You normally use Alexa from Amazon to play music, provide weather forecasts and respond to other domestic requests. But Alexa has just acquired a new and somewhat unusual skill: the ability to bark like a dog.
Alexa’s recent harshness comes through Alexa Guard Plus, which is a new subscription service launched this week on Amazon to help transform your Echo device inside of home security system for $ 5 per month or $ 50 per year (after a one-month free trial). Alexa Guard Plus may not be as sophisticated as a dedicated, custom-made security system, but the new service can help you make better use of some of the smart home devices you already own.
For general emergencies, Alexa Guard Plus offers access to a helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can ask for help simply by saying “Alexa, call for help”. What to recommend will forward your request to agents who can alert the appropriate agencies or first responders.
In addition, using the microphones integrated with Amazon Echo devices, Alexa Guard Plus can detect unusual sounds and send a alert your phone, and even sound a siren on the remote. With Guard Plus, Alexa’s audio detection is even able to recognize specific sounds like smoke alarms, broken glass or carbon monoxide warnings and then ping them. And in cases where an Echo hears an unusual noise, you can play the recording or use the Drop In feature to hear what your Echo is listening to in real time.
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However, the real Alexa Guard Plus The party trick is that when Echo is connected to additional smart lights or security cameras and detects that you’re not at home, Alexa can turn your lights on and off to make it look like you’re really there, and even play the sound of a dog barking to chase away potential intruders.
In addition to Alexa Guard Plus, there is a free version of Alexa Guard, although many of the advanced features available with a paid subscription are missing, including emergency helpline support, activity monitoring, and Alexa’s ability to bark or sound a siren when movement or activity is detected.
For Ring Protect Plus subscribers, Alexa Guard Plus is included for free. And in the future, Amazon says Alexa Guard Plus will also be available through a number of home security partners, including Abode, Wyze, Scout Alarm and others.
Therefore, Alexa Guard Plus can be seen as another form of Amazon increase your monthly take. But for just $ 5 a month, your new security service can serve as a useful compromise between having nothing to protect your home and installing an expensive dedicated security system, especially for homeowners with multiple Echo devices.