In case you missed the memo, Amazon launched a lot of new Alexa-enabled devices today.
In addition to new Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Show, Echo Input, and Echo Sub, and Echo Link devices, the company also introduced a bunch of accessories that let you interact with Alexa in new ways and new places.
For example, there’s Echo Auto, a gadget with 8 microphones that hangs out on your dashboard. You can use it to connect to Alexa via your smartphone and hear it through your car’s speakers.
Echo Auto has a list price of $50, but it’s up for pre-order for $25… by invitation only.
Amazon’s new Echo Wall Clock is a $30 accessory that looks like an ordinary clock, but which can also work as a visual display for Alexa timers thanks to a 60 LED light ring.
The new AmazonBasics Microwave is… a microwave oven that’s compatible with Alexa.
You can use voice commands to tell the microwave to defrost, reheat, or set the time and power level. There’s also support for presets such as “Alexa, reheat a cup of coffee.” I know, I know… it’s never as good when it’s reheated, but at least it won’t be cold.
The microwave doesn’t actually have a speaker. Instead, it’s designed to be paired with an Alexa device. But you can wake your Echo by pressing the “ask Alexa” button on the microwave to start talking to your Echo device without saying “Alexa” first.
The microwave is up for pre-order for $60 and should ship in mid-November.
Next month Amazon will also start shipping its first Smart Plug. There are already a number of third-party options that are compatible with the Alexa ecosystem, but this $25 device is the first official Amazon Smart Plug, which lets you schedule and control lights, fans, appliances, and other gadgets that are plugged in using Alexa.
What the heck is the point of a connected microwave??? It isn’t getting things out of the frig and heating them for you. When we get to the point where we can say “Alexa, heat up two slices of last night’s pizza” and it retrieves the pizza from the refrigerator and heats it properly, I will then be impressed.
Alexa, tea, Earl Grey, hot.
If you ask it that it will say the replecators are off-line. Or just now: That beverage has not been programmed into the replication system.
Haha, so it does! This certainly needs to be added to the list of presets.
My only question is will the “smart” microwave oven set its clock automatically or blink “:” continuously?
I found my answer in the user guide!
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/kindle/dp/2018/7999546/AmazonBasicsMicroUM.pdf
Clock
Once your microwave oven has been set up for Alexa control, it will automatically display the correct time on the LED.
If you haven’t setup your microwave oven for Alexa control, you can manually set the clock on the LED.
To do so:
1. Press and hold the button on the microwave oven keypad for 4 seconds. The LED will display 00:00.
2. Enter the desired time in 12-hour format (example,for 12:24 AM/PM).
3. Press the button. The display will show the time.
4. To cancel the process at any time, press the button.
5. Repeat these steps to reset the clock.
NOTE:
If the microwave oven is connected to the internet, time cannot be set using the keypad—the microwave will override manually set time.