Smart refrigerators have become widespread, with even budget models offering Wi-Fi connectivity and high-end versions like Samsung's Bespoke Fridge with AI featuring cameras, touchscreens, and inventory tracking. These fridges let owners monitor temperature zones, receive maintenance alerts, and use the appliance as a digital bulletin board. However, the report notes drawbacks including data collection concerns and the risk of obsolescence as software support ends.
engadget.com
· 2026-11-07
CNET reports that Echo Show displays have begun showing frequent AI-generated content under a feature called Created For You, featuring generic topics and low-quality images unrelated to user interests. The outlet found a workaround using the device's touchscreen settings, including tapping thumbs-down on unwanted slides, to reduce their frequency.
cnet.com
· 2026-11-03
Amazon has disabled Alexa voice commands like "Alexa, play from line in" and "Alexa, set AUX input" on several older Echo models, including the second-gen Echo Plus, third-gen Echo, original Echo Studio and fourth-gen Echo. Amazon confirmed the change and said it notified a small number of affected customers, but did not explain why the feature was removed. Users can still physically plug in AUX cables and toggle the input via the Alexa app.
engadget.com
· 2026-11-01
Amazon has released the Echo Show 16, a 16-inch smart display priced at $500 or $570 depending on configuration, positioned as a family hub with color-coded calendars, to-do lists and meal planning tools. Amazon says the device offers 10% more viewing area than the Echo Show 15 while having a frame nearly 40% thinner, and it can also function as a smart home control hub.
zdnet.com
· 2026-10-30
Apple has launched its first smart display, the $299 HomeView, alongside Amazon's $499.99 Echo Show 16, a full redesign of its smart display lineup. Both devices were previewed hands-on by a reviewer who found them more capable than earlier smart displays at handling shared household tasks like calendars, video doorbells and smart home controls.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-30
Amazon has introduced a new version of its Echo Studio smart speaker that includes a built-in camera, enabling Alexa to visually perceive its surroundings. This marks a shift from Amazon's previous audio-only Echo Studio design toward a device with visual sensing capability.
yro.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-28
Amazon unveiled five new smart home products, including two new device categories: the $200 Echo Time alarm clock/hub and the $230 Alexa Photo Frame. It also introduced an upgraded $100 Echo Dot, a $250 Echo Studio with a built-in Home Camera, and a redesigned $500 Echo Show 16 available for preorder with December shipping. Amazon additionally announced Alexa Home Map, a feature that generates 3D interactive maps of a home's interior and exterior.
zdnet.com
· 2026-10-28
Amazon has released the Alexa Photo Frame, a 10-inch digital display with built-in Alexa voice control that lets users ask it to show specific photos or let Alexa select images automatically. The frame pulls pictures directly from Amazon Photos rather than requiring SD cards, and comes in a black model for $200 or walnut and birch finishes for $230.
zdnet.com
· 2026-10-28
Amazon has launched the Echo Studio With Home Camera, a version of its high-end smart speaker that incorporates a 13MP camera alongside its existing audio hardware. The speaker keeps the same Dolby Atmos drivers, AZ3 Pro processor and dimensions as the standard Echo Studio, but adds a new 'Advanced Room Adaptation' feature and camera-based tools like volume adjustment based on where you're standing and visual recognition through Alexa+.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-28
Amazon has officially announced the Echo Show 16, a 16-inch smart display with integrated Fire TV, available for preorder now and shipping later this year. The standard version costs $500 while a Nanomatte anti-glare model costs $570, with a $100 preorder discount code offered on Amazon's product page; stands cost $70 or $125 separately. The device adds a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera with night vision, upgraded audio, and new 'Screen Styles' modes for use as a family organizer, smart home dashboard, or photo frame.
zdnet.com
· 2026-10-28
Amazon unveiled the Echo Time, a camera-free smart clock priced at $200 that uses ambient sensors to detect sleep stages and wake users within a 10-to-60-minute window around their set alarm. It runs on Alexa+ and has received the National Sleep Foundation's SleepMark designation, with a kids' version offering parent-controlled sleep schedules.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-28
Amazon has released an updated Echo Studio speaker that includes an integrated camera, priced at $250 and available now. The camera lets Alexa+ visually identify objects in view, assist with tasks like explaining a board game or reordering a product, and will later support video calls cast to Fire TVs. The speaker also features new room-adapting audio, a faster AZ3 chip for voice processing, and Omnisense sensing for adjusting lighting and temperature.
zdnet.com
· 2026-10-28
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