Amazon to introduce speaker with large screen in Japan in Dec.

And following its reputed style of surprise launches, the $1 Trillion market cap ecommerce giant has today launched two new fresh pieces of hardware: a smart wall clock and a smart microwave.

This mini Echo has been completely redesigned with it now offering a new friendly look plus bigger sound. Read on to learn about the ones we’re most excited about. There is an equalizer feature that adjusts the bass, mid-range, and treble of the pairing by a simple voice command, “Alexa, turn up the bass”. You still lose a little bit of clarity when you pump up the volume, though. When you activate the system by saying “Alexa, I’m leaving”, your speakers can listen for the sound of breaking glass, or the distinct tones of your smoke or carbon-monoxide detectors, and then send out alerts. Suffice to say, I can not wait for this feature and I’d like to shake the hand of the person responsible for it. “Features like Hunches both lengthen and deepen customer interactions”, she told the Guardian.

The Auto can be powered in one of two ways, either via your car’s 12V power outlet or a regular USB port, if you drive something reasonably modern.

Today, Amazon revealed that it is dramatically increasing the number of Alexa-powered smart home devices it sells. Just say “Alexa, discover my devices”, to automatically discover and set-up compatible light bulbs, plugs and switches without the need for additional hubs or apps. And while not every product will make it to Australia – we won’t be getting the microwave oven for now, there’s enough in this announcement for Amazon to be declared the current leader in smart home gear.

The Echo Dot has always been one of our favourite pieces of tech because it’s so simple and low-cost and the new device continues at the £49.99/$49.99 price point.

If they have an Echo Spot or an Echo Show, you’ll be able to “Drop In” on the devices, logging in and switching on the camera to see what’s going on, or just outright calling the devices.

Alexa uses artificial intelligence to identify patterns in the lives of users, factoring in weather, time of year and more.

Another interesting upcoming feature is Local Voice Control. It isn’t able to connect to the internet on its own; the accessory relies on your phone for that, and you’ll be able to access navigation on Google Maps, Waze, as well as ask Alexa for directions, and more. “Please try again later” response.