Soon you will be able to talk to Alexa on your Android phone and your dishwasher

[Cal Jeffrey]

Amazon’s Alexa AI assistant is springing up on various devices like weeds spring up in your lawn. What started as a home assistant on the Echo, is now worming its way onto other platforms like smartphones and IoT appliances. No gadget appears immune, not even the iPhone.

Alexa found its way onto iPhones via the Amazon shopping app last March. Although other apps had integrated the AI before that, it was the first time that the integration came directly from Amazon. After that, Echo owners began receiving notices that Alexa support was being added to the Android version of the Amazon app as well. The company has not officially announced the launch, but when confronted by TechCrunch about it, Amazon confirmed that the update is rolling out this week.

One thing that the Alexa AI has over phone assistants like Siri is that it can actually place orders and interact with the shopping app for you. Try asking Siri to put something in your shopping cart. It will tell you, “I’m sorry. I don’t see any events about shopping cart.” Believe me. I tried. However, just because Alexa is part of the Amazon app doesn’t mean it is limited to shopping. It can still answer most of the same questions and requests that you would ask your Echo like controlling smart appliances.

Speaking of which, General Electric and Whirlpool smart appliances are also adding support for Alexa. You can tell your Echo to start the GE dishwasher, and your wish is its command. Now, Sears is also jumping on the Alexa train. The struggling company recently announced that its full line of Kenmore smart appliances would integrate with Alexa-enabled devices. This capability comes through an update to Alexa called “Kenmore Smart.”

Alexa support is not the only benefit Sears is getting from Amazon. The dying department store chain is almost solely kept alive by its sale of Kenmore appliances. To help on this front, Amazon is set to start selling the Kenmore brand online, the announcement of which cause its stock to jump up almost 19 percent. The added sales outlet could assist the company in staying afloat, but it is unlikely to change the fate of its many brick-and-mortar stores that are slated to close soon.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/70229-soon-you-able-talk-alexa-android-phone-dishwasher.html

 

[stewi0001]

Let me know when I can talk to my toilet. ;P

 

[VitalyT]

I know people who used to talk to dishwashers years ago, before all this new tech.

Somehow I failed to consider them simply technologically-progressive at the time.

 

[abrosenfeld]

Kenmore appliances are all more or less built by Whirlpool, just another last ditch attempt for Sears. I used to be in the Television industry dealing with tech and workflow. Now, in semi-retirement, I sell appliances. IoT is slowly becoming a valuable entity, workflow for the home. While the current apps are more sizzle and eye candy there are some worthwhile things happening like GE Ranges integrating with Nest fire control systems via Alexa. if the Nest senses a stove fire it shuts down the stove. Stuff like that.

 

[abrosenfeld]

Let me know when I can talk to my toilet. ;P

https://www.cnet.com/news/flush-with-your-smartphone-toilets-get-bluetooth/

 

[wiyosaya]

Kenmore appliances are all more or less built by Whirlpool, just another last ditch attempt for Sears. I used to be in the Television industry dealing with tech and workflow. Now, in semi-retirement, I sell appliances. IoT is slowly becoming a valuable entity, workflow for the home. While the current apps are more sizzle and eye candy there are some worthwhile things happening like GE Ranges integrating with Nest fire control systems via Alexa. if the Nest senses a stove fire it shuts down the stove. Stuff like that.

Unless, of course, someone takes advantage of the poor security in IoT and does something nefarious such as disabling Nest and turning on the stove, or perhaps, disabling Nest, causing the stove not to light, turning on the gas, then causing it to light after a period of time...

Unfortunately, I think manufacturers think of IoT as their next cash cow and forget that their customers are real people who will suffer from the lack of attention that IoT manufacturers currently place on security. You won't get me anywhere near IoT until security is given priority.

 

[Reehahs]

I don't want my dishwashers to order for me, thank you.

 

[cliffordcooley]

No Alexa just wash the damn dishes!