Amazon: Emerging Smart Devices and Services for the Next 10 years or Why You Shouldn’t Have a Smart TV? An Update on the Future of Amazon

This potential has been seen with the re packaging of Wyze cameras and gadgets into the TV OS by the company. Amazon is making a move to make the tv a hub for its smart home network, and maybe even offer some services for you as part of your Prime subscription. We all signed up for free delivery, but now we’re hooked on an all-you-can-eat buffet of Good Omens and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan; who’s to say there aren’t some compelling smart home services we’d be happy to bundle, too?

It is difficult to navigate with a SmartThings interface compared to a mobile device. The tvOS update made the Apple TV interface more useful for home control, giving you quick access to scenes and cameras on the big screen. Google’s Chromecast also lets you call up live camera views on your TV; although, there’s no UI for this; it’s all voice control.

That could be about to change. Tomorrow is a big fall devices event for Amazon. I think there will be a new Amazon device, and perhaps a smart speaker as well, as well as minor Fire TV Stick improvements. But instead of also hoisting a bunch of new random gadgets at us that maybe make it to the next holiday buying season (I’m looking at you, Halo Rise), I’m hoping this event will be a big reset and refocus moment for Amazon’s hardware division.

Chastened by layoffs, huge losses, and the departure of longtime commander-in-chief Dave Limp, the future has been looking bleak for Amazon’s devices and services division. Today, the future likely hinges on generative artificial intelligence and a shift in hardware focus.

He demoed a smarter and more comprehensive voice experience for Amazon’s new LLM model of Alexa coming to Fire TV products. Once the software update is released later this year, search will get more powerful, with Alexa able to whittle down recommendations based on your conversation. A new “continue watching” row will aggregate content from Amazon Freevee, Disney Plus, Hulu, Max, MGM Plus, Peacock, Starz, and Tubi, putting recently watched shows and movies front and center.

The last part is the most important. People are prepared to spend money on a device for streaming TV shows and movies. It’s a harder sell to convince a non-techie family member that it’s worth handing over $130 or so for an Echo Show 8 that can (sometimes) show you your video doorbell. I have tried.

AI for the Smart Home: Review of Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max Performances and a Kickstarter Project to Help People Create Generative Backgrounds

Generative AI has the potential to solve many of the complexities of the smart home, making it easier to use, more intuitive, and, crucially, able to interpret context. Context is king in the smart home — a home that turns on your lights at 3AM because it’s dark outside isn’t smart.

The Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max are the new streaming players from Amazon. During the company’s fall hardware event, Amazon’s Daniel Rausch said both devices feature upgraded processors for faster performance compared to their predecessors.

Rausch also announced a new $119.99 Fire TV Soundbar that will be compatible with the company’s existing streamers and Fire TV-branded televisions. He didn’t make any big claims about sound quality, so it sounds like this is being positioned as a simple solution for anyone who wants to step up from their TV’s built-in speakers. The Soundbar for Fire TV will be available today.

The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max will have the same Ambient Experience that is seen on the company’s Fire TV TVs, in which the TV screen converts into a smart display when it’s not being used. Later this year, customers will be able to create generative backgrounds with the help of AI:

Customers are able to create artwork using their voice. This free feature will roll out to customers in the US by the end of the year, allowing them to create a personalized background by giving an imagination-driven prompt, such as, “Alexa, create an image of cherry blossoms in the snow.”