作者彙整: Jeramy Johnson

Tidal HiFi is a great service and may have come first, but Amazon Music HD’s advantages are tough to overcome.

Amazon Music HD

Best value

From $13 per month at Amazon

Pros

Millions of high bitrate songs
Great deal for Amazon Prime members
Fastest-growing music service

Cons

Number of Amazon Music options is confusing
Need higher-end speakers and a tuned ear to appreciate

Amazon Music HD offers millions of songs at up to 10 times the bitrate of standard-definition services, and double that of other high-definition services like Tidal. Pair it with a high-end speaker like the Echo Studio and special pricing for Prime members further sweetens the pot.

Tidal HiFi

The OG option

From $20 per month at Tidal

Pros

Works on Echo and Google/Nest speakers
Artist exclusives and concert live streams
Discounts for military and first responders

Cons

No ad-supported or free options on Tidal
No song lyrics available

Tidal was one of the first, if not the first, music s… 閱讀全文 →

Echo (3rd Gen)

Standard-bearer gets better

$90 at Amazon

Pros

Plush styling like Echo Plus (2nd Gen)
Much improved sound architecture
Now available in twilight blue

Cons

Sits in weird middle ground of Echo lineup
No smart display or LED clock functionality

Even though it may not look like a major update, Amazon significantly improved the speakers in this standard Echo (3rd Gen) and made the design a little less stark with a more plush fabric and new twilight blue colorway.

Echo Plus (2nd Gen)

Smart speaker with home hub

$150 at Amazon

Pros

Zigbee hub built-in for easy control of smart products
Premium sound compared to smaller Echos
Available with a free smart bulb

Cons

Possibly irrelevant with the new Echo (3rd Gen) release
Zigbee hub feature not something many will understand

With the changes to the Echo (3rd Gen), the Echo Plus (2nd Gen) days may be numbered. The two devices now look a lot alike and even have similar speaker setups. However, some m… 閱讀全文 →

Echo Studio

It’s the Echo Plus PLUS

$200 at Amazon

Pros

Physical mic mute switch
Booming room-filling sound
Built-in Zigbee smart home hub
Can be paired with another Echo Studio and/or Fire TV for surround sound

Cons

First-gen product
Most expensive Echo device

The Echo Studio is Amazon’s shot across the bow to Apple’s Homepod, Google’s Home Max, and Sonos’ collection of high-end speakers. It offers amazing sound and smarts for a great price. This device just might be the successor to the Echo Plus.

Echo Plus (2nd Gen)

Smaller speaker smart hub

$150 at Amazon

Pros

Great sound in a smaller package
Also has built-in Zigbee smart home hub
Can get with a free smart bulb

Cons

Same sound architecture as cheaper, newer Echo
Priced a little high at this point

The Echo Plus was Amazon’s first stab at better Echo audio, and with its Zigbee integration, it was the first Echo device that could serve as a smart home hub. The device is on its 2nd generation, but i… 閱讀全文 →

Echo Dot with Clock

It’s about time

$45 at Amazon

Pros

Subtle LED clock display
Snooze functionality at a tap
Retains all of what’s good about the Echo Dot (3rd Gen)

Cons

Only currently available in one color
Display can’t show notifications

Amazon knows what time it is! It took our favorite little smart speaker and incorporated an LED display to show the time, your timers, and the temperature.

Echo Dot (3rd Gen)

Fan favorite

$35 at Amazon

Pros

The cheapest Echo speaker you can get
Great sound for a small speaker
Now available in a fun Plum color

Cons

No visual display
Previous Dots were more customizable

The Echo Dot (3rd Gen) is one of the best-selling smart speakers available, and for good reason. It’s affordable, has good sound quality for its size, and is fairly unobtrusive.

Amazon announced this week that it added several new Echo devices to its smart home lineup, including an updated version of its extremely popular Echo Dot, which feature… 閱讀全文 →

It’s hard to believe that the first Amazon Echo was released over five years ago, and since then, it’s evolved from a standalone smart speaker into an entire ecosystem of radically different products. You’ll find an Echo on just about every website and in every store these days, but with so many different models to choose from, how do you know which one is best for you? Well, we’re experts on Amazon’s Echo lineup, and below you’ll find a detailed guide on buying an Alexa-powered speaker or screen for your smart home. We think the Echo Dot (3rd Gen) is the best choice for most folks, but if that’s not your cup of tea, there are plenty of other options to choose from. Let’s dive in.

Best Overall — Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen)

Start simple. If you’re just not sure about this whole Alexa thing and really don’t know how much you’ll get out of an Amazon Echo, it’s best to not spend a lot of money. So start with an Echo Dot!

The Echo Dot is insanely affordable, and the 3rd Gen model we … 閱讀全文 →

Best answer: Yes, as far as we can determine Ring products are safe — as in, the hardware is secure. However, as with any connected devices, it is crucial for users to understand how to take basic security precautions with their login and password info to safeguard their valuable data and privacy.

Stick ’em up!: Ring Stick Up Cam ($100 at Amazon)

Why Ring’s safety is in question scandals abound

Although it’s one of the most popular and prolific manufacturers of personal security devices, Ring is not the only player in this space by a long shot. Heavy hitters in home security also include Nest (Google), Arlo, eufy, and August, among others. Ring, however, has been hit particularly hard in the past several months by a series of controversies and privacy scandals to an extent that none of its competitors truly have.

News about one of the biggest (and scariest) examples of Ring user data being leaked online broke late in 2019 when ne’re-do-wells were able to “hack” into custome… 閱讀全文 →

The Ring Doorbell and Amazon’s Echo Show are a match made in heaven. The Ring Doorbell offers a smart doorbell experience that’ll let you know exactly who’s at the door without having actually to answer it. You can then use that cross-functionality to manage visitors by viewing them through the Ring Doorbell’s camera and communicating with them using the Show’s microphone. Thanks to Amazon Alexa, you don’t even have to use your hands.

Products used in this guide

Alexa, Show Me the Door!: Amazon Echo Show (2nd Gen) ($230 at Amazon)
Hear and See Who’s There: Ring Doorbell ($100 at Amazon)

How to connect your Ring Doorbell with Amazon Echo Show

Connecting your Ring Doorbell with your Amazon Echo Show is easy. It’ll just involve adding the Ring Alexa skill through the Amazon Alexa smartphone app. Here’s how:

Open the Amazon Alexa app.
Tap the three lines in the upper left-hand corner of the app to open the side menu.
Tap Skills & Games.

On this screen, tap the search butt… 閱讀全文 →

Another holiday season is upon us, and we hope it’s been a happy one for you thus far. If you were one of the millions who received a new Amazon Echo device for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Festivus, or whatever holiday you celebrate, then congratulations, you just got a great new gadget! As you begin to unbox and discover your new Echo, you may be wondering what else you can do with it. Well, we’ve compiled a list of awesome accessories to make your Echo experience even better!

Oh Mickey You’re So Fine

Echo Wall Clock – Disney Mickey Mouse Edition

Staff Pick

This pairs well with any Echo device and can show you not only the time but also timers and countdowns. Plus, the hands are Mickey Mouse’s hands, how cool is that?

$50 at Amazon

An Echo Glow-Up

Echo Glow

Whether used as a child’s nightlight or a fun party accessory, this Alexa smart lamp will bring you hours of illuminated enjoyment.

$25 at Amazon

Bump that Bass

Echo Sub

Not a stand-alone E… 閱讀全文 →

Smart home tech is becoming a more accessible and popular way of upgrading your current household setup. The best thing about the Amazon Echo family of products and Amazon Alexa is the seemingly endless integration with many popular and emerging smart home devices. Here is a smorgasbord of some of the best Alexa-compatible smart home tools that work with your Amazon Echo device.

Alexa, show the front door camera

Ring Video Doorbell 2

Staff Pick

The Ring Video Doorbell 2 works with Echos that have a screen (Spot, Show, Show 5), Fire Tablets, and Fire TVs to show you who is near your doorbell. It has a horizontal field of view of 180 degrees and a vertical field of view of 110 degrees, plus the ability to power the doorbell via your existing wiring or via an independent battery.

From $200 at Amazon

Gotta Keep Watch

Ring Stick Up Cam

Being able to keep your home safe from anywhere is easy with the Ring Stick Up Cam. You can even use your Fire TV, Fire Tablet, or Echo S… 閱讀全文 →

It’s unclear when this feature will be rolling out

What you need to know

Google Translate adding flashcards to phrasebook section
The feature has not yet rolled out to consumers.
The feature might negate the need for third-party language learning apps.

It appears that Google is working to make its Google Translate app even more valuable for not only communicating in real-time, but also in learning and improving one’s language skills. The company is adding a flashcards feature to the phrasebook section of the app, according to developer Jane Manchun Wong, who has been poking around and has noticed the feature being tested internally. It is not clear when the feature will roll out to consumers at large, but it looks to be a nice addition to a helpful utility app.

Google Translate is working on Flashcards for Phrasebook pic.twitter.com/277BNsltql— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) December 20, 2019

Currently, the in-app language learning market has been cornered by apps like Duo… 閱讀全文 →