As far as problems go, owning multiple voice-controlled speakers seems like a pretty okay one to have. But it was a problem nonetheless for owners of Amazon’s voice-controlled speakers, the Echo and Echo Dot, when both devices would respond if they were near each other when you spoke a command.
Amazon has solved the Echo’s echo problem
Want to sound smart? Call it Echo Spatial Perception.
Jason Del Rey has been a business journalist for 15 years and has covered Amazon, Walmart, and the e-commerce industry for the last decade. He was a senior correspondent at Vox.
Amazon says it has now solved that problem, so that only one responds in these instances. Want to sound smart? Amazon calls it Echo Spatial Perception. The technology will roll out to the first generation of Echo devices in the next few weeks.
The announcement comes as Amazon formally introduces the next generation of its Echo Dot device, which, like the original, links up with regular speakers — either through bluetooth technology or a cable — to enable them to act on voice commands to do things like play music, answer trivia questions and give news updates. The hockey-puck-shaped gadget also allows people to control “smart” lights and thermostats by voice, without connecting to a speaker.
Amazon has cut the price with this second generation to just $49.99, down from $89.99 for the original, as Amazon seemingly accidentally leaked on Twitter on Monday night. People who, I guess, are really into the Dot can also buy six for the price of five or 12 for the price of 10. The Dot is now available in white in addition to black.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
