But this latest generation is more than just another screen with Alexa inside ... What sets this generation apart is its built-in smart home hub, supporting Zigbee, Matter, and Thread devices ...

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean? ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources ...

Released in 2013, Alexa was first introduced to the Amazon Echo and the Echo Dot before expanding to other Echo products and smart home devices from different manufacturers. Whether it’s built ...

Amazon hasn't been shy in allowing third-party manufacturers to make devices with Alexa built in – speakers and laptops and wearables and so on. All of these devices support voice commands ...

So, how much does your Echo listen to, and is your privacy at risk? You can only get Alexa, your Echo's built-in virtual assistant, to respond to voice commands by using a wake word. Most people ...

For example, say, "Top left" or "Bottom." Out of the box, you can challenge Alexa to a round of Rock Paper Scissors. The built-in functionality is a bit sterile, and it doesn't give you any ...

This Alexa-powered speaker not only fills the room with sound but also has a wealth of useful features, including a built-in Matter smart home hub, temperature sensor, and an Eero Wi-Fi satellite ...

Styled like a melon in a suit, the smart sphere features a repositioned light ring around its base, which tells when you Alexa’s listening. Press the button to mute the mics and it’ll glow an ominous ...

Several former workers said the long wait for a rollout was largely due to the unexpected difficulties involved in switching and combining the simpler, predefined algorithms Alexa was built on ...