Another CES, Another Year Dominated by Alexa

The Consumer Electronics Show has turned into the Alexa show, with all types of companies investing in bringing the digital assistant to gadgets. At CES, Amazon hosted nine presentations and workshops to talk about Alexa. However, you could also find Alexa in PCs, ovens, fire alarms, headphones and more throughout the show. It’s no wonder why marketers are trying to figure out voice strategies to reach consumers through Alexa; the digital assistant is trying to take over our world, one request (and device) at a time. If you’re wondering just how many different gadgets now incorporate Amazon's ever-present digital assistant, look no further. PCs Acer, Asus, HP and Lenovo all announced that Alexa was arriving to the newest PCs. You’ll be able to talk to Alexa through your computer, as well as play music and control smart devices. Headphones Four days after Amazon announced the Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit—which lets hardware makers easily add Alexa to devices—Jabra unveiled the Elite 65t and Elite Active 65t, both of which come with “one-touch access” to Alexa. Tap the earbud and asks Alexa anything. TVs Alexa’s arrival to TVs has been a long time coming. Just last year, Sony allowed for Alexa devices to control TVs. Now, Alexa is coming to LG’s AI OLED and SUPER UHD models. The digital assistant is also arriving in select Hisense TVs in 2018. You can ask Alexa to change the volume, connect and play music, shop, order pizza and control other smart devices. Your kitchen Whirlpool’s newest ovens and microwaves will now work with Alexa (as well as Google Assistant). Arriving in the Spring, you can control the oven or microwave with Alexa and a simple command like “Alexa, microwave for two minutes on high.” Your fire alarm is also getting an Alexa upgrade with First Alert’s Onelink Safe and Sound, a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm that’s also a home speaker. The digital assistant is built into the device, so you can ask it anything (another version with Google Assistant will also be available). The bathroom No surface of your home is left untouched, including your mirror. Kohler’s Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror has Alexa built in, so you can ask it to adjust the light or control other smart devices like a faucet, toilet seat, or shower. Not to be outdone, the HiMirror, a skincare mirror, will now come with Alexa. The mirror company suggests shopping for skincare products, playing Jeopardy, turning on some music and even calling an Uber with the HiMirror. Speakers Alexa’s showing up in standalone speaker products like the Polk Command Bar. Think of it as an Echo product but with actual sound quality (and a higher pricetag: $299.95). Cars Toyota and Lexus also announced that certain car models with the Entune 3.0 system will come with Alexa. Drivers will be able to ask for directions, play music and do a lot of things they probably shouldn't do if they're driving. Weird gadgets Alexa also found itself in a lot of random gadgets (that might not necessarily need a digital assistant). Project Nursery announced a baby monitor that works with Alexa; parents can ask it to play lullabies, record a video or order diapers. Then there's the Optoma UHD51A, a home theater projector with Alexa, and the Lyra Voice, a mesh router with the digital assistant. Last, but certainly not the least weird, are the Vuzix Blade augmented reality smart-glasses that—you guessed it—come with Alexa. As you can see, Alexa is trying to weasel its way into every aspect of your life—and it might end up succeeding. That's not to say Amazon doesn't have competition. Google Assistant is also coming to numerous gadgets, and the company commanded a large presence at CES, namely through its a huge voice-activated gumball machine. In the meantime, expect to see these digital assistants crop up in more gadgets than you can imagine.

CES

Another CES, Another Year Dominated by Alexa

You couldn't escape Amazon's digital assistant if you tried

Ann-Marie Alcántara

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Ann-Marie Alcántara