Amazon expands Alexa to microwave ovens, headphones and other IoT devices

The success of the Amazon Echo took the company a bit by surprise, but since then Amazon has not sat on their laurels and is rumoured to currently have up to 5000 staff working on their digital assistant ecosystem.

The latest fruits of their labour is the  “Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit,” which would allow the smart assistant to be used in Internet of Things solutions such as microwave ovens, headphones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, other audio devices.

Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit is a more lightweight alternative to Amazon’s earlier AVS Device SDK, offering companies a more “lightweight method to build on-the-go products,” explains Amazon. It works via a Bluetooth connection with your phone rather than housing more expensive and battery-hungry processors on your device, as required by AVS Device SDK.

The first products could come from companies such as Bose, Jabra, iHome, Linkplay, Sugr, Librewireless, Beyerdynamic, Bowers and Wilkins, who have already started developing using the service.

Bose was one of the early adoptees.

“Bose is excited to add a remarkable new Alexa experience for our customers,” said Brian Maguire, Director of Product Management at Bose, said in a statement. “Accessing Alexa’s music, information, and vast number of skills on our headphones will become easier than ever, and we’re looking forward to bringing our collaboration to life.”

Via TechCrunch.com