Amazon Echo Alexa 2018 event live blog

Amazon is announcing several new Echo and Alexa products at its event in Seattle. Follow our live coverage.

3rd & 7 37yd

Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:34:47 PM
Ooh, nice -- when you add an Amazon Smart Plug to your smart home setup, Alexa asks if you want to rename it, then lets you do so with just your voice. "Call it the bedroom light."
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:35:00 PM
That's a new feature, not sure when it'll be available though.
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:35:06 PM
That's a great feature, and pretty obvious in hindsight.
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:35:33 PM
BTW, the demos are mad funny. Limp is getting a few a little off.
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:35:52 PM
He just tried to set up a new Routine via voice, wasn't working.
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:36:06 PM
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:36:10 PM
Whoops. First demo fail. "When I say goodnight, play babbling brook"

She starts playing babbling brook. Limp gets flustered and asks her to stop, then tries again.

"Alexa, when I say babbling brook... oh that's not going to work."

Moving on!
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:36:28 PM
Launching Alexa Hunches.
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:37:07 PM
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:37:27 PM
She may suggest things for you, like when you say good night, it'll suggest locking the door for you if you haven't already.
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:37:46 PM
Predictive AI, my friends.
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:37:49 PM
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:38:41 PM
Limp mentions Alexa working with 20K devices now, that was revealed at IFA recently.
Amazon's Alexa assistant is now in 20K devices
CNETAlexa's expansion is way up from the 4,000 devices that had it in January.
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:39:38 PM
Kenmore, Moen, and Netgear some of the names that have been playing around with Amazon's newest smart home APIs. Mentions Moen's smart shower. "There are a lot of things that you want to be connected in the house."
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:39:47 PM
Talking about connected devices in home. "We wanted to help lead the way on that."
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:40:10 PM
New Alexa Connect Kit, can be integrated into devices and appliances.
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:40:28 PM
Which brings us to the "Alexa Connect Kit." It's a little module that devices can add to sync up with Amazon's cloud services in a secure, structured manner.

"This is a really simple way for devices to get connected."
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:41:05 PM
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:41:19 PM
This is a toolkit for developers, not yet another device btw. It's not the microwave.
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:41:20 PM
Boom. AmazonBasics Microwave.
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:41:39 PM
Wait, microwave! "Yeah, it's a microwave." Amazon Basics Microwave.
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:41:56 PM
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:42:06 PM
To paraphrase Ian Malcolm: "They did it. Those crazy sons a b*****s, they actually did it."
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:42:17 PM
User interface of microwave "still stuck in the late 70s."
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:42:27 PM
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:42:53 PM
And yep, it's an Alexa-enabled microwave with built-in Dash replenishment. Ashlee Clark Thompson called this one.
4 features we want to see on the rumored Amazon Alexa microwave
CNETMy Lean Cuisines are ready for some voice assistance.
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:42:56 PM
Not an Echo speaker. It works with one nearby. Works with Dash Replenishment Service for automatic reorders of...popcorn? What?
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:43:46 PM
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:43:56 PM
He's turning on the microwave WITH HIS VOICE! "We think it will lead the way for a lot of people." $60 microwave.
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:43:56 PM
Cost: $60!
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:44:00 PM
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:44:05 PM
Shipping later this year.
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:44:22 PM
Echo Wall Clock.
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:44:23 PM
Geez. Another new device. The Echo Wall Clock.
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:44:25 PM
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:44:30 PM
Yes, ANOTHER DEVICE.
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:44:52 PM
It's literally just an old-school analog wall clock like you might see in a classroom. With Alexa.
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:45:01 PM
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:45:22 PM
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:45:34 PM
It's not an Echo speaker, works with Echo nearby to show you timer you set.
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:45:38 PM
LEDs around the rim of the clock show your Alexa timers.
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:46:06 PM
"You never have to worry about daylight savings time."
Tyler Lizenby 9/20/2018 5:46:19 PM
Ry Crist 9/20/2018 5:46:28 PM
Cost: $30.
Ben Fox Rubin 9/20/2018 5:46:41 PM
It changes the time automatically...but he failed to mention that daylight savings is the worst.