Amazon introduces Fire TV Cube with hands-free voice control

Amazon has announced the launch of the Fire TV Cube, a new device in its portfolio of media players. It is yet another smart device that can be controlled using voice commands.

As for the build, the Fire TV Cube has almost similar to the Echo. IT also packs eight far-field microphones, so Alexa can hear you from across the room. It can also hear users over the sound of the television. It is capable of switching on the TV over HDMI-CEC and then navigate automatically to the requested content by the user. This could be done even within a non-Amazon app, such as Netflix or Hulu, provided the app integrates with Alexa.

With FireTV Cube, Amazon has gone beyond online streaming. The device can integrate with your cable set-top box from leading providers such as Comcast, DISH, and DIRECTV. The box has inbuilt IR blasters on all the four sides to control IR-enabled devices across the room. For instance, users can ask Alexa to play channel 11 and it will do it immediately.

Besides, the Cube also works both as Fire TV and as an Echo device. It is capable of streaming in 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos from leading streaming services except for YouTube. Since the device can be connected to a big screen or a good speaker, it can show the information on the big screen and the audio on the speakers.

The Fire Cute TV is currently available for pre-order in the US for $119.99 and ships with an IR extender cable and Ethernet adapter starting June 21. Amazon Prime members can pre-order Fire TV Cube on June 7 and 8 for a special price of $89.99. Additionally, customers can pre-order the Cube and Amazon Cloud Cam together for $199.98. Customers who purchase and register their Fire TV Cube by July 1, will also receive a $10 credit for Prime Video.

Speaking of Alexa-enable devices, Amazon has also announced four new designs for PC manufacturers which will make it easier to integrate Alexa into PCs. The new Windows 10 PC designs are already tested and are "final-product designs."

Amazon Echo Spot First Impressions

The PCs are incorporated with far-field microphone arrays so that Alexa can hear you from across the room. These PCs are powered by Intel processors. The designs are made by Taiwanese manufacturers Wistron, Compal, and Quanta.