Amazon adds further capabilities to Echo devices with the introduction of 3 APIs-- Doorbell Event Source, Motion Sensor and Alexa.RTCSession Controller, allowing developers to connect the devices to security cameras and doorbells.
Initially available in the US as part of the Amazon Smart Home Skill API, such features allow 3rd party smart home apps to trigger Alexa actions through doorbell presses and motion alarms, among others. The Doorbell Event Source API plays announcement across all Echo devices, while Motion Sensor reports the state of an endpoint whenever motion is noticed within an area.
The next flagship Android phone, the Pixel 3 comes in two variants, the 5.3-inch regular and 6.3-inch XL. Both feature the Snapdragon 845 SoC with 4GB RAM inside a matte glass body comlete with notch for the front-facing dual-lens 12MP camera array. Such a camera should allow for better selfies, since one of the lenses offers a wider field of view. Interestingly the rear-facing camera is a single-lens affair, if one beefed up with cloud-powered AI smarts and a "Visual Core" co-processor developed with Intel.
Initially the deal involves a Samsung TV Tidal app, but the music service says this is "just the beginning of the partnership," with deeper integration expected in the near future. Available on Samsung TVs with Tizen 3.0 (ie 2017 and 2018 models), the app "prioritises Tidal visual content," with curated video playlists and concerts, as well as new releases, music videos and podcasts. A "My Collection" feature allows users to save and personalise content, and a search function comes as standard.
The Gen 2i product offering consists of the Pulse Flex 2i, Pulse Mini 2i, Pulse 2i, Pulse Soundbar 2i, Node 2i, Powernode 2i and Vault 2i. All feature designs identical to the previous models, other than a change in grille colour, and feature the BluOS music management system. As such the upgrades are on the inside. For instance, they support 5GHz wifi, Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX HD (resolutions up to 48KHz and 24-bit) and AirPlay 2.
The 5.84-inch 2280 x 1080 display handles HDR10 content, with a dynamic contrast ratio reaching 1000000:1. It even converts SDR content to HDR, via dedicated 16-bit engine, and adjust brightness and contrast according to ambient light conditions. Powering the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, together with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (expandable to 400GB via microSD card) and 3060mAh battery.
