Amazon Stuffs Alexa Into Your Browser With Online Echo Simulator
Amazon is bringing Alexa, its voice powered digital assistant, to a wider audience, and this time it doesn't require the purchase of a smart speaker like Echo. Alexa is now available right inside your browser as part of a project called Echosim.io, which uses 3D JavaScript animations and Alexa Voice Service (AVS) integration.
"Echosim.io lives in your browser, so anyone, anywhere can access it and test their Alexa skills. You no longer need an Alexa-enabled device to test your skills. Developers worldwide can use Echosim.io to experience Alexa. Its simplicity makes it easy for anyone to understand what an Echo is and what it does without having to explain Alexa’s unique UX," Amazon's Glenn Cameron explains in a blog post.
It's intended to serve as an online community tool for developers, though anyone with an Amazon account and working microphone is free to give it a try. All you have to do is visit Echosim.io, log into your Amazon account, give the site permission to access your microphone, and then click and hold the microphone when you're ready to bark commands. If you want to test your Alexa skill, make sure to log in with your developer account.
This is a well timed release for Amazon. Word on the web is that Apple is working to integrate Siri into OS X by the end of the year. It's also said to be working on a smart speaker to rival Echo. The same goes for Google—it recently introduced a customizable, voice-activated Wi-Fi speaker that's similar to Echo called Google Home.
As the home smart speaker market continues to grow, so will the curiosity surrounding these devices. The problem is portraying to potential customers what the experience is like, and Echosim.io gives the Internet community at large a way to sample what Alexa can do.
If you want to try it for yourself, go here and give it a spin.
"Echosim.io lives in your browser, so anyone, anywhere can access it and test their Alexa skills. You no longer need an Alexa-enabled device to test your skills. Developers worldwide can use Echosim.io to experience Alexa. Its simplicity makes it easy for anyone to understand what an Echo is and what it does without having to explain Alexa’s unique UX," Amazon's Glenn Cameron explains in a blog post.
It's intended to serve as an online community tool for developers, though anyone with an Amazon account and working microphone is free to give it a try. All you have to do is visit Echosim.io, log into your Amazon account, give the site permission to access your microphone, and then click and hold the microphone when you're ready to bark commands. If you want to test your Alexa skill, make sure to log in with your developer account.
This is a well timed release for Amazon. Word on the web is that Apple is working to integrate Siri into OS X by the end of the year. It's also said to be working on a smart speaker to rival Echo. The same goes for Google—it recently introduced a customizable, voice-activated Wi-Fi speaker that's similar to Echo called Google Home.
As the home smart speaker market continues to grow, so will the curiosity surrounding these devices. The problem is portraying to potential customers what the experience is like, and Echosim.io gives the Internet community at large a way to sample what Alexa can do.
If you want to try it for yourself, go here and give it a spin.
