• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, November 12, 2014

Amazon, with little fanfare, recently released Echo, a device that uses voice command technology to answer questions, play music, and make shopping lists. It's not clear whether the company integrated artificial intelligence technology from Evi, a voice assistant from Cambridge, England-based True Knowledge founded by William Tunstall-Pedoe.

Echo differs from Siri, Cortana and other voice assistant platforms because it supports devices in homes. It's not connected to a mobile phone, but rather looks like a speaker-like device that sits in the room and responds to voice commands.

Similar to the way "Okay, Google" wakes up Google voice search on a smartphone, Echo wakes up when the user says "Alexa." The device supports seven microphones. The sensors use beam-forming technology to hear voice commands from any direction. Enhanced noise cancellation allows Echo to hear someone ask a question while playing music.

Users can ask it for information, to play music, or retrieve news, weather, and more. Echo begins working as soon as it hears you say the wake word, "Alexa." It also acts like a speaker that can fill any room with music, as well as a free companion app that works on Fire OS and Android, along with desktops and iOS browsers.

Echo retails for $199 or $99 for Prime members. Consumers must request an invitation to purchase.