Amazon has unveiled a bizarre - and some say unnecessary - smart microwave powered by its Alexa voice assistant.
Launching as part of the AmazonBasics range of everyday items, the Alexa microwave can be controlled using a series of voice commands in much the same manner as the firm’s Echo speaker products.
For instance, users can say, “Alexa, microwave on high for two minutes”, to the set the timer without lifting a finger, Engadget reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The microwave can also respond to less specific instructions, such as “cook one potato”, and will automatically set the correct time and heat.
As The Independent notes, users still have to physically place food in the oven, and the device doesn’t have an in-built microphone - so unlike the Echo speakers, it can’t talk back to users.
The jury is out on the new oven, but that won’t deter Amazon, which also announced two more smart home devices at yesterday’s product launch in Seattle.
The tech giant has created a clock that can set timers through voice commands, and an Echo Auto system that connects Alexa to car stereos, The Daily Telegraph reports.
The new devices are part of Amazon’s push to put the voice assistant in as many products as possible, says CNet.
“Creating a bigger universe of Alexa-powered products is an increasingly important goal for Amazon as it tries convincing millions of people to place its Echo products all over their homes,” the tech news site explains.
The Alexa microwave is available to pre-order in the US for $59.99 (£45), with a UK release date expected to follow.
-
How clean-air efforts may have exacerbated global warmingUnder the Radar Air pollution artificially cooled the Earth, ‘masking’ extent of temperature increase
-
September 14 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-warTalking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
Albania’s AI government minister: a portent of things to come?In The Spotlight A bot called Diella has been tasked with tackling the country's notorious corruption problem
-
The tiny Caribbean island sitting on a digital 'goldmine'Under The Radar Anguilla's country-code domain name is raking in millions from a surprise windfall
-
GPT-5: Not quite ready to take over the worldFeature OpenAI rolls back its GPT-5 model after a poorly received launch
-
Deep thoughts: AI shows its math chopsFeature Google's Gemini is the first AI system to win gold at the International Mathematical Olympiad
-
The jobs most at risk from AIThe Explainer Sales and customer services are touted as some of the key jobs that will be replaced by AI
-
Why AI means it's more important than ever to check terms and conditionsIn The Spotlight WeTransfer row over training AI models on user data shines spotlight on dangers of blindly clicking 'Accept'
-
Are AI lovers replacing humans?Talking Points A third of Gen Z singles use tech as a 'romantic companion'
-
Palantir: The all-seeing tech giantFeature Palantir's data-mining tools are used by spies and the military. Are they now being turned on Americans?
