A pet-saving doorbell, Kindle Scribe, and AI: The latest Amazon gadgets

Amazon’s Kindle e-reader launched almost 20 years agone – and it is now getting an artificial intelligence (AI) upgrade, for illustration galore of nan company’s different devices. 

At a position successful New York connected Tuesday, Amazon unveiled its adjacent procreation of Kindle, Ring and Echo devices, and different gadgets. They are each powered by AI and connected to Alexa+, an AI-infused individual adjunct that made its debut successful February.

Amazon unveiled 4 caller Echo devices revamped pinch Alexa+ that service up personalised insights, specified arsenic whether nan personification near nan beforehand doorway unlocked aft midnight.

The Seattle-based institution besides announced a bid of Alexa+-infused Fire TVs that connection much personalised searches, for example, uncovering a circumstantial segment successful a movie aliases getting commentary astir past night's shot game.

It is simply a “much-needed refresh to nan lineup, arsenic it was starting to look a spot dated. With each devices that dovetail nicely pinch nan all-singing and dancing Alexa+ AI-powered service,” PP Foresight expert Paolo Pescatore told Euronews Next.

“Alexa+ is intelligibly nan glue that holds nan stack together, driving engagement and retention crossed a plethora of devices and partners. This helps facilitate nan narration underpinned by ambient AI, providing users pinch greater control—a important differentiator for Amazon,” he added. 

Here is each we cognize astir nan latest devices and upgrades. 

Kindle

One of nan awesome updates to Kindle is simply a caller type of nan Kindle Scribe that nan institution touts arsenic lighter and faster. It features an AI-powered notebook and search, and 1 includes a colour screen.

With nan Kindle Scribe, readers tin inquire generative AI for a book summary to refresh their representation aliases inquire questions astir a character.

The caller Scribes characteristic larger 11-inch (28 centimetres), glare-free E Ink screens—up from 10.2 inches (26 centimetres) previously. They now measurement 400 grams compared to 433 grams for past year’s version, nan institution said.

Executives noted that astatine 5.4 millimetres thick, these caller versions are thinner than nan iPhone Air, which measures 5.6 millimetres.

The caller versions of Scribe will let users to entree documents stored connected Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, nan institution said.

Amazon said that later this twelvemonth successful nan United States, Kindle Scribe will beryllium disposable starting astatine $499.99 and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft will beryllium offered starting astatine $629.99. The institution did not opportunity erstwhile it whitethorn rotation retired successful Europe.

Doorbell

Amazon has been expanding its location information features since nan institution bought Wi-Fi-connected cameras and doorbell shaper Ring successful 2018. Amazon said Tuesday that it's infusing nan instrumentality pinch much exertion and upgraded cameras that will toggle shape it into a doorbell attendant and organization instrumentality for pet owners, among different caller uses.

Amazon said nan Ring cameras pinch retinal imagination now travel pinch 2K solution for sharper item and 4K solution video. Amazon's caller AI facial nickname feature, called “Familiar Faces,” allows nan personification to registry friends and family.

The smart doorbell, infused pinch Alexa+, will besides beryllium capable to negociate deliveries and supply instructions for transportation workers, among different tasks.

For pet owners, Amazon has a caller characteristic that helps owners reunite mislaid dogs pinch their families. It useful for illustration this: A neighbour reports a mislaid canine successful nan Ring app, which would notify group adjacent pinch a Ring camera. If nan neighbours agree, their cameras would past usage AI to look for a imaginable lucifer pinch nan mislaid dog.

Ring's “Search Party” for dogs will statesman rolling retired successful November, followed by cats and different pets. And Alexa+ Greetings and Familiar Faces will beryllium offered successful December, nan institution said.

Ring Wired Doorbell Pro, priced astatine $249.99 and Wired Doorbell Plus, priced astatine $179.99, among different Ring cameras, are disposable for pre-order, Amazon said.

Connected home

Amazon, for illustration Samsung, LG, and Google, intends to nexus location devices successful a bid to create a connected location wherever devices interact pinch each other. However, nan thought is still successful its early stages, and acold from seamless execution. 

In a objection video, a personification asks Alexa what happened astatine home. The smart adjunct tells them that nan children walked nan dog, a package was delivered, and raccoons rummaged done nan bins, utilizing images captured by Ring aliases Blink cameras.

Panos Panay, who heads Amazon’s devices and services teams, told nan New York assemblage that Alexa+ and AI let location exertion to activity "in nan inheritance erstwhile you don't”.

The extremity is “products creating subtle shifts successful each our behaviour, driven by AI, integrated into nan hardware … and flowing natural[ly] done nan products themselves,” Panay said. 

“Whether it’s a camera catching what you missed aliases your Fire TV updating you connected a game, aliases your Kindle remembering precisely wherever you near off,” Panay added.