Amazon attended CES for the first time since the pandemic started. The company floated under the radar from all of the cool E INK products that were announced and all of wacky stuff that got most of the press. Amazon announced a number of new prototypes and products that will be available soon. This includes Ring Car Cam and Astro.
Ring
Ring expanded its product offerings with the Ring Car Cam which is available for pre-order. Ring Car Cam extends Ring security from your home to your vehicle with a dual-facing camera for interior and exterior recording, and smart sensors to detect certain events around and inside your vehicle, whether it’s parked or on the go. Learn more about Ring Car Cam.
Ring also announced the Ring Peephole Cam, a video doorbell that can be easily installed over an existing door peephole in an apartment or rental property. With a 1080p HD camera, night vision, Two-Way Talk, and Knock and Motion Detection, Peephole Cam is perfect for renters.
Hey Disney Voice Assistant
For the first time, Amazon publicly demoed the Hey Disney! voice assistant, which will give customers access to a wide range of Disney magic through their Echo devices at home and in select Disney Resort hotel rooms. Customers will be able to interact with more than 20 Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars characters—including Mickey Mouse, Dory from Finding Nemo, and Olaf from Frozen—to hear jokes, play trivia, experience soundscapes, and more. Soon, customers in the U.S. will be able to purchase the service at home through the Alexa Skills Store or enjoy it as part of an Amazon Kids+ subscription.
Astro the Dog
Astro is a new and different kind of robot that’s designed to help customers with a range of tasks. Astro brings together new advancements in artificial intelligence, computer vision, sensor technology, and voice and edge computing in a package that’s designed to be helpful and convenient.
Amazon previously announced new abilities for Astro, like detecting pets and identifying certain objects in the home. This year, Amazon brought Astro to CES for the first time to showcase the robot—and its increased functionality—in live demonstrations.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
