Today, the e-commerce behemoth, commonly known as Amazon, launched a multitude of new products and brought new upgrades on their exclusive invite-only product launch. Amazon came packing with surprises such as a Nest competitor, Disney meets Alexa with “Hey Disney,” and a Smart Thermostat; The Amazon Echo Show 15. Amazon Glow for kids incorporates video calling with fun activities, and a new Halo View wrist device brings Amazon even closer to your heart. They went all out with a ton of new Blink products, and the Ring Protect Pro allows a service to monitor your home when you’re out. And lastly, Alexa with wheels is called Astro, and it can be yours for $1,000.
Let’s talk a bit about some of the highlights we have seen so far.
The Amazon Home Pal, Astro
The Amazon Echo Show 15 featured a home robot to help look out your house when away or send commands to it to look for pets or individuals. It also patrols around your house actively; however, that requires a Ring’s subscription service.
Amazon executive David Limp says Astro should be looked at as a way of giving peace of mind to families, helping to improve communication and response between older family members, for example.
“It’s not just an Alexa on wheels,” Limp said. Astro’s screen has eyes, and even cup holders, because well, why not.
Amazon emphasizes how Astro integrates “privacy at every turn.” You can add out-of-bounds zones and have the option to switch on the “do not disturb” setting to set a limit to Astro’s movement throughout the day. Astro is also optimized to have a strong computing power to decrease reliance on the internet.
Astro will be priced at $1,000 and will require an invite to purchase at the start.
Alexa Together And More Blink Products
Amazon launched a new subscription-based emergency response feature. Alexa can now help users call their relevant emergency responders and send an alert to a family member in case of any emergency. That’s not all, and it also allows multiple caregivers to get notified as well with the subscription service. Users are now able to create remote assistance that allows their loved ones to help them resolve IT issues remotely.
The service is priced at $19.99 a month, and Alexa Care Hub users get a free first-year subscription.
Secondly, Amazon has expanded its Blink camera division. The affordable stick-up cameras are upgraded to now include a video doorbell. Now you can buy a $49 video doorbell under the Blink brand. There are both wired and wireless options.
Ring Protect Pro
Amazon has devised a plan to combine home security with a stable internet connection. Ring Protect Pro is designed to manage a network of Ring cameras throughout your home, and it’s equipped with an eero Wi-Fi 6 router, which includes a stable internet connection that guarantees to work even during power outages. Ring Protect Pro is priced at $249.99.
Ring also plans to provide hireable virtual security guards that will monitor your doorbell feed.
Ring’s Drone Ready To Hover Over Your Home
Amazon proclaims that Ring’s mission is to make neighborhoods safer. Ring Always Home Cam is a very unorthodox way to do so.
The Always Home Cam will fly around your house at regular timings or when its sensors sense something.
Amazon isn’t planning to start full-on retailing it immediately. Instead, they plan on starting with an invitation-only beta version. It’ll cost $250.
