If you have an Eero mesh system, you can extend your Wi-Fi network with select Echo devices. Amazon acquired Eero in 2019, and the company has continued to turn out some of the best mesh Wi-Fi routers around. The Eero range is especially good for Alexa-based smart homes, offering tight integration if you link your Amazon and Eero accounts. Read on to find out which Echo devices can act as Eero Wi-Fi extenders and how to set them up, but note that Eero Built-in is only available in the US and Canada for now. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission.

That Cyber Monday special from Best Buy sounds really enticing. Which may not be a catch at all, but it is something worth considering. Because if you have Amazon Echo speakers throughout your home, you won't be able to use them to talk to your new TCL TV. As all TV sales now tend to be "smart," they operate on different software platforms, ones you need to consider before making your purchase. Before you buy a Roku-branded TV, I have three words for you: "Wonder Woman 1984."

Amazon Alexa can read you the latest headlines, give you the forecast, and help you manage your smart home, but can Alexa play Spotify? Whether you recently signed up for Spotify or have been using the music streaming service for a while, you'll be happy to know that yes, it's possible to connect Spotify to Alexa. Not sure how to go about setting it all up? Then these simple instructions of how to connect Alexa to Spotify will be music to your ears. It only takes a few taps to connect Spotify with Alexa.

Microsoft's deepening relationship with Amazon's Alexa now extends to its stores. WalkingCat and others have noticed that Microsoft is carrying both the new Echo Dot and the regular Echo in its online and retail stores. The company isn't just supporting Alexa, then -- it's encouraging you to buy into Amazon's ecosystem. The addition reflects Cortana's changing role at the company. Where Microsoft originally pitched Cortana as a direct competitor to other mainstream voice assistants, it has shifted the AI helper's focus toward chatbots and behind-the-scene tasks that are more useful to the corporate crowd than home users.

Some people worry that hackers could infiltrate their smart speakers and spy on them, but that hasn't been the practical reality -- not for Amazon's Echo, at least. A team of researchers from China's Tencent has come about as close as you can get right now, however. They've disclosed an attack on the Echo that uses both a modified speaker and a string of Alexa web interface vulnerabilities to remotely eavesdrop on regular models. It sounds nefarious, but it requires more steps than would be viable for most intruders. The team created a rogue Echo by removing a flash memory chip from the device, modifying its firmware to get root access, and soldering it back on its circuit board.

If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. However, our picks and opinions are independent from USA TODAY's newsroom and any business incentives. Today, Amazon (unsurprisingly) was voted #1 in Harris Poll's annual corporate reputation survey for the third year in a row. As big ol' thank you, Amazon is discounting 20% or more on select Alexa-enabled devices, including Echoes, Fire Tablets, and Fire TVs. But this deal is for today only.

There's no shame in relying on machines and digital assistants to help you through the work week. Whether you've got a Google Home, one of the many variants of an Amazon Echo speaker, or a sprinkling of devices like smart bulbs around your abode, there are plenty of ways to set them up so that they work in your favor. You don't even have to work from home to benefit from the useful tricks these things can do, as there are plenty of ways to program them so leaving the house and coming home from work become a more relaxed part of your daily routine. There's no denying a loud alarm signaling you to get out of bed in the morning. You don't have to do much to set up an alarm with either of the smart speakers either. Just ask Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to set an alarm at a specific time.

It took Amazon a while to get its streaming music strategy truly off the ground -- its Music Unlimited service, with competes with Spotify, Apple Music and the like, only launched last fall. But today, both Music Unlimited and the Echo smart speaker lineup are expanding in a big way: Amazon has announced that both are available in 28 new countries, most of which are found across Europe and South America. Pricing for Music Unlimited will vary by area, but Amazon says it'll offer the same three plans it currently does -- including an Echo-only plan, the standard individual plan for smartphones, computers and other devices and a family plan for multiple users. Amazon's also not discussing pricing for Echo hardware, as that also will vary from country to country. But launching both the hardware and service at the same time is a smart move, as the company says its music service is designed with voice control in mind. Of course, Spotify and the like work just as well, but having both the Echo and Music Unlimited available at the same time will ensure new customers can use their new speakers to their fullest extent.

Motorola has announced a new Moto Mod for its Moto Z smartphones that brings Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. Called the Moto Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa, the new Moto Mod allows users to experience Alexa like they have an Amazon Echo speaker wherever they are. The new Moto Mod was promised by Motorola and Amazon earlier this year. Back in February during the Mobile World Congress, the two companies revealed that they were working together to bring Alexa to Moto Z smartphones as a Moto Mod accessory. The new Amazon Alexa Moto Mod is pretty much what most would expect.

Amazon isn't wasting any time now that its Whole Foods acquisition has gone through. Sure enough, visitors to Whole Foods stores have noticed that the grocery stores are already pitching discounted Echo speakers ($100 for the regular model, and $45 for the Dot) at very prominent stands. They're "farm fresh," according to the displays -- as if you'd find them growing in a field next to the carrots. It's a pretty shameless plug, although one you could have seen coming. Amazon craves retail space, and Whole Foods' abundance of stores (470 across North America and the UK) gives it plenty of opportunities to hawk its hardware.