you can remain more present in your surroundings.

The Echo Frames smart glasses are part of Amazon’s new Day 1 Editions program for experimental Alexa products. Day 1 Editions products will be available in limited volumes and by invitation only. The invitational price reflects the company’s desire to get real feedback from customers before offering a more widespread launch of a new product.

To request an invitation and get a chance to receive this item at the introductory price of $179.99, visit the product page on Amazon.com. If your invitation is accepted, your Echo Frames will ship later this year. After the introductory period, the price will increase to $249.99.

2. Echo Loop

This Alexa-enabled smart ring will give you more information at your fingertips, literally. Echo Loop has 2 microphones activated by a button tap, the smallest speaker ever on an Echo device, and a haptic engine that vibrates discreetly when you receive notifications or an incoming call.

Paired with your phone, this ring lets you access information throughout the day, making it easy to connect with Alexa for simple tasks like turning on the lights, checking movie showtimes, or calling home. Although Echo Loop is water-resistant to allow hand-washing, neither swimming nor showering with it are recommended.

Like the Echo Frames, the Echo Loop is a Day 1 Edition product. To request an invitation and get a chance to receive this item at the introductory price of $129.99, visit this item’s product page on Amazon.com. If your invitation is accepted, your Echo Loop will ship later this year. After the introductory period, the price will increase to $179.99.

3. Echo Buds

Echo Buds offer customers hands-free access to Alexa on-the-go, all while offering immersive sound. You can stream music, play Audible books, make calls, or request a rideshare – just ask Alexa!

To deliver crisp, clear vocals, and dynamic bass, each earbud comes equipped with two premium, balanced armature drivers inspired by those used in the music industry. Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology and sealed in-ear design with a customizable fit limits background noise.

These sweat-resistant wireless earbuds have 5 hours of battery life on their own and up to 20 hours of battery life with the charging case. This product will be released on October 30 and can be pre-ordered now.

To learn more about the new Alexa-enabled devices unveiled at yesterday’s Amazon Devices Event, visit Amazon’s Day One blog.

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