Echo Frames Now Available To All
The release version of Echo Frames costs $70 more than the original early Echo Frames price tag of $179.99, though Day One Edition Echo Frames customers have the option of paying the difference to get the new frames.
Upgrades come in the form of 40% more battery life, auto-shutoff when the user isn’t wearing them, and adaptable audio.
Alexa With You Everywhere You Go
Functionally, Echo frames work much like Bluetooth headphones. They pair with the Alexa app for iOS or Android smartphones. You’ll be able to interact with Alexa as you would with Google Assistant or Siri.
You’ll also be able to use the Echo Frames built-in speakers to listen to music and podcasts, which automatically adjust the volume based on surrounding noise. There is also a discrete notification function which only alerts you to particular pre-defined messages. Swiping one of the legs of the glasses reads messages aloud.
Hello Echo Frames, Goodbye Echo Loop
In Your Home, On Your Head
The idea of having Alexa on your head all day might seem like a privacy nightmare. While functionally different, a major concern about the ill-fated Google Glass was its ability to live broadcast video to the cloud. Unless specifically musted, Alexa devices are always listening, something that doesn’t sit well with privacy advocates.
