The Verge

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Amazon says the new Fire TV Stick is 50 percent faster than the previous version — but it looks identical on the outside. You attach a Micro USB cable to it for power, toss some batteries in the Alexa voice remote, and you’re off and running. If that’s your situation, you’re definitely getting a more powerful streamer than before.

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The Verge

DECEMBER 5, 2020

It’s surprisingly thin, with a metal chassis that feels stiffer and nicer than the plastic-clad Amazon Fire tablets. It doesn’t even have Samsung’s dumber-than-average Bixby voice assistant. Photography by Dan Seifert / The Verge. The Google Assistant is available and works just like on any other device.)

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The Verge

OCTOBER 28, 2020

Amazon’s latest entry-level smart speaker has a new design, but few other improvements over the last model Amazon may get more attention for its higher-end Echo speakers, such as the Echo Studio and the new 4th Gen Echo, but the humble Echo Dot is by far the most popular speaker in the lineup.

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The Verge

DECEMBER 15, 2021

It didn’t have to be like this The Amazon Halo View looks like a Fitbit and acts like a Fitbit, and if that’s all it did, that would’ve been fine. To stand apart from the crowd, Amazon added a few exclusive features to its Halo platform with some admittedly impressive technology. But despite all appearances, this is not a Fitbit.

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The Verge

OCTOBER 5, 2020

It’s faster to respond to voice commands, and most importantly, it sounds a lot better than the Google Home ever could. But in the four years since the Google Home, Amazon has released multiple generations of new Echo models and leap-frogged the Home in audio quality, design, and features.

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The Verge

JUNE 29, 2020

It still allows you to open and close the lock remotely with your phone or your voice through Apple’s HomeKit platform (more on this later) or manually with the same key that you’ve always used. It does not work with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, at least not as of the time I’m publishing this review. It’s just not quite there yet.

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The Verge

AUGUST 6, 2020

But competitors haven’t been sitting idle: Bose’s Noise Canceling Headphones 700 are neck and neck with Sony for noise cancellation and have better microphones for voice calls. And the terrible voice quality has finally been rectified. Even Apple is rumored to be at work on its own premium set of headphones.

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The Verge

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

Apple’s newest smart speaker is way more affordable but still chasing Amazon and Google Two and a half years ago, Apple finally entered the smart speaker market with the HomePod. Unless you’re right next to the HomePod mini, it’s hard to tell when Siri has heard your voice command and is responding.

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The Verge

JANUARY 22, 2022

After I tap the Assistant icon on the lock screen while docked, the phone will register my voice commands but will unhelpfully ignore everything it just heard me say and display “How can I help?” The Pixel Stand 2 isn’t inexpensive: at $79, it’s well more than the $30-ish standard Qi charging stands you can find on Amazon.

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The Verge

MARCH 31, 2022

at Amazon and Best Buy. On the compatibility front, the Lines offer support for Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, so you can play these scenes either by touching a button in the app or issuing a voice command. Normally $24.99, Amazon is currently selling the Long Edition for $21.10 — a modest yet rare discount.

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The Verge

NOVEMBER 20, 2020

You can find an endless list of true wireless earbuds under that price on Amazon from random brands you’ve probably never heard of. The long stems on Anker’s Soundcore Liberty Air 2 earbuds help the four microphones pick up your voice. Best cheap wireless earbuds for voice calls. Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge.

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The Verge

JANUARY 30, 2021

Photography by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge. For something far less expensive (and really, not all that different), Razer’s Opus wireless, noise-canceling headphones are $140 at Amazon. Razer’s cheaper Opus headphones are $60 off. They’re normally $200. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge.

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The Verge

MARCH 27, 2021

Bose’s sporty shades offer good sound, a steady fit, and total awareness It’s still fair to call audio sunglasses a niche category, but with Bose offering several models, Amazon in the game , and counting recent announcements from Razer and JLab , it’s certainly a growing one. Voice calls while wearing the Tempos have also been a joy.

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The Verge

OCTOBER 15, 2021

You can also buy the Streaming Stick 4K Plus, which bundles the same exact hardware with Roku’s Voice Remote Pro that I reviewed (and liked) a few months ago. It’s the same simplistic Roku software that has helped the company amass an enormous active user base and stay neck and neck with Amazon as the leading streaming platforms.

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The Verge

OCTOBER 15, 2021

I have little use for the voice commands since I plugged the Immersion Kit’s control box into a smart plug that automatically turns the backlighting on and off along with the TV (it remembers your last used Govee settings). on Amazon and $58.80 Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge. In fact, the older $79.99

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The Verge

JUNE 8, 2021

Joining Zoom calls can be done entirely by voice, but it’s much easier to call up the Zoom app on the Echo Show by saying “Alexa, open Zoom” and then typing in a meeting code or starting one yourself from the touchscreen. Other parties on the line also said there was an annoying echo of my voice whenever I unmuted my mic.

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The Verge

JUNE 8, 2021

Her voice, the acoustic guitars, and background vocals on “traitor” all come through with excellent distinctness. Switch over to Motown and Sam Cooke’s voice has the warmth you’d expect. The earbuds have beamforming mics and bone conduction sensors for improved voice calls. Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge.

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The Verge

JUNE 3, 2020

It resembles a smart speaker, like the Google Home Max, Amazon Echo Studio, or Apple HomePod, but it isn’t one. Photography by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge. Part of the reason for that is because it looks good, but the main factor is its connectivity.

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The Verge

AUGUST 23, 2021

But I’ve been largely happy with how these sound, and they hold their own against the Amazon Echo Buds 2, Galaxy Buds 2, Jabra earbuds, and others in their price range. Microphone performance was sufficient for voice calls, and those I spoke with could make me out clearly. Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge.

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The Verge

MARCH 21, 2021

I also tested them wired with my Apple Lossless files and streaming Amazon Music HD, and the M-200 ANCs proved wonderfully layered and rich. It also would’ve helped boost the M-200 ANCs at voice call performance. Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge.

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The Verge

OCTOBER 14, 2021

To add voice controls to your Sonos system, you’ll either need one of the company’s voice-enabled speakers or to set up Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant if you already own a compatible device. Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge.

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The Verge

AUGUST 5, 2021

I don’t really buy into that viewpoint; sure, AirPods clones are everywhere, but the best earbuds from Samsung , Sony , Google , Amazon , and other big players are all visually distinct. Despite having three microphones and algorithms meant to help isolate your voice from background noise, the Ear 1s were a disappointment for voice calls.

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The Verge

APRIL 6, 2021

The Roam supports hands-free voice commands, has Apple AirPlay 2, includes wireless charging, and features a rugged design that lets you use it practically anywhere. You can use either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant with the built-in mics. Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge. Now onto the main agenda: sound quality.

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The Verge

OCTOBER 25, 2021

But you’ve also got hands-free “Hey Siri” voice commands at your disposal for adjusting volume or changing up the playlist. Apple has also thought of other use cases: on group FaceTime calls, spatial audio creates a sound field that places the voices where they’re positioned on your device’s screen.

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The Verge

NOVEMBER 14, 2021

You can turn them on and off and dim or brighten them with voice control or in the Google Home app. So, if you are running an Amazon Alexa or Apple HomeKit smart home, you should look at Ring, Eufy, Arlo or Netatmo’s Smart Outdoor Camera. Photography by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge.

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The Verge

DECEMBER 15, 2021

Perhaps most surprising is that Sony also includes its higher-quality LDAC codec among the speaker’s features, allowing you to play music at higher bitrates from services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, and others that offer lossless audio. This speaker lacks any voice control “smarts.”

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The Verge

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

People said my voice was crisp and came through clear without much background noise. Unlike previous Jabra earbuds, the 85ts no longer offer Amazon Alexa as a voice assistant. Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge. Battery life is rated at 7 hours with ANC off (half an hour shorter than the 75t) and 5.5

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The Verge

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

The right earbud handles audio controls, while the left summons your preferred voice assistant. Jabra supports Amazon Alexa in addition to Siri or Google Assistant.) The situation where it’s most helpful is when you activate sidetone (which lets you better hear your own voice) on calls. Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge.

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The Verge

APRIL 13, 2022

While voice commands worked, it was easier to adjust the weights myself One of the first things I bought at the start of the pandemic was a set of adjustable dumbbells. The second is that you can change the weights using voice commands to Alexa. Adjustable dumbbell sets with a smaller range are also on Amazon for roughly $20–$150.

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The Verge

FEBRUARY 21, 2022

But if you’re relaxing and want to get the most out of higher fidelity tracks from Amazon Music, Apple, Tidal, or Qobuz, the LDAC toggle isn’t hard to find. Those I spoke to on Zoom and over the phone said that the Liberty 3 Pros kept my voice sounding clear, though background noise on my end occasionally broke into the conversation.

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The Verge

APRIL 13, 2021

Or perhaps it’s the inclusion of a voice assistant on your wrist that you can ask to do things without having to use your phone? It’s similar to the software on the budget smartwatches you can get on Amazon; if you’ve ever used an Amazfit , Umidigi , or Wyze watch , you’ve used a real-time operating system.

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Media Cause

MARCH 15, 2021

After reading it, my husband and I started composting, we started a garden from seeds, we ditched paper towels, we stopped using Amazon, and we switched from almond to soy milk because of water needed to grow almonds (they call them “thirsty little nuts” in the book). – Sarah Ackerman, Director of Copy + Content .

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The Verge

MARCH 23, 2021

The whole setup is optimized for one thing: making sure that my voice is as clear and echo-free as possible. Being into video production and photography ( Fujifilm X-T3 for digital, Nikon F3HP for film, by the way), I accumulate a lot of absolutely massive files: I’ve currently got 11TB of data spread out across 17TB of drives.

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The Verge

JUNE 8, 2021

The Aqara M2 smart home hub officially launches in the US today , making it the ideal time to take a deeper look at the company’s inventory of inexpensive smart home devices that work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge. And really, what more can you ask for?

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The Verge

AUGUST 13, 2021

Bluetooth and a 3.5mm aux port really aren’t going to cut it for this much scratch, so you also get Chromecast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, plus the option to integrate the HT-A7000 with your Google Home or Amazon Alexa systems. Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge. The effect of the height channels was very similar in both speakers.

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The Verge

NOVEMBER 24, 2021

It makes a lot of sense for Amazon to marry its leading smart security hardware brand with its excellent consumer-level mesh Wi-Fi company. There’s an option to disarm with voice, too, using a pin code. Photography by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge. Abode does offer 24/7 continuous video recording, which Ring does not.

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The Verge

OCTOBER 22, 2020

And Amazon, naturally, is not standing still. Amazon also has a brand-new Echo Dot lineup that, well, echoes the design of the larger model, shrinking it down and bringing it to an even lower price point. That depth allows Amazon to use two tweeters (each 0.8-inch) And it’s all for the same $99.99

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