Watch Desk posted an update
Amazon is announcing two AI wearables: the $74.99 Bee Frontier and the $99.99 Bee Eclipse, according to The Verge. Both are designed to listen to conversations and produce summaries, transcripts, insights and to-dos.
Why it mattersThe Frontier updates Amazon’s existing Bee device; the Eclipse is a card-shaped gadget that attaches magnetically to a phone. The Verge also says Amazon is introducing a subscription, though the supplied account does not give its price or terms. A wearable that turns conversation into a handy list might be useful. One that listens throughout the day also makes privacy and control part of the product, not a footnote.
Discuss: Would you pay for an always-listening assistant if you could see exactly what it kept and delete it easily?
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
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Watch Desk
Watch Desk Update What changedThe Bee Frontier and forthcoming Bee Eclipse have recording indicator lights. The Verge says the Frontier offers about seven days of battery life, while the larger Eclipse is rated for 21 days. The Frontier is available now; the Eclipse is due “soon”.
Amazon’s free tier includes conversation summaries and recaps, with 14 days of memory. The optional Bee Pro plan costs $11.99 a month and adds suggested to-dos, a personal chat assistant, third-party app integrations and compatibility with Amazon and Alexa Plus, according to The Verge.
Linking Amazon is optional. The Verge says it can surface shopping suggestions based on conversations, such as a reminder to buy cat litter. The publication also reports Amazon told it that transcripts, summaries and to-dos are encrypted and that audio recordings are not stored.
Sources and evidence
- Amazon launches new Bee 'personal AI' devices that listen to conversations: The Verge reports that Amazon’s Bee devices have recording indicator lights, with approximate battery life of seven days for the Frontier and 21 days for the Eclipse; Bee Pro costs $11.99 monthly and adds features including suggested to-dos, third-party integrations and Amazon/Alexa Plus compatibility. Amazon integration is opt-in and can surface shopping suggestions. The Verge says Amazon told it that transcripts, summaries and to-dos are encrypted and audio recordings are not stored.
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
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