“Today, we’re bringing another element of the Card Member experience to Amazon with the introduction of the Amex skill for Alexa”, said Luke Gebb, senior vice president, Enterprise Digital, American Express. About the video calling, you can call anyone with an Echo device or a smartphone with Alexa app installed.
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The Alexa Calling feature, announced by Amazon earlier this week, allows Amazon Echo devices and the Alexa app to place and accept phone calls to and from other contacts who have the device.
The Echo Show dominating Nucleus might create a chilling impact for companies looking to create products using the AI Alexa, as reported by CNET. I get a genuine buzz of excitement when I see my Echo suddenly light up with a green light, alerting me that a friend is calling.
In addition to all of those features, users will also be able to make video calls to others who have the Echo Show or have downloaded the Alexa App to their mobile device.
Want to try it for yourself? You can get the device in white and black colours.
The catch is that for now, the only people an Echo user can call are other Echo owners, or anyone with an Alexa app on an iPhone or Android device.
In an interview with Cnet, VoiceLabs’ CEO Adam Marchick maintained that it is now “100 percent in compliance with Amazon’s policies”, by sticking to advertisements in streaming audio and flash briefings.
You can call right from your phone by tapping a name.
Besides Calling feature, Amazon’s Echo lets you control your smart home.
Having given its brand a voice with Alexa, Amazon is now adding video to the artificial intelligence platform to give her eyes too. I can say, for example, “Alexa, call Jeff Butts”.
That’s all there is to it.
The Echo Show is the second Alexa-powered device Amazon launched this year. Don’t worry; no one can drop in on you without your permission, and you can also disable video on your end if you want. Samsung’s Harman Kardon has recently launched a voice-controlled speaker with Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant.
There are a couple of hiccups Amazon needs to iron out. The Echo Dot 2nd generation is selling at its regular $49.99 price. Amazon Alexa may have achieved the 10,000 skills milestone earlier a year ago but most of the skills haven’t been monetized till date.
We’ll be there for you anytime you ask for an update. That isn’t always easy.
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With Amazon essentially copying one of its own partner’s products, it undermines its entire partner ecosystem, since companies will now think twice before cooperating with the ruthless e-commerce giant.
