Amazon rolls out Echo, a 'smart speaker': VIDEO

By Staff Reporter - 06 Nov '14 23:54PM

Internet retail giant Amazon announced its newest high-priced toy, a new "smart speaker" that can be activated by a user's voice and can act as a music streaming device.

It's a tube-shaped device, which is especially designed to work as a voice-driven home assistant. The price of the device is $199 and presently requires an invite to buy. Members of Amazon's Prime fast-shipping program can purchase the gadget for $99 for a limited period. Consumers need to request an invitation to get the product.

The Amazon Echo is equipped with 7 microphones, a downward-facing array of speakers, and a constant connection to the cloud so that it can listen to and respond to users' spoken questions and requests.

Amazon said on its website today that Echo works when a consumer speaks the word "Alexa" to wake the device up. The gadget is connected to the Web and runs on Amazon Web Services, the company's cloud-computing service. Over time, Echo can adjust to consumers' speech patterns and personal preferences, Amazon said.

Amazon says that the Echo has the capability to become more advanced as time goes on, unlike smartphones and tablets. The device can be updated with new services and features, extending its lifetime significantly, according to an Amazon spokesperson that defended the new device and its strange feature set.

"Echo's brain is in the cloud, running on Amazon Web Services so it continually learns and adds more functionality over time. The more you use Echo, the more it adapts to your speech patterns, vocabulary, and personal preferences," according to Amazon.

"Echo has been fine-tuned to deliver crisp vocals with dynamic bass response. Its dual downward-firing speakers produce 360° omni-directional audio to fill the room with immersive sound. Echo provides hands-free voice control for Amazon Music, Prime Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. Plus, Echo is Bluetooth-enabled so you can stream other popular music services like Spotify, iTunes, and Pandora from your phone or tablet."

If you are interested in an Echo, you need to request an invitation from Amazon. If you are given an invitation it will come in the next few weeks. You can request an invitation here.