• Wired, Thursday, January 14, 2016 9:05 AM

The Amazon Echo defies easy categorization. Amazon has placed the $180 gadget in its Home Automation Controllers category alongside remotes, security components, and hubs. On the Echo’s product page, however, it’s marketed first and foremost as a music player. But its most unique feature is that it’s primarily controlled by Amazon’s Alexa voice command platform. Alexa is what makes the Echo go. Speak, “Alexa, read me the news,” or, “Alexa, what are the baseball scores?” and she’ll tell you. She knows the weather, traffic and your stock prices. She tells bad jokes. (“Why was the ocean wet? It seaweed.”) She compiles lists: “Alexa, add ice cream to my shopping list.” And so on.

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