Smart Espo equipped with artificial intelligence Alexa "Amazon Echo" opening ceremony & I actually used it

From Amazon on Amazon November 8, a smart speaker with Amazon Alexa, its own AI "Amazon EchoSeries for Japan was announced, and sales began on November 15th. GIGAZINE editorial department also got one "Amazon Echo", and I actually tried using what kind of topic smart speakers are.

Amazon | Echo - Smart speaker


◆ Opening Ceremony
Amazon Echo entered the blue box. The cover color is sandstone.


Peel off the seal immediately and open it.


When I opened the lid and pulled up the contents, Echo appeared.


In addition to the Echo main unit, sheets, instructions, power cables with use examples written.


The power supply is 21W of 15.0V, 1.4A.


The cable is not equipped with a coaxial cable and the speaker is not equipped with a battery. When using it, it is designed to connect the power cable at all times, and it is assumed to use it in the room.


Remove the film from Echo.


Return the cover, insert the power outlet, and connect the power cable to the Echo main unit. The Echo main body is 148 mm in height, 88 mm in diameter, 821 g in weight, and can be held in one hand with sufficient size and weight.


By aligning iPhone X with long side 143.6 mm and width 70.9 mm, you can understand the size of Amazon Echo well.


Four buttons on the top panel. The upper and lower are volume control buttons, the left button is the microphone ON / OFF switching button, and the right is the action button. Amazon Echo calls "Alexa" to recognize voice commands, but even if you do not call "Alexa" you can recognize commands with action buttons.


Amazon's logo was drawn on the lower front of Echo.


There is a power cable insertion port and an audio output terminal on the back.


The bottom part is made of black rubber and is not slipping. Push through the hole in the middle ... ...


The Echo main body is pushed out and can be separated from the cover. The cover can be replaced with an optional one according to the interior and mood.


You can see a 2.5 inch Woofer on the bottom of the Echo body.


The bottom of the body of the Echo main body was engraved with a skillful mark.


When connecting the power cable, the light ring on the top of the main unit began to glow blue.


Eventually it turns red. It means that the setting mode is on.


◆ Setup
In order to take full advantage of Amazon Echo you need to link with Amazon account. You can link Amazon account with Alexa site or smartphone application. This time install and use the iOS application.

Amazon Alexa - Android application on Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amazon.dee.app

Amazon Alexa on the App Store
https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/amazon-alexa/id944011620

First, tap "Get" to install the Amazon Alexa application.


Log in with your Amazon account. Enter your email address and password and tap "Login".


As the screen "Welcome to Alexa!" Is displayed, tap "Continue".


Select the device to set up. This time it is Echo so tap "Echo" at the top.


As the language selection screen is displayed, tap "Continue".


Echo setup will start. Since you need to make a Wi-Fi connection, tap "Connect to Wi-Fi".


On the Wi - Fi connection screen, tap "Amazo - FVF" SSID to connect.


Loading of connection preparation has begun ... ...


Setup is completed.


◆ Voice control of music
Amazon Echo can play music by speaking to you. You can tell by watching the movie below to see how to play and stop music with Amazon Echo.

I tried music playback on Amazon Echo with speech recognition - YouTube


Recognition of Japanese is pretty good, and Japanese song names and artist names are heard clearly. However, the impression that accuracy gets a little lower when it comes to English song titles. Even with ambiguous instructions such as "flowing piano" or "shed a fun song" instead of concrete song name or artist name, it will select and feed a suitable playlist.

Music distribution corresponds to Amazon Prime Music, Amazon Music Unlimited. Amazon Music Unlimited is a paid online music distribution service that can enjoy more than 40 million songs, but Amazon Echo users can use it at a monthly rate of 380 yen. Also, you can check the history of played songs and playlists with the application of the smartphone or the browser. Click "Show Continue" here.


Learning to improve recognition of artificial intelligence is done from an application or a browser. If the content that is different from the one instructed is executed, Amazon Alexa will grow if you correct it every time from the browser. The content "Alexa heard" displayed is correct, so click "Yes" this time. Of course, if you do not understand properly you need to choose "No".


Speaker sound quality enough for listening in the room. You can adjust the volume with voice, but you can also adjust with the physical button. The volume level is indicated by the light ring around the control panel when the volume is changed.


Bluetooth connection is also possible, so you can play music not only from Amazon Music, but also from your music player. Although it is not possible to specify a song name with a Bluetooth connection, it was possible to instruct "play the next song" and "play the previous song" by voice.


Also, "Alexa, sing a song" instructed Alexa himself sang a song. You can listen to Alexa's technology praise in the following videos.

I had Alexa sing a song at Amazon Echo - YouTube


◆ A wide variety of skills
Amazon Echo can add a voice navigation app called skill. For example, if you add news skills like the following video, you can say "Alexa, tell me the news" and let me know the news.

I got Amazon Echo to read the news with speech recognition instructions - YouTube


Skill addition is possible from smartphone application or browser. This timeSkills to book lunch box for SukiyaLet's add it. Tap "Activate" and OK.


In the case of Sukiya, select a shop that will pick up phone numbers, e-mail addresses and lunch boxes, and activation is completed.


We ordered Amazon Echo by voice designation. I actually went to pick up the special set. The following images can be ordered through Amazon Alexa "Alexa Special Set" (500 yen including tax), eggs and pudding are set in beef bowl (in parallel). I have completed the order in advance, so I received it without waiting at all. Payment is not prepaid using Amazon Pay etc. It is payment at the shop.


Besides these practical skills, there was also a skill that I can speak with Pikachu. The following movie actually talked with Pikachu through Amazon Echo. Artificial intelligence Alexa interprets how Pikachu is interpreted.

I tried talking with Pikachu at Amazon Echo - YouTube


◆ Summary
Mike's sensitivity and Japanese recognition ability were quite high, and when I used it for two days, there were scarcely stressful scenes. I want to listen to music, but it is a nice point to respond to throwing ambiguous orders when it is not decided what to listen concretely. Especially if you register in the Echo plan of Amazon Music Unlimited of 380 yen / month, if you want to buy more than 40 million songs as BGM, cost performance is tremendously high and attractive. Also, it is possible to set alarms and timers by voice, even when you can not separate your hands or when you are far away, so when you are cooking or waking an alarm in the bed, was.

With a variety of skills, you can expect various ways of using the "Amazon Echo" series that you can expect not only to listen to music, Echo Dot is 5980 yen including tax, Echo 11980 yen including tax, Echo Plus with built-in smart hub function is 17980 yen including tax . However, at the time of article creation, it is a system that sends an invitation request mail to Amazon and can purchase only by the person who received the invitation mail.

Amazon | Echo Dot - Smart Speaker


Amazon | Echo - Smart speaker


Amazon.co.jp: Amazon Echo Plus (New model), smart home hub built in, black: Kindle store