But if you have an Amazon Echo, there's bad news for you - as Amazon is about to controversially kill a popular privacy feature. Until now, some Amazon Echo devices have had the option to process commands locally'on-device', keeping your voice within the confines of your home. But from March 28, all Alexa-powered Echo smart speakers will send your voice recordings to the cloud, whether you like it or not. Cory Doctorow, a blogger and expert on digital rights management, called it'absolutely unforgivable' because it will let Amazon workers snoop on all Echo recordings. Amazon has already received criticism for storing conversations users have with Alexa, which have been listened to and transcribed by staff, it admitted in 2019.

How to silence group chats and emails without missing important notifications on your iPhone. If you work from home, you know how important it is to have a fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection. But sometimes, your Wi-Fi can get slow or spotty, especially if you have a large house or a lot of devices using the network at the same time. You might think that the only solution is to move closer to your router or buy a more expensive one. But what if we told you that you can extend your Wi-Fi coverage by using your Amazon Echo device and an Eero mesh system?

Sam Williams qualified with an aerospace engineering master's degree, then became a self-taught software developer while holding down his first job. While travelling, he started to write articles about the tech he was learning about and accrued an audience of readers on Medium and freeCodeCamp. Currently, Sam works as a lead chatbot developer for the SmartAgent team at MissionLabs, building custom systems for large retailers. His role ensures that he is working with the newest chatbot technologies and is constantly pushing their capabilities.

Black Friday for Echo and Fire TV devices has already started -- Amazon knocked down the prices of many of its Echo gadgets today. Most of the sale prices are the same as we saw during Amazon Prime Day in June, or even better. Discounts of note are the Echo for $60 and the second-generation Echo Show 5 for $45. While the latest Echo Show 8 isn't on sale yet, the first-gen device bundled with a Blink Mini security camera is $80 off as well, bringing it down to $65. You probably already know the deal with Echo devices, but we'll recap here.

Alexa is getting some company. Amazon and Disney have unveiled an "entirely new persona" called "Hey, Disney!" "It marks the first time that we're making another voice assistant available alongside Alexa on Echo devices," Aaron Rubenson, Amazon's vice president of Alexa Voice Service & Alexa Skills told USA TODAY ahead of Tuesday's announcement. "Hey, Disney!" will be available both in-room at Disney Resort hotels and on supported Amazon Echo devices at home. "It's going to give guests the ability to sort of interact with our beloved characters in entirely new ways" said Dan Soto, vice president of Technology and Digital for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. 'Alexa' tips and tricks:How to make the most of your Amazon Echo "Hey, Disney!" was designed to make the Alexa experience even more magical with things like jokes, interactive trivia with your family, personal greetings from our characters, soundscapes and more," Soto told USA TODAY. "It will absolutely include authentic character voices, original recordings, unique audio environments inspired by our films and our destinations around the world and over 1,000 magical interactions for our guests to discover." "Hey, Disney!" is expected to roll out next year. "Hey, Disney!" will be free for guests to access on Amazon Echo devices in Disney Resort hotel rooms. It's not yet clear how much it will cost to buy on the Alexa Skills Store for use at home. Details will be released on amazon.com/heydisney. Like Alexa, the voice assistant has its own unique wake words: "Hey, Disney!" While the bulk of "Hey, Disney!" features will be available both at home and at Disney Resort hotels, hotel guests will have additional offering through Alexa for Hospitality. "You can ask'Hey, Disney!' things like, 'What time is the park open?

Now's a good time to buy a smart speaker -- particularly if Daylight Saving Time had you searching for a better alarm. Amazon is offering Gold Box deals on several Echo devices for today (March 14th) only. Displays have received the largest discounts, with the alarm clock-like Echo Show 5 on sale for $50 (down from $90) and the larger Echo Show 8 dipping to $80 (previously $130). The current-generation Echo Dot has dropped to $35 (formerly $50), while its clock-equipped version is $45 (normally $60). And if you'd prefer something more powerful, the standard Echo is on sale for $80 instead of its usual $100.

If you aren't set to go back to school (either physically or remotely), a number of this week's sales can help. Amazon discounted a bunch of its Echo and Fire TV devices and you can get Apple's latest iPad mini for $50 off. A few TCL 8-series Roku TVs are half off, too, and you can stock up on some digital Nintendo Switch games in the company's latest eShop sale. These are the best deals from this week that you can still buy today. It's a good time to grab an Echo or Fire TV device now that Amazon has discounted most of them in its latest back-to-school sale.

If you're one of the 60 million or so Americans who own a smart speaker – yes, that's about 1 in 4 adults – you already know the basics of these trendy hands-free gadgets. Enable the speaker with its "wake word" – such as saying "Alexa" for an Amazon Echo device ($29-up) – and then ask a question to receive an immediate answer in a friendly, human-sounding voice. The device can do things as simple as acting as a timer to delivering directions, traffic, recipes, music and podcasts, so it's easy to appreciate the value of an always-on virtual assistant. And hey, it's also cool to simply ask one to turn on the lights or turn down the temperature, and it just, well, works – if you have connected compatible devices, that is. Apple Notes:5 incredibly useful things you didn't know it could do You might be home a lot more and leaning on these smart speakers during the coronavirus pandemic, so here we examine a few lesser-known things you can do with your Alexa-enabled speaker.

Ever wished you could poll the entire household about what they want for dinner, even when everyone's in a different room? Thanks to a newly updated Alexa feature, you can do just that. Alexa's aptly named "Drop in" feature, which lets you connect to a nearby Echo speaker or display and have a two-way conversation with whoever's on the other end, now lets you drop in on all your household Echo devices at the same time, perfect for holding a group chat. On a related note, you can now set some of all of your Alexa reminders to sound off on all your Echo devices at once. For those who are new to Alexa, "Drop in" is a feature that essentially turns your Echo device into an intercom, allowing you to connect to another Echo speaker or display on your home network and either listen in or hold a two-way conversation.

Amazon Echo devices were hit by a major outage on Christmas Day after new owners reported issues with the smart home speaker. Users in the UK and across Europe took to social media to complain of difficulties in setting up the Alexa voice assistant, with some suggesting that the large number of new owners attempting to connect. "Good luck to everyone who was delighted to receive their Amazon Echo this morning," one person wrote on Twitter. "Amazon has been a victim of its own success. Imagine the fun that new owners have been experiencing this morning, unsure as to why their new gadget isn't working."