Microsoft wasn’t just indulging in wishful thinking when it said it wanted more third-party app stores in Windows 11’s portal. The Vergenotes that new Microsoft Store policies now allow third-party storefront apps. And no, Amazon’s Appstore isn’t the only partner hopping aboard — the Epic Games Store is also coming to the Microsoft Store in the “next few months.” As promised, Microsoft won’t demand a share of revenue from these shops.

The company’s loosened policies on rival browsers (which now allow browsers with non-Microsoft engines) are also paying dividends. Opera and Yandex Browser are coming to the Microsoft Store to provide an alternative to Edge. These additions won’t help much if your first impulse is to download Chrome or Firefox, but they suggest Microsoft is open to at least some competition in its own store.

There’s no mention of Steam, GOG or other well-known app and game stores. It’s also unsurprising that Epic is an early adopter. It’s a vocal opponent of Apple’s App Store policies and determined to offer the Epic Games Store wherever possible. Microsoft is unsurprisingly taking advantage of this. It can pitch Windows 11’s store as a more open alternative to Apple’s Mac App Store, even if Mac users don’t have any real trouble accessing the EGS and other storefronts.

Source: Engadget – Microsoft’s Windows store is now open to third-party app stores

Last year, Amazon announced Alexa Care Hub, a free service that uses Alexa to let people check in on family members. The so-called “caregiver” can see notifications and alerts when someone uses Alexa as a way of letting you know that someone they want to keep an eye on is up and about. It also lets the “care receiver” say “Alexa, call for help” and it’ll contact the caregiver immediately. Amazon didn’t charge for this, but today it’s adding a new feature called Alexa Together to the service. It’ll be a $20/month service that gives an aging family member 24/7 access to Urgent Response, which Amazon describes as a professional emergency help line. 

Alexa Together will also make caregiving easier to share among multiple family members by letting multiple people be designated as support contacts for a single individual. Other features include support for third-party devices that can detect when someone has fallen at home, the ability to add contacts to an individual’s Alexa account so they can make hands-free calls, and set reminders on someone else’s device or link up a music service for them to play tunes through. 

At a high level, it sounds like Alexa Together basically makes it easier for other people to manage a family member’s Alexa-capable device so they use it more. And if they use it more, the caregiver will see that it’s being used and know their family member is going about their normal day. It’s a bit convoluted, but the 24/7 access to Urgent Response might be worth the $20 per month cost. Alexa Together will have a free six-month trial period (or one full year if you’ve been using the Alexa Care Hub already) when it launches later this year.

Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!

Source: Engadget – Alexa Together turns your loved one’s Echo into an emergency support device

Amazon announced a slew of new connected devices today, and with those came some new Alexa features that users will be able to take advantage of. The most interesting, by far, are the new privacy features coming to the latest Alexa devices. Soon, US customers can choose to have all of their voice commands processed on their Alexa devices. That means these audio clips won’t be sent to the cloud and they’ll be automatically deleted after the Alexa device processes them.

The online retailer has received much scrutiny over the years when it comes to the privacy implications of its smart speakers and displays. Back in 2019, Amazon added a toggle that let users opt-out of having their voice recordings and message transcripts “manually reviewed,” and before that, the company added an option to delete your entire voice history with one command. This new feature builds on that, but it seemingly will only work with the latest Echo devices with the AZ1 Neural Edge processor. According to Amazon, the feature will first be available on the 4th-generation Echo and the Echo Show 10, and will come to more devices in the future.

Most other new Alexa features are only available on Amazon’s smart displays, like the new Echo Show 15. First, Sling TV will be coming to all Echo Show devices soon, adding to the already lengthy list of streaming services accessible from Amazon’s displays. Second, Echo devices with cameras will be able to use Visual ID, a feature that lets Alexa recognize you when you’re in the camera’s field of view. By knowing who’s in front of the camera, the device’s display can then present personalized information like calendar alerts and TV show preferences. It’s important to note that Visual ID is something you have to enroll in — not an automatic feature — and you can delete your Visual ID at any time.

Amazon’s also revamping Care Hub, which connects caregivers and their loved ones using the Alexa app and compatible devices, into a new subscription service called Alexa Together. This essentially lets caregivers check in on others remotely and set up things like alerts, emergency contact information and more. It includes features like Urgent Response, which gives you access to a professional emergency help line, and Remote Assist, which lets caregivers do things like set reminders, link music services and more to make things easier for their loved ones. Alexa Together will be available later this year for $20 per month, and current Care Hub customers can get one year of the service free.

Finally, Amazon partnered with Disney to bring a new voice assistant to its smart devices. “Hey, Disney” is the entertainment giant’s own assistant that’s built on on Amazon’s Alexa technology. In addition to giving you access to characters from the Disney universe to chat with, the new assistant will also be able to set timers, reminders, check the weather and more. Echo users will be able to purchase the “Hey, Disney” assistant from the Alexa Skills store in 2022, and it will be available on Echo devices in Walt Disney World Resort hotel rooms.

Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!

Source: Engadget – Amazon is adding offline voice recognition to Alexa devices

Amazon’s Blink has developed a reputation for low-cost security cameras, and that now extends to your front door. The brand has unveiled a Blink Video Doorbell that, at $50, could be a solid option if you’re not interested in some of the frills available from Ring and rival brands. It ‘only’ captures 1080p video, but it supports Alexa integration (of course), your choice of wired or wireless connections and the option to store footage on a USB thumb drive (when attached to a Sync Module 2) if you don’t want a subscription for cloud storage.

Two AA batteries will keep the doorbell running for up to two years, although that’s with a wired connection. Blink didn’t say how long the Video Doorbell would last on a wireless link, but it’s safe to presume you’ll be swapping cells more often. The hardware is available for pre-order today.

Blink is simultaneously expanding its outdoor camera accessories. The Amazon badge has introduced a $40 Floodlight Camera mount (shown at middle) that pairs with the Blink Outdoor camera to bathe your yard with 700 lumens of LED light whenever there’s motion. There’s also a Solar Power Mount that gives the Outdoor camera a “nonstop” charge. Blink didn’t mention separate pricing for the solar mount, but you can buy it as part of a $130 bundle with the Outdoor cam. A $140 bundle pairs the Outdoor with the Floodlight Camera attachment.

Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!

Source: Engadget – Amazon’s Blink unveils a no-frills video doorbell

The rumors were true. Amazon is working on an Alexa-powered robot on wheels. At its fall hardware event, the company showed off Astro. Set to initially cost $1,000 when it becomes available later this year, it’s essentially an Alexa display that can roam around your home. 

The robot features a periscope camera that allows it to expand its field of view beyond floor level. It can extend that camera to check on things like stovetops and sleeping pets. With Ring’s Protect Pro subscription service, you can also program Astro to patrol your home while you’re away. It can detect the sound of a smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector or breaking glass. It will send you notifications when it notices something usual, and you can save what it records to your Ring account. 

Naturally, you can issue it all the usual voice commands supported by Alexa. That means you can also use it in conjunction with Amazon’s new Alexa Together feature, allowing your family members to contact you in case of an emergency. And if you’re the type of person that likes to walk around when you’re on a call, Astro can follow you around the house during video calls.    

So how does Amazon plan to convince you to allow a moving camera into your home? Well, aside from the Wall-E eyes, you can put Astro in a do not disturb mode that limits how much it moves during the day or night. Additionally, the company says you can set out-of-bounds zones to prevent the robot from entering specific rooms or areas.    

Astro is one of those projects Amazon has reportedly been working on for years. The fact Amazon finally decided to show the device off comes as something of a surprise. Leading up to today’s event, there were reports many people at Amazon, including former CEO Jeff Bezos, weren’t sure whether it made sense to move forward with the device. 

Amazon plans to sell Astro in limited quantities later this year. While it will eventually cost $1,449.99, as part of its Day 1 Editions program, the company will sell the robot at an introductory price of $999.99. Each Astro will come with six months of complimentary access to Ring Protect Pro.

Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!

Source: Engadget – Amazon Astro is an Alexa robot that roams your home

Amazon is pairing its new Halo View activity tracker with services to match. The company has introduced Halo Fitness and Halo Nutrition features that promise to keep you in shape. You’ll need to subscribe to the $80 yearly Halo membership to make use of them, but Amazon is clearly betting the Halo bands’ customers will treat the outlay as an investment.

Halo Fitness is a not-so-subtle alternative to Apple Fitness+ and similar services. The feature promises “hundreds” of professional workouts, including familiar cardio, strength and yoga sessions as well as basic mobility classes. Like Apple’s service, you’ll see stats from your wearables (both the Halo Band and Halo View) on-screen to keep your focus on the workout.

Halo Nutrition, meanwhile, aims at the many nutrition apps on the market. It promises personalized recipe discoveries and meal planning, including “pre-curated” menus for vegans, keto fans and others with specific dietary needs. Not surprisingly, you can add ingredients to your Alexa shopping list if you discover a recipe you like.

Halo Fitness will be available through the core Halo app later in 2021. You’ll have to wait until January 2022 to try Halo Nutrition. You’ll get a year’s worth of the Halo subscription service if you buy a Halo View, so it won’t cost much to try beyond purchasing the hardware. The question is whether or not you want to commit that deeply to Amazon’s wearable vision.

Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!

Source: Engadget – Amazon takes on Apple with fitness and nutrition services for Halo devices

Amazon’s latest product is about creating more interactive video calling experiences for kids. Announced today at the company’s fall hardware event, Glow is actually two devices in one. It combines an 8-inch LCD teleconferencing display with a projector that creates a 19-inch touch-sensitive space. Parents, relatives and grandparents can connect to the device through the accompanying Glow mobile app, allowing them to interact with the projected playspace remotely. 

The inclusion of object scanning allows kids to turn toys and other items into digital stickers they can use in the various activities that come with the device. Glow also includes a physical privacy toggle that disables its included microphones and cameras. Amazon partnered with Disney, Mattel, Nickelodeon and Sesame Street to create games and other interactive content for Glow. Outside of games, Amazon says there are thousands of children’s books for your kids to read. They can also use the device to draw.  

Amazon will release Glow to early-access customers in the coming weeks. Initially, the device will cost $249.99 before it increases to $299.99. Each Glow comes with a mat, mat case, one year of complimentary access to Amazon Kids+ and Tangram Bits. Additionally, each device features a two-year worry-free guarantee. If your kid somehow breaks their Glow, Amazon will replace it for free.  

Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!

Source: Engadget – Amazon Glow is a kid-focused video call device with interactive activities