Technology

General Motors is adding Amazon Alexa to the infotainment systems of its Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles in the first half of next year — one of the broadest rollouts of an embedded Alexa Auto experience, the automaker said Wednesday.

The new in-vehicle Amazon Alexa experience will be added through a software update to model 2018 and newer cars, trucks and crossovers with compatible infotainment systems. In other words, customers don&t have to buy a new 2020 Chevy to get the Amazon Alexa feature.

The company made the announcement Wednesday in conjunction with AmazonDevices event.

The addition of AmazonAlexa follows GMannouncement in early September that Google will provide in-vehicle voice, navigation and other apps in its Buick, Cadillac,Chevroletand GMC vehicles starting in 2021.

GM used the Amazon announcement to highlight its ability to use vehicle connectivity and its &updateable& app framework to bring new features in its vehicles. These over-the-air software updates, first popularized by Tesla, have become increasingly important for automakers hoping to retain tech savvy customers who have become used to their constantly improving smartphones.

&GMupdateable app framework and vehicle connectivity lets us provide customers with new technologies that enhance the ownership experience, even to customers with vehicles that are already on the road,& said Santiago Chamorro, vice president for Global Connected Services, GM. &Bringing the Alexa experience to our vehicles is an example of how we are listening to our customers& feedback, and offering them the voice technology of their choice.&

The news also shows Amazoncontinued push into the automotive world. Amazon has been moving into the car for a few years now through the integration of Alexa and car-focused delivery services as well as direct investments in startups like Rivian. The ecommerce company launched its Amazon Key service to let customers give delivery drivers access to their house with the help of a compatible keypad on their door and a smart security camera. But in 2018, that service expanded to the car with its Key by Amazon In-Car delivery service.

GM and Volvo were the first participants in the Key by Amazon In-Car delivery service. Ford joined the in-car delivery service in April 2019.

The addition of Amazon Alexa into GM vehicles will let owners use voice commands to check the news, control smart home devices like lights or thermostats, and ask directions to points of interest or nearby restaurants. The Alexa directions feature is integrated with GMembedded navigation systems in the vehicle and OnStar Turn-by-Turn navigation using natural language.

GM owners will also be able to ask Alexa to play a specific song, artist, genre, or station, as well as audiobooks or podcasts. Alexa can fulfill the request by bringing up available streaming services.

I think we&re on Echo device number seven for the morning? Echo Flex is one of the more interesting additions at this morningbig event in Seattle. For those cases where the Echo Dot isn&t cheap enough or versatile enough, therethe Echo Flex. The device plugs directly into a wall outlet, bringing Alexa functionality to spots where the smart assistant otherwise couldn&t reach.

Itan interesting solution to Amazon on-going quest to get Alexa in every single room. In fact, the presenter mentioned adding one to his bathroom, which, yuck, to be totally honest. The device is small enough to only occupy a single outlet and features a slot to plug in an additional nightlight.

Ita clever addition to the Echo ecosystem, and at $25, Amazon bound to sell a lot of the things. Like just about everything else announced a this morningevent, itavailable for pre-order starting today.

Amazon is launching a new generation of Eero router, the first new iteration of Eero hardware since it acquired the company earlier this year. The new router is $99 for one, or available in a three-pack for $249, and is available in the U.S. today and in Europe later this year.

Alongside the new hardware, Amazon has added even more specific voice commands for its routers, including the ability to turn on and off guest Wifi via voice, as well as pause Wifi access for specific devices on the network (Amazon showed off turning off the PlayStation Wifi as one example). These features go above and beyond whatcurrently available for third-party devices, but Amazon says italso making an API available and that routers from TP-Link, Asus, Linksys and Arris will able to take advantage, as well.

Amazonintent with the revised Eero and Alexa commands is to make the whole process of setting up and managing a secure Wifi network super easy for everyone.

Amazonupdated Eero three-pack will cover a home up to 5,000 square feet in size, the company says, and provide speeds of up to 350 Mbps with dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11ac Wi-Fi, with 2 Ethernet ports per device for wired connections. they also include Bluetooth LE 5.0, which is used for simple setup via your smartphone.

The price point on the new Eero is certainly attractive, and more competitive than the previous version, which started at $149 for just a beacon alone, and $199 for the hub.