Two Bees or not two Bees, that is the question – Amazon gives us the answer with a duo of AI devices
Now we know why Amazon bought the AI startup last year
by Rik Henderson · T3
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Quick Summary
Amazon has launched its first two AI products from Bee, after buying the startup last year.
The Bee Frontier is a wristband priced at $74.99, while the Bee Eclipse will soon follow from $99.99. They both listen to your conversations and meetings, summarising them to work as your personal AI assistant.
A few eyebrows were raised when Amazon announced it had acquired AI startup Bee last year, not least because it was thought to be purely to improve and expand its own Alexa+ service. However, the purchase has resulted in two new devices – in the US, at least.
The Bee Frontier is a personal AI that you wear on your wrist. It looks like a fitness band but takes note of all your conversations and meetings, remembering them for you to help you organise your life as you go.
You can select when Bee processes audio by pressing a microphone button, so it won't breach privacy when you don't want it to. And there's a light that comes on when it's listening to help you and others know when it's snooping.
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It has seven days of battery life and is IP67 water resistant, so can be worn in all weathers.
The Bee Eclipse uses similar listening and AI technology but is a MagSafe compatible accessory for your phone – so works with iPhone and Google Pixel devices. It simply attaches to the back, so you always have it to hand.
It comes with 21 days of battery life and can turn conversations into summaries, insights and to-do lists.
The audio is never stored or shared, but the AI will remember previous results and learn as it grows. That way it can understand your lifestyle and daily activities.
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While both of the new Bee devices work with dedicated AI software, and hook up to the Bee mobile and desktop apps, they can also connect with Alexa+ and Amazon.com. This allows you to use other Alexa+-enabled devices to access your Bee information and summaries.
You can also use it for shopping recommendations.
The Bee Frontier band is available in the US for $74.99 in three colours – onyx, lavender, and sage. The Bee Eclipse will follow soon, starting at $99.99 and coming in silver, midnight, honey, or blush colourways.
There's no word yet on when they'll be available outside the US – such as in the UK.
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Amazon