Amazon introduced five new smart home products and a new feature on Wednesday, roughly two weeks after Apple revealed its HomeView display and HomePod Mini 2. The lineup includes Echo Time, a $200 camera-free alarm clock with Alexa Plus-powered sleep tracking and an optional smart alarm that wakes users during light sleep, plus a kids' version called Amazon Kids Echo Time that pairs with parental controls via the Amazon Parent Dashboard.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-28
A senior reviewer reports that Alexa Plus has become the most reliable smart home assistant she has tested, effectively managing routines, device control, and kitchen tasks across multiple Echo devices. However, its attempts at personal memory features and targeted advertising are inconsistent and frustrating, with frequent intrusive ads on Echo Show displays. Despite improvements in smart home integration, the assistant's personal assistant capabilities remain underdeveloped after a year of use.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-08
Amazon's Ring is introducing a new encryption system called TAKE (Throw Away the Key Encryption) that protects video with rotating keys stored temporarily in a secure cloud enclave, only for activating smart home features before being deleted. Users retain access through enrolled devices and can share clips with trusted contacts, but Ring itself won't retain long-term access to the keys. The feature begins rolling out in September, alongside Ring's existing option for full end-to-end encryption.
engadget.com
· 2026-08-26
Amazon-owned Ring is introducing an encryption system called Throw Away the Key Encryption (TAKE), which uses rotating keys that are deleted within 24 hours while still allowing AI features like smart alerts and video search. The rollout begins in September and will become the default for all Ring users, subscribers or not.
theverge.com
· 2026-08-26
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