<s>
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
,	O
often	O
shortened	O
to	O
Echo	O
,	O
is	O
an	O
American	O
brand	O
of	O
smart	B-Device
speakers	I-Device
developed	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
devices	O
connect	O
to	O
the	O
voice-controlled	O
intelligent	B-Protocol
personal	I-Protocol
assistant	I-Protocol
service	O
Alexa	B-Application
,	O
which	O
will	O
respond	O
when	O
a	O
user	O
says	O
"	O
Alexa	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
may	O
change	O
this	O
wake	O
word	O
to	O
"	O
Amazon	B-Application
"	O
,	O
"	O
Echo	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Computer	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
some	O
other	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
features	O
of	O
the	O
device	O
include	O
voice	O
interaction	O
,	O
music	O
playback	O
,	O
making	O
to-do	O
lists	O
,	O
setting	O
alarms	O
,	O
streaming	B-Architecture
podcasts	B-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
playing	O
audiobooks	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
providing	O
weather	O
,	O
traffic	O
and	O
other	O
real-time	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
can	O
also	O
control	O
several	O
smart	B-Device
devices	I-Device
,	O
acting	O
as	O
a	O
home	O
automation	O
hub	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
started	O
developing	O
Echo	O
devices	O
inside	O
its	O
Lab126	O
offices	O
in	O
Silicon	O
Valley	O
and	O
in	O
Cambridge	O
,	O
Massachusetts	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
device	O
represented	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
first	O
attempts	O
to	O
expand	O
its	O
device	O
portfolio	O
beyond	O
the	B-General_Concept
Kindle	I-General_Concept
e-reader	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
initially	O
limited	O
the	O
first-generation	O
Echo	O
to	O
Amazon	B-Application
Prime	O
members	O
or	O
just	O
by	O
invitation	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
became	O
widely	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
in	O
mid	O
2015	O
,	O
and	O
subsequently	O
in	O
other	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
the	O
Alexa	B-Application
voice	O
service	O
is	O
available	O
to	O
be	O
added	O
to	O
other	O
devices	O
,	O
and	O
Amazon	B-Application
encourages	O
other	O
companies	O
 '	O
devices	O
and	O
services	O
to	O
connect	O
to	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Work	O
on	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
began	O
in	O
2011	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
Project	O
D	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
named	O
this	O
because	O
the	B-General_Concept
Kindle	I-General_Concept
was	O
Project	O
A	O
and	O
the	O
Fire	B-Application
Phone	I-Application
was	O
Project	O
B	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
was	O
an	O
offshoot	O
of	O
Project	O
C	O
.	O
Project	O
C	O
is	O
unknown	O
,	O
even	O
though	O
the	O
work	O
on	O
it	O
has	O
stopped	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
was	O
originally	O
supposed	O
to	O
be	O
called	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Application
Flash	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
wake	O
word	O
,	O
the	O
word	O
that	O
makes	O
the	O
device	O
responsive	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
Echo	O
used	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
Amazon	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
of	O
these	O
attributes	O
were	O
disliked	O
by	O
Lab126	O
,	O
the	O
division	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
that	O
conducts	O
research	O
and	O
development	O
and	O
creates	O
computer	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lab126	O
believed	O
that	O
"	O
Amazon	B-Application
"	O
is	O
too	O
much	O
of	O
a	O
commonly	O
used	O
word	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
device	O
would	O
react	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
intended	O
to	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jeff	O
Bezos	O
,	O
the	O
CEO	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
,	O
ended	O
up	O
being	O
influenced	O
by	O
Lab126	O
to	O
change	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
the	O
device	O
to	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
and	O
the	O
wake	O
word	O
to	O
"	O
Alexa	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
was	O
originally	O
pitched	O
as	O
only	O
a	O
smart	B-Device
speaker	I-Device
,	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
originally	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
hub	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
is	O
now	O
,	O
until	O
after	O
it	O
was	O
launched	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Alexa	B-Application
,	O
the	O
artificial	O
intelligence	O
(	O
A.I.	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
that	O
powers	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
,	O
improved	O
,	O
the	O
device	O
became	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
controlling	O
center	O
for	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
appliances	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dave	O
Isbitski	O
,	O
the	O
chief	O
developer	O
evangelist	O
for	O
the	O
Echo	O
and	O
Alexa	B-Application
,	O
received	O
calls	O
from	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
manufacturers	O
to	O
discuss	O
connecting	O
their	O
devices	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
But	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
devices	O
had	O
a	O
problem	O
:	O
people	O
were	O
not	O
buying	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
devices	O
because	O
they	O
often	O
required	O
an	O
extra	O
app	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
not	O
much	O
better	O
than	O
just	O
using	O
the	O
device	O
manually	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
(	O
1st	O
Generation	O
)	O
was	O
initially	O
released	O
in	O
March	O
2014	O
for	O
Amazon	B-Application
Prime	O
and	O
invited	O
members	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
marketed	O
alongside	O
the	O
voice	O
of	O
the	O
product	O
,	O
Alexa	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alexa	B-Application
is	O
a	O
voice	O
associated	O
with	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
that	O
will	O
respond	O
to	O
questions	O
and	O
requests	O
through	O
artificial	O
intelligence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
has	O
claimed	O
that	O
the	O
voice	O
of	O
Alexa	B-Application
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
electronic	O
communications	O
systems	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
television	O
series	O
Star	O
Trek	O
:	O
The	O
Original	O
Series	O
and	O
Star	B-Application
Trek	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Next	I-Application
Generation	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Echo	O
featured	O
prominently	O
in	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
first	O
Super	O
Bowl	O
broadcast	O
television	O
advertisement	O
in	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2016	O
Amazon	B-Application
released	O
a	O
byproduct	O
of	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
,	O
called	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
Dot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
device	O
is	O
an	O
ice	O
hockey	O
puck	O
sized	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
released	O
in	O
2014	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
has	O
the	O
same	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	O
generation	O
of	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
was	O
released	O
in	O
October	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequently	O
,	O
other	O
variants	O
of	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
have	O
been	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2017	O
Amazon	B-Application
released	O
the	O
now-discontinued	O
Amazon	B-Application
Tap	O
,	O
a	O
portable	O
,	O
slightly	O
smaller	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
two	O
products	O
are	O
similar	O
the	O
Tap	O
is	O
battery	O
powered	O
,	O
portable	O
,	O
and	O
requires	O
the	O
touch	O
of	O
a	O
button	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
enable	O
voice	B-Application
commands	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2017	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
Look	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
invitees	O
only	O
,	O
as	O
an	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
with	O
a	O
built	O
in	O
camera	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2018	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
Show	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
as	O
a	O
device	O
with	O
a	O
7-inch	O
screen	O
used	O
for	O
streaming	B-Architecture
media	O
,	O
making	O
video	O
calls	O
and	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
Alexa	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
default	O
mode	O
,	O
the	O
device	O
continuously	O
listens	O
to	O
all	O
speech	O
,	O
monitoring	O
for	O
the	O
wake	O
word	O
to	O
be	O
spoken	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
primarily	O
set	O
up	O
as	O
"	O
Alexa	B-Application
"	O
(	O
derived	O
from	O
Alexa	B-Application
Internet	O
,	O
the	O
Amazon-owned	O
Internet	O
indexing	O
company	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
's	O
voice	O
recognition	O
capability	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
Amazon	B-Application
Web	I-Application
Services	I-Application
and	O
the	O
voice	O
platform	O
Amazon	B-Application
acquired	O
from	O
Yap	O
,	O
Evi	B-Application
,	O
and	O
IVONA	O
(	O
a	O
Polish-based	O
specialist	O
in	O
voice	O
technologies	O
used	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Kindle	I-General_Concept
Fire	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
device	O
requires	O
one	O
time	O
setup	O
by	O
pairing	O
it	O
with	O
your	O
Alexa	B-Application
app	O
which	O
gives	O
you	O
more	O
control	O
over	O
the	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
smart	B-Device
speakers	I-Device
perform	O
well	O
with	O
a	O
"	O
good	O
"	O
(	O
low-latency	O
)	O
Internet	O
connection	O
,	O
which	O
minimizes	O
processing	O
time	O
due	O
to	O
minimal	O
communication	O
round	O
trips	O
,	O
streaming	B-Architecture
responses	O
and	O
geo-distributed	O
service	O
endpoints	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
application	O
is	O
free	O
,	O
an	O
Amazon	B-Application
account	O
is	O
required	O
,	O
and	O
setup	O
is	O
not	O
possible	O
without	O
one	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
devices	O
offer	O
weather	O
from	O
AccuWeather	O
and	O
news	O
from	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
sources	O
,	O
including	O
local	O
radio	O
stations	O
,	O
BBC	O
,	O
NPR	O
,	O
and	O
ESPN	O
from	O
TuneIn	B-Application
and	O
iHeartRadio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
can	O
play	B-Application
music	I-Application
from	O
the	O
owner	O
's	O
Amazon	B-Application
Music	I-Application
accounts	O
and	O
has	O
built-in	O
support	O
for	O
other	O
streaming	B-Architecture
music	O
services	O
like	O
Amazon	B-Application
Music	I-Application
,	O
Apple	B-Operating_System
Music	I-Operating_System
,	O
Spotify	B-Application
,	O
Deezer	B-Application
,	O
Pandora	B-Application
and	O
Sirius	O
XM	O
among	O
others	O
,	O
and	O
has	O
support	O
for	O
IFTTT	B-Application
and	O
Nest	O
thermostats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
can	O
also	O
play	B-Application
music	I-Application
from	O
non-compatible	O
music	O
streaming	B-Architecture
services	O
such	O
as	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Music	I-Application
from	O
a	O
phone	O
or	O
tablet	O
via	O
Bluetooth	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
will	O
respond	O
to	O
questions	O
about	O
items	O
in	O
one	O
's	O
Google	B-Application
Calendar	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
integrates	O
with	O
Yonomi	O
,	O
Philips	O
Hue	O
,	O
Belkin	O
Wemo	O
,	O
SmartThings	B-Application
,	O
Insteon	B-Device
,	O
and	O
Wink	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
integration	O
with	O
the	O
Echo	O
is	O
in	O
the	O
works	O
for	O
Countertop	O
by	O
Orange	O
Chef	O
,	O
Sonos	B-Algorithm
,	O
Scout	O
Alarm	O
,	O
Garageio	B-Application
,	O
Toymail	O
,	O
MARA	O
,	O
and	O
Mojio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
devices	O
also	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
"	O
skills	O
"	O
built	O
with	O
the	O
Alexa	B-Application
Skills	I-Application
Kit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
are	O
third-party-developed	O
voice	O
applications	O
that	O
add	O
to	O
the	O
capabilities	O
of	O
any	O
Alexa-enabled	O
device	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Echo	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
of	O
skills	O
include	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
play	B-Application
music	I-Application
,	O
answer	O
general	O
questions	O
,	O
set	O
an	O
alarm	O
,	O
order	O
a	O
pizza	O
or	O
a	O
ridesharing	O
car	O
(	O
e.g.	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
,	O
Lyft	B-Application
)	O
,	O
and	O
more	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
one	O
new	O
skill	O
that	O
Alexa	B-Application
has	O
learned	O
is	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
play	O
"	O
games	O
"	O
with	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
such	O
game	O
is	O
"	O
Escape	O
the	O
Garage	O
"	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
user	O
must	O
correctly	O
answer	O
questions	O
that	O
Alexa	B-Application
asks	O
,	O
while	O
figuring	O
out	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
escape	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Alexa	B-Application
Skills	I-Application
Kit	O
is	O
a	O
collection	O
of	O
self-service	O
application	B-Application
programming	I-Application
interfaces	I-Application
(	O
API	B-Application
)	O
,	O
tools	O
,	O
documentation	O
and	O
code	O
samples	O
that	O
make	O
it	O
fast	O
and	O
easy	O
for	O
any	O
developer	O
to	O
add	O
skills	O
to	O
Alexa	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developers	O
can	O
also	O
use	O
the	O
"	O
Smart	B-Device
Home	I-Device
Skill	O
API	B-Application
"	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
Alexa	B-Application
Skills	I-Application
Kit	O
,	O
to	O
easily	O
teach	O
Alexa	B-Application
how	O
to	O
control	O
cloud-controlled	O
lighting	O
and	O
thermostat	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2018	O
,	O
a	O
major	O
new	O
feature	O
was	O
launched	O
that	O
will	O
allow	O
users	O
to	O
make	O
Skype	B-Application
calls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Every	O
past	O
and	O
present	O
Echo	O
device	O
will	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
dial	O
a	O
number	O
via	O
Skype	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
devices	O
that	O
have	O
a	O
display	O
will	O
offer	O
full	O
video	O
Skype	B-Application
capability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2019	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
released	O
Alexa	B-Application
Guard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
"	O
Away	O
mode	O
"	O
is	O
enabled	O
,	O
if	O
an	O
Echo	O
device	O
detects	O
the	O
sound	O
of	O
smoke	O
alarms	O
,	O
carbon	O
monoxide	O
alarms	O
,	O
or	O
glass	O
breaking	O
,	O
it	O
will	O
send	O
alerts	O
to	O
the	O
Alexa	B-Application
app	O
on	O
smartphones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
also	O
offers	O
Guard	O
Plus	O
,	O
this	O
paid	O
for	O
option	O
enables	O
other	O
features	O
such	O
as	O
playing	O
the	O
sound	O
of	O
a	O
dog	O
barking	O
when	O
an	O
intruder	O
is	O
detected	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Alexa	B-Application
Voice	O
Service	O
(	O
AVS	O
)	O
allows	O
developers	O
to	O
voice-enable	O
connected	O
products	O
with	O
a	O
microphone	O
and	O
speaker	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
AVS	O
enables	O
volume	O
control	O
,	O
audio	O
playback	O
,	O
and	O
speech	B-Application
recognition	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
High	O
speech	O
accuracy	O
is	O
achieved	O
through	O
sophisticated	O
natural	B-Language
language	I-Language
processing	I-Language
(	O
NLP	B-Language
)	O
algorithms	O
built	O
into	O
the	O
Echo	O
's	O
text-to-speech	B-Application
(	O
TTS	O
)	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
all	O
Alexa	B-Application
devices	O
,	O
the	O
functionality	O
of	O
Echo	O
smart	B-Device
speakers	I-Device
periodically	O
evolves	O
as	O
Amazon	B-Application
releases	O
new	O
software	O
for	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
is	O
able	O
to	O
connect	O
to	O
many	O
different	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thermostats	O
,	O
humidifiers	O
,	O
lightbulbs	O
,	O
plugs	O
,	O
dog	O
and	O
cat	O
feeder	O
,	O
door	O
locks	O
,	O
cameras	O
,	O
thermostats	O
,	O
security	O
systems	O
,	O
speakers	O
,	O
WiFi	O
,	O
televisions	O
,	O
vacuums	O
,	O
microwaves	O
,	O
printers	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
devices	O
can	O
now	O
all	O
be	O
controlled	O
through	O
Alexa	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alexa	B-Application
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
activate	O
and	O
deactivate	O
all	O
of	O
these	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
appliances	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
change	O
their	O
settings	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
Alexa	B-Application
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
change	O
the	O
temperature	O
in	O
a	O
house	O
through	O
a	O
thermostat	O
,	O
turn	O
off	O
the	O
lights	O
with	O
smart	O
lights	O
,	O
put	O
out	O
dog	O
or	O
cat	O
food	O
via	O
a	O
smart	O
pet	O
feeder	O
,	O
and	O
activate	O
the	O
security	O
systems	O
via	O
a	O
smart	O
security	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
user	O
is	O
able	O
to	O
organize	O
these	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
devices	O
by	O
putting	O
them	O
into	O
groups	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
a	O
user	O
can	O
make	O
a	O
"	O
Music	O
Group	O
"	O
on	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
will	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
play	B-Application
music	I-Application
and	O
other	O
media	O
in	O
multiple	O
rooms	O
in	O
a	O
house	O
through	O
other	O
Echos	O
and	O
speakers	O
that	O
are	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Music	O
Group	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Along	O
with	O
multiple	O
groups	O
,	O
an	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
can	O
hold	O
multiple	O
profiles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2021	O
,	O
an	O
outage	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
cloud	O
service	O
caused	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
devices	O
to	O
stop	O
working	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
Echos	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
make	O
calls	O
and	O
send	O
messages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
make	O
calls	O
to	O
another	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
or	O
speaker	O
that	O
is	O
in	O
the	O
house	O
by	O
calling	O
the	O
device	O
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
also	O
make	O
calls	O
and	O
send	O
messages	O
to	O
other	O
people	O
that	O
have	O
an	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
done	O
by	O
connecting	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
contacts	O
to	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
user	O
's	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
will	O
call	O
their	O
contact	O
's	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
will	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
conversation	O
using	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Application
Echos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Messages	O
will	O
go	O
to	O
the	O
contact	O
's	O
phone	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
Alexa	B-Application
App	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first-generation	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
consists	O
of	O
a	O
9.25inch	O
(	O
23.5cm	O
)	O
tall	O
cylinder	O
speaker	O
with	O
a	O
seven-piece	O
microphone	B-Algorithm
array	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Echo	O
hardware	O
complement	O
includes	O
a	O
Texas	O
Instruments	O
DM3725	O
ARM	B-Application
Cortex-A8	I-Application
processor	O
,	O
256MB	O
of	O
LPDDR1	O
RAM	O
and	O
4GB	O
of	O
storage	O
space	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
Echo	O
is	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
voice-controlled	O
at	O
the	O
unit	O
,	O
a	O
microphone-enabled	O
remote	O
control	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
one	O
bundled	O
with	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Application
Fire	I-Application
TV	I-Application
is	O
available	O
for	O
purchase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
provides	O
dual-band	O
Wi-Fi	O
802.11a/b/g/n	O
and	O
Bluetooth	B-Protocol
Advanced	O
Audio	O
Distribution	O
Profile	O
(	O
A2DP	O
)	O
support	O
for	O
audio	O
streaming	B-Architecture
and	O
Audio/Video	O
Remote	O
Control	O
Profile	O
(	O
AVRCP	O
)	O
for	O
voice	O
control	O
of	O
connected	O
mobile	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mainline	O
Linux	B-Operating_System
kernel	I-Operating_System
is	O
able	O
to	O
boot	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
since	O
version	O
5.6	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Echo	O
brings	O
the	O
Echo	O
Plus	O
 '	O
Zigbee	B-Protocol
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
hub	O
with	O
support	O
for	O
Amazon	B-Application
Sidewalk	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
beast-mode	O
version	O
was	O
a	O
first-generation	O
Echo	O
that	O
responded	O
to	O
a	O
user	O
's	O
commands	O
with	O
Marshawn	O
Lynch	O
's	O
voice	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
the	O
Alexa	B-Application
voice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
special	O
version	O
of	O
Echo	O
is	O
the	O
Alexa	B-Application
Super	O
Skills	O
Collectible	O
edition	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
given	O
to	O
select	O
Amazon	B-Application
Alexa	I-Application
developers	O
who	O
published	O
five	O
skills	O
between	O
July	O
22	O
and	O
October	O
30	O
,	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
initially	O
limited	O
the	O
first-generation	O
Echo	O
to	O
Amazon	B-Application
Prime	O
members	O
or	O
just	O
by	O
invitation	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
became	O
widely	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
in	O
mid	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
,	O
the	O
Echo	O
was	O
available	O
in	O
40	O
countries	O
:	O
Austria	O
,	O
Australia	O
,	O
Belgium	O
,	O
Bolivia	O
,	O
Bulgaria	O
,	O
Canada	O
,	O
Chile	O
,	O
Colombia	O
,	O
Costa	O
Rica	O
,	O
Cyprus	O
,	O
the	O
Czech	O
Republic	O
,	O
Ecuador	O
,	O
El	O
Salvador	O
,	O
Estonia	O
,	O
Finland	O
,	O
Germany	O
,	O
Greece	O
,	O
Hungary	O
,	O
Iceland	O
,	O
India	O
,	O
Ireland	O
,	O
Italy	O
,	O
Japan	O
,	O
Latvia	O
,	O
Liechtenstein	O
,	O
Lithuania	O
,	O
Luxembourg	O
,	O
Malta	O
,	O
Mexico	O
,	O
New	O
Zealand	O
,	O
Panama	B-Algorithm
,	O
Peru	O
,	O
Poland	O
,	O
Portugal	O
,	O
Slovakia	O
,	O
Sweden	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
and	O
Uruguay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
and	O
Microsoft	O
jointly	O
announced	O
a	O
solution	O
to	O
integrate	O
their	O
digital	O
assistants	O
so	O
that	O
Cortana	B-Application
,	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
voice	B-Protocol
assistant	I-Protocol
,	O
could	O
be	O
called	O
from	O
an	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
device	O
and	O
Alexa	B-Application
could	O
be	O
called	O
from	O
Windows	O
devices	O
,	O
including	O
PCs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2019	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
CEO	O
Satya	O
Nadella	O
announced	O
that	O
Cortana	B-Application
would	O
no	O
longer	O
be	O
a	O
platform	O
competitor	O
to	O
Alexa	B-Application
or	O
Google	O
Assistant	O
,	O
but	O
rather	O
a	O
voice	O
skill	O
to	O
access	O
Microsoft	O
365	O
via	O
other	O
voice	B-Protocol
assistants	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
April	O
2019	O
,	O
Alexa	B-Application
was	O
the	O
only	O
Cortana-integrated	O
voice	B-Protocol
assistant	I-Protocol
,	O
which	O
gave	O
it	O
exclusive	O
access	O
to	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
suite	O
of	O
business	O
applications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2016	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
unveiled	O
the	O
original	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
Dot	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
hockey	O
puck-sized	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Echo	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
connected	O
to	O
external	O
speakers	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
smaller	O
size	O
of	O
the	O
onboard	O
speakers	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
rooms	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
bedroom	O
as	O
an	O
alternative	O
to	O
the	O
full-sized	O
Echo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beyond	O
these	O
distinctions	O
,	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
Dot	O
possesses	O
the	O
same	O
functions	O
as	O
the	O
original	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	O
generation	O
of	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
Dot	O
became	O
available	O
on	O
October	O
20	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
18	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
an	O
Amazon	B-Application
promotion	O
allowed	O
Amazon	B-Application
Prime	O
customers	O
to	O
receive	O
a	O
100%	O
price	O
reduction	O
on	O
the	O
Echo	O
Dot	O
(	O
from	O
$49.99	O
to	O
$0.00	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
never	O
commented	O
on	O
the	O
promotion	O
or	O
gave	O
any	O
indication	O
of	O
how	O
many	O
Dots	O
were	O
given	O
away	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2019	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
SVP	O
of	O
devices	O
and	O
services	O
,	O
Dave	O
Limp	O
,	O
revealed	O
that	O
over	O
100	O
million	O
Alexa-enabled	O
devices	O
had	O
been	O
sold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
's	O
earnings	O
reports	O
and	O
press	O
releases	O
also	O
reveal	O
that	O
the	O
Echo	O
Dot	O
has	O
been	O
among	O
the	O
top-selling	O
products	O
on	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
for	O
2017	O
and	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2021	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
ran	O
a	O
promotion	O
to	O
give	O
a	O
price	O
discount	O
on	O
the	O
Echo	O
Dot	O
,	O
reducing	O
the	O
price	O
from	O
$39.99	O
to	O
$4.99	O
with	O
a	O
coupon	O
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amazon	B-Application
Tap	O
is	O
a	O
smaller	O
portable	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Echo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
has	O
discontinued	O
the	O
Tap	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
Look	O
was	O
introduced	O
as	O
a	O
camera	O
with	O
Alexa	B-Application
built-in	O
,	O
for	O
US$20	O
more	O
than	O
the	O
first-generation	O
Echo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
offers	O
Amazon	B-Application
Alexa	I-Application
's	O
key	O
feature	O
plus	O
a	O
camera	O
to	O
take	O
full-length	O
photos	O
and	O
360-degree	O
videos	O
with	O
built-in	O
AI	O
for	O
fashion	O
advice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
Echo	O
Look	O
owners	O
received	O
an	O
email	O
from	O
Amazon	B-Application
stating	O
that	O
the	O
device	O
would	O
soon	O
stop	O
working	O
,	O
because	O
Amazon	B-Application
was	O
discontinuing	O
production	O
and	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2017	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
introduced	O
the	O
Echo	O
Show	O
,	O
which	O
features	O
a	O
tactile	O
7-inch	O
liquid-crystal	B-Device
display	I-Device
screen	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
playing	O
media	O
,	O
making	O
video	O
calls	O
(	O
5	O
MP	O
front	O
camera	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
second	O
generation	O
of	O
the	O
Echo	O
Show	O
was	O
unveiled	O
at	O
an	O
Alexa-themed	O
product	O
event	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
on	O
September	O
20	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
for	O
release	O
the	O
following	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
has	O
released	O
three	O
additional	O
sizes	O
of	O
the	O
Echo	O
Show	O
making	O
them	O
available	O
in	O
5-	O
,	O
8-	O
,	O
and	O
15-inch	O
displays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
27	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
launched	O
the	O
Echo	O
Spot	O
,	O
a	O
hemispherical	O
device	O
that	O
has	O
the	O
same	O
functions	O
as	O
an	O
Echo	O
Show	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
27	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
the	O
Echo	O
Plus	O
,	O
which	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
31	O
,	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
shares	O
design	O
similarities	O
with	O
the	O
first-generation	O
Echo	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
doubles	O
as	O
a	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
hub	O
,	O
connecting	O
to	O
most	O
common	O
wireless	O
protocols	O
to	O
control	O
connected	O
smart	B-Device
devices	I-Device
within	O
a	O
home	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
14	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
released	O
the	O
Echo	O
Flex	O
for	O
$24.99	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
an	O
Alexa-themed	O
product	O
launch	O
event	O
in	O
September	O
2018	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
an	O
Echo	O
device	O
designed	O
for	O
cars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
device	O
connects	O
with	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
smartphone	O
over	O
Bluetooth	B-Protocol
and	O
offers	O
driving	O
direction	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
other	O
Alexa	B-Application
functionality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Echo	O
Input	O
is	O
an	O
Alexa	B-Application
input	O
device	O
with	O
no	O
on-board	O
speakers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Along	O
with	O
the	O
second-generation	O
Echo	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
two	O
new	O
accessories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2018	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
the	O
Echo	O
Sub	O
,	O
a	O
subwoofer	B-Application
that	O
connects	O
to	O
other	O
Echo	O
speakers	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Echo	O
Wall	O
Clock	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
display	O
how	O
much	O
time	O
is	O
remaining	O
on	O
timers	O
set	O
with	O
an	O
Echo	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
the	O
Echo	O
Loop	O
in	O
September	O
2019	O
,	O
a	O
smart	B-Device
ring	I-Device
with	O
a	O
button	O
that	O
activates	O
Alexa	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Echo	O
Loop	O
uses	O
Bluetooth	B-Protocol
to	O
connect	O
to	O
a	O
smartphone	O
for	O
Internet	O
access	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Echo	O
Frames	O
smartglasses	B-General_Concept
,	O
which	O
support	O
prescription	O
lenses	O
,	O
were	O
also	O
announced	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
responds	O
to	O
these	O
concerns	O
by	O
stating	O
that	O
Echo	O
only	O
streams	O
recordings	O
from	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
home	O
when	O
the	O
"	O
wake	O
word	O
"	O
activates	O
the	O
device	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
device	O
is	O
technically	O
capable	O
of	O
streaming	B-Architecture
voice	O
recordings	O
at	O
all	O
times	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
fact	O
will	O
always	O
be	O
listening	O
to	O
detect	O
if	O
a	O
user	O
has	O
uttered	O
the	O
word	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
delete	O
these	O
recordings	O
,	O
the	O
user	O
can	O
visit	O
the	O
"	O
Manage	O
My	O
Device	O
"	O
page	O
on	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
or	O
contact	O
Amazon	B-Application
customer	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
apologized	O
and	O
conjectured	O
that	O
one	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
conversation	O
had	O
been	O
misinterpreted	O
as	O
a	O
command	O
to	O
distribute	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Echo	O
uses	O
an	O
address	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Alexa	B-Application
companion	O
app	O
when	O
it	O
needs	O
a	O
location	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
and	O
third-party	O
apps	O
and	O
websites	O
use	O
location	O
information	O
to	O
provide	O
location-based	O
services	O
and	O
store	O
this	O
information	O
to	O
provide	O
voice	O
services	O
,	O
the	O
Maps	O
app	O
,	O
Find	O
Your	O
Device	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
monitor	O
the	O
performance	O
and	O
accuracy	O
of	O
location	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
information	O
collected	O
is	O
subject	O
to	O
the	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
Privacy	O
Notice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
retains	O
digital	O
recordings	O
of	O
users	O
 '	O
audio	O
spoken	O
after	O
the	O
"	O
wake	O
up	O
word	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
while	O
the	O
audio	O
recordings	O
are	O
subject	O
to	O
demands	O
by	O
law	O
enforcement	O
,	O
government	O
agents	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
entities	O
via	O
subpoena	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
publishes	O
some	O
information	O
about	O
the	O
warrants	O
it	O
receives	O
,	O
the	O
subpoenas	O
it	O
receives	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
warrant-less	O
demands	O
it	O
receives	O
,	O
allowing	O
customers	O
some	O
indication	O
as	O
to	O
the	O
percentage	O
of	O
illegal	O
demands	O
for	O
customer	O
information	O
it	O
receives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Amazon	B-Application
employed	O
ex-US-security-chief	O
Gen	O
Keith	O
B	O
.	O
Alexander	O
in	O
autumn	O
2020	O
,	O
Edward	O
Snowden	O
commented	O
laconically	O
:	O
"	O
It	O
turns	O
out	O
'	O
Hey	O
Alexa	B-Application
 '	O
is	O
short	O
for	O
'	O
Hey	O
Keith	O
Alexander.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
the	O
investigation	O
into	O
the	O
November	O
22	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
death	O
of	O
Victor	O
Collins	O
in	O
the	O
home	O
of	O
James	O
Andrew	O
Bates	O
in	O
Bentonville	O
,	O
Arkansas	O
,	O
police	O
sought	O
the	O
data	O
stored	O
on	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
on	O
the	O
premises	O
as	O
evidence	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
refused	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Millanta	O
's	O
demonstration	O
occurred	O
eight	O
months	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
commercially	O
available	O
in-car	O
Alexa	B-Application
system	O
,	O
Garmin	O
Speak	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
Prime	O
Pantry	O
,	O
Prime	O
Now	O
,	O
or	O
Add-On	O
items	O
are	O
not	O
supported	O
by	O
Alexa	B-Application
's	O
ordering	O
function	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
shopping	O
list	O
function	O
allows	O
no	O
more	O
than	O
one	O
item	O
to	O
be	O
added	O
at	O
a	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
