Amazon's Echo and its voice voice assistant Alexa is definitely a step towards the ask-it-anything Star Trek computer we've all been waiting for. But maybe the biggest downside of the device is that you have be in earshot of it. Sure, for those of us in tiny little one bedroom apartments, that's not a huge deal. But if you've got a couple of floors, or a basement, or a workshop,the Echo Dot could be for you.

The miniaturized version of Amazon's bigger and more expensive Echo still has all the most important features, including its own microphone and speaker, as well as the capability to connect to your home internet over Wi-Fi and external speakers by Bluetooth or audio cable.

While $90 to extend the range of your voice assistant by, at best, a room or two seems a little expensive, it also makes sense. The only way to really get the most out of a voice-activated techno-assistant like Alexa is to get used to using it and get used to using it anywhere and all the time, not just in the kitchen. Of course the other alternative would be to go full Star Trek and just start selling little badges that you'd wear into every room. Though not only would that look a little dumb, but it also wouldn't give Alexa a way to talk back.

So if you want to extend your Amazon Echo with a Dot, you can order one now. And yes, you have to have an Echo already; the Dot is available exclusively through Alexa and the only way to get one is to ask her to order one for you. Though if you're not in the same room right now, you might have to yell.

Source: Amazon

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