Amazon Wants Alexa In Your Car Now
Amazon today unveiled Echo Auto, capable of putting Alexa into every car in the world for the price of $49.99. In our not-too-distant future Alexa is everywhere.
Echo Auto sits on your center console and, like a regular Echo, responds to voice commands to get you information from Google's vast store of all the world's known information (and of course let you buy things). The device itself will have eight microphones, and will connect to your phone via Bluetooth and to the internet via however your phone is connected to the internet. Be prepared to use some data!
Roadshow was there for the announcement, and got a shot of all the car brands (presumably) participating.
Expect @Amazon to be a part of these auto brands. pic.twitter.com/KbfEvfF8Cg
— CNET Cars (@CNETCars) September 20, 2018
So, pretty much every brand except a few big ones, including Mazda, most Volkswagen brands, and every Jaguar Land Rover brand.
Here's how it'll look:
Closer up shot. Amazon says the car is a great place to use "ambient user interface" (shouting into the void at a box) pic.twitter.com/bQV4o5naAU
— CNET Cars (@CNETCars) September 20, 2018
That looks about what you'd expect, though having a wire protrude isn't the best look.
The Echo Auto was part of a rash of new Alexa devices Amazon unveiled today. Too many Alexa devices. Too much Alexa.