Barking like a dog to scare the introducers

Usually use Amazon Amazon for play music, provide weather forecasts and respond to other household requests. But Alexa has just acquired a new, somewhat unusual ability: the ability to bark like a dog.

Alexa’s new asshole is coming Alexa Guard Plus, which is a new subscription service launched this week from Amazon to help you transform your Echo device in a home security system for $ 5 per month or $ 50 per year (after a free trial period of one month). Alexa Guard Plus may not be as sophisticated as a dedicated, specially built security system the new service can help you make better use of it some of the smart home devices you already have.

For general emergencies, Alexa Guard Plus gives you access to a 24/7 helpline so you can ask for assistance, simply saying “Alexa, call for help.” This praise will direct your request to agents who can alert the appropriate agencies or first responders.

In addition, by using microphones built into Amazon Echo devices, Alexa Guard Plus can detect unusual sounds and send a warn yourself on the phone and even play a custom siren. With Guard Plus, Alexa’s audio detection can even recognize specific sounds, such as smoke alarms, broken glass, or carbon monoxide warnings, and then send you a message about them. And in cases where an Echo hears an unusual noise, you can play the recording or use the Drop In function to listen to what your Echo hears in real time.

However, the real Alexa Guard Plus The trick of the party is that when Echo is connected to extra smart lights or security cameras and detects that you’re not home, Alexa can turn on and off the lights to make it look like you’re actually there and even play the sound of a barking dog. to scare away potential intruders.

In addition to Alexa Guard Plus, however, there is a free version of Alexa Guard it lacks many of the advanced features available with a paid subscription, including emergency helpline support, activity monitoring, and the ability for Alexa to bark or play a siren when motion or activity is detected.

For Ring Protect Plus subscribers, Alexa Guard Plus is included free of charge. And in the future, Amazon says that Alexa Guard Plus will also be available through several home security partners, including Abode, Wyze, Scout Alarm and others.

So, one at hand, Alexa Guard Plus could be seen as another way by Amazon support him monthly take. But at just $ 5 a month, his new security service could serve as a useful middle ground between having nothing to protect your home and installing a dedicated costly security system, especially for homeowners with more Echo devices.