Amazon quietly announced some new tech and upgrades to existing products on Thursday including a new cloud gaming service, some new Ring security tools, a new echo smart speaker lineup, a next-generation set of Amazon Fire TV accessories, and upgraded WiFi boosting devices.
Amazon Luna
Starting Thursday, people in the U.S. can request early access to Amazon Luna, a new cloud-based gaming service designed for instant play.
Amazon says players can enjoy Luna games on their favorite devices without lengthy downloads or updates, expensive hardware, or complicated setup.
The tech giant also says you can start playing on one screen and seamlessly pick it up and continue on another.
In the beginning, Luna will be available on Fire TV, PC, and Mac, as well as on web apps for iPhone and iPad, with Android support coming soon.
Luna will be offered at an introductory price of $5.99/month during the early access period.
Amazon Luna customers can play Luna with a keyboard and mouse, a Bluetooth game controller, or the new Luna Controller with Cloud Direct technology.
The Luna Controller is Alexa-enabled and connects directly to the cloud to effortlessly control your game, featuring a multiple-antenna design that prioritizes uninterrupted WiFi for lower latency gaming.
It will be available at an introductory price of $49.99 during the early access period.
New Ring security tools
The Amazon-owned company Ring also introduced Five new security products on Thursday for the car and the home.
They are Ring Car Alarm, Ring Car Cam, and Ring Car Connect, Ring Always Home Cam, and Ring Mailbox Cam.
Ring Car Alarm is a wireless device that plugs into the OBD-II port in 99% of cars on the road in the U.S. (not Tesla vehicles) and alerts you in the event of bumps, break-ins, tows, and more.
When an event is detected, Ring Car Alarm sends a real-time alert via the Ring app, enabling users to then trigger its siren.
Some of Ring Car Alarm’s features require connectivity with Amazon Sidewalk, a shared network designed with multiple layers of encryption and operated by Amazon at no charge to customers, launching later this year.
The Ring Car Alarm costs $59.99.
Ring Car Cam is a security camera that brings the full power of Ring’s whole-home security to the car.
When a car is parked, Ring Car Cam is on guard and its sensors actively monitor for bumps and attempted break-ins.
If an event is detected, Ring Car Cam sends a real-time alert to the user’s phone; they can then check-in and see what is happening in and around the vehicle via the Ring app over WiFi or cellular internet.
The Ring Car Cam also helps users stay safe with Emergency Crash Assist, which requests help from first responders at the car’s location whenever a serious crash is detected.
Additional features include Traffic Stop, which lets drivers simply say, “Alexa, I’m being pulled over,” to record the interaction and save it to the cloud.
The Ring Car Cam costs $199.99.
Ring Car Connect is an app that lets customers get mobile alerts for detected events, watch recorded vehicle video footage, and see important vehicle information such as if the car is locked or unlocked.
The first compatible vehicles for Ring Car Connect are Tesla models 3, X, S, and Y.
Once users install this device, they can watch Tesla Sentry Mode and recorded driving footage in the Ring app.
Ring Car Connect will cost $199.99.
Ring Always Home Cam lets you check if the oven was left on or the doors are locked with this autonomously flying indoor camera that flies predetermined paths set by the user.
When used with Ring Alarm, the Ring Always Home Cam will fly to a set path to check for intruders when an alarm sensor is triggered.
Ring Always Home Cam only records video when in flight.
When not in use, it remains in the dock where the camera is physically blocked, and when in motion, it makes an audible sound.
The Ring Always Home Cam will cost $249.99 and will be available in 2021.
Ring is also providing extra security for the mailbox with the launch of Ring Mailbox Sensor.
It gives you notifications via your Ring app or Alexa-enabled devices when mail arrives or when the mailbox is opened.
The Ring Mailbox Sensor costs $29.99 and will be available for pre-order starting on October 8th, 2020.
New Amazon Echo lineup
It appears Amazon is looking to turn heads with their all-new line-up of Echo devices, featuring completely new designs, enhanced audio, more powerful hardware, and experiences that make Alexa even smarter, more engaging, and helpful.
The next-generation Echo combines the best of Echo and Echo Plus into a single device and it has an all-new spherical look.
The new Echo should sound a lot better too with its upgrade speakers.
This new smart speaker automatically senses the acoustics of your space and fine-tunes audio playback.
The new Echo is powered by Amazon’s first-generation AZ1 Neural Edge processor allowing it to process requests faster, making Alexa even more responsive.
The all-new Echo Dot has the same spherical design and fabric finish as Echo.
It’s compact, but packs in a powerful 1.6-inch, front-firing speaker, producing crisp vocals and balanced bass.
The new Echo Dot with clock comes with the same enhancements as the new Echo Dot, plus a simple LED display so you can glance at the time, temperature, timers, and alarms.
The tap-to-snooze feature will also be available on Echo Dot and Echo.
The all-new Echo Dot Kids Edition builds on the new spherical design with fun, colorful Panda and Tiger prints.
Alexa’s custom-built kid's experience means kids can ask Alexa questions, set animal sound alarms, get help with homework, and call approved friends and family.
Parents will also be able to create Alexa voice profiles for their kids, so Alexa automatically shifts to a kid’s profile when she recognizes a kid’s voice.
Kids can also enjoy a new Alexa feature called Reading Sidekick.
To activate, all kids have to say is “Alexa, let’s read,” and Alexa will take turns reading with your child, providing encouragement when they are reading well and offering support when they struggle.
Echo Dot Kids Edition comes with a 1-year Amazon Kids+ subscription and a 2-year guarantee.
The new Echo Show 10 now features a 10-inch HD display that automatically stays in view when you interact with Alexa.
It's also equipped with powerful speakers, giving it directional sound that automatically adapts to your space.
The new smart device will also rotate as you watch the news, flash briefings, or TV shows from Hulu + Live TV and Prime Video.
When Alexa Guard is in Away Mode, Echo Show 10 can pan the room and send you a Smart Alert if it detects someone.
You can also access a live feed from another Echo Show device or the Alexa app, with the ability to remotely zoom or pan the display and camera to see the entire room; or set up a Routine that automatically turns on the lights when someone enters the room.
Echo ($99.99) and Echo Dot ($49.99) will be available in Charcoal, Glacier White, and Twilight Blue. Echo Dot with clock ($59.99) will be available in Glacier White and Twilight Blue.
Echo Dot Kids Edition ($59.99) will be available in Panda and Tiger animal designs.
Pre-order starts Thursday, with devices shipping later this year.
The all-new Echo Show 10 ($249.99) will be available in Charcoal and Glacier White, and will start shipping in time for the holidays.
You can sign up to be notified when the all-new Echo Show 10 is available at here.
All new Echo Show features announced Thursday will be available by the end of the year.
Next-Generation Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick Lite
The all-new Fire TV Stick is 50% more powerful than the previous generation and delivers fast streaming in 1080p at 60fps with HDR compatibility.
Fire TV Stick also features Dolby Atmos for immersive sound with compatible content and speakers, and an Alexa Voice Remote with dedicated power, volume, and mute buttons for easy control of TVs, soundbars, and A/V receivers.
Fire TV Stick Lite is 50% more powerful than the previous-generation Fire TV Stick and it features HDR support.
It also comes with an Alexa Voice Remote Lite, similar to the one that comes with the new Fire TV stick.
The all-new Fire TV Stick is $39.99 and the Fire TV Stick Lite is $29.99.
Both begin shipping in select countries next week.
eero 6 Series Mesh Wifi Systems
These all-new mesh wifi systems feature Wi-Fi 6, the latest technology delivering faster speeds, higher performance, and better support for simultaneously connected devices.
You place them throughout your home or office to provide better WiFi coverage and to prevent dead spots.
eero Pro 6: $229 (one-pack), $399 (two-pack), $599 (three-pack)
eero 6: $129 (one-pack), $199 (two-pack), $279 (three-pack)
eero Secure or eero Secure+: $2.99 per month or $9.99 per month
eero Pro 6 and eero 6 are available for pre-order starting Thursday on Amazon and eero, and will be available later this year.
