If you own an Amazon Echo, or even if you’ve just seen Alec Baldwin’s commercials for it, you know that this gadget talks back when you address it by name. Alexa, what’s going on in the news? Alexa, play some relaxing music. Alexa, order more paper towels for me.
The Amazon Echo comes in lots of different flavors. The Echo already came in three varieties and they’ve just added a fourth with a fifth on the horizon. You may have already elected to choose Alexa over the Google assistant but there This is quite a bit of variety which can make it tough to find the best Amazon Echo for you.
Amazon Tap improves upon the Echo's legacy by adding dual stereo speakers and a battery pack… only to take two steps back by cutting out one of its predecessor's most important features.
Taken on its own, the $130 Amazon Tap is an impressive device with a ton of functionality. Press the button on the front of it, and you can issue voice commands to Alexa, Amazon's digital assistant. Your options range from playing music from your phone or streaming it over Wi-Fi; you can ask Alexa to add something to your calendar or your to-do list; you can check the weather or the news; you can even control your smart home or play a game. It's fun, it's useful, and thanks to a few Easter eggs and games, it's just silly enough to be charming.
