A few weeks ago,
Amazon announced a new service: Alexa Together.
It's a subscription service that connects folks with
aging loved ones through Amazon Echo speakers.
The service is still new, and we're expecting to see
new features as the year progresses.
But today, we're going to take a quick look at
Alexa Together.
What is it? Who's it for?
And is it helpful or invasive?
Also, heads up, seeing that the service is called
Alexa Together, I'll be saying that magic "A" word a lot.
You've been warned.
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As of now, Alexa Together is only available in the US.
It's free for the first six months,
but afterwards it costs either $20 a month
or $200 for the full year.
It also requires an Amazon Echo,
which is up to $300 for a device,
depending on which model you get.
So what does Alexa Together do?
Simply put, it connects one user to another's Amazon Echo,
but it's designed specifically for seniors
and their loved ones.
So if you have an older, parent, neighbor, friend,
or loved one who lives alone,
you can get updates on their basic activity
through your Alexa app.
A few key features from Together include urgent response,
activity reports, remote assistance, and fall detection.
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If you're an older person living alone,
you probably have a pretty steady routine without a ton of
risky activity,
but that might not stop your kids and loved ones
from worrying about you.
That is where Alexa Together could be a good
middle ground to meet.
Some of the benefits for you
include urgent response through Alexa.
Just say the magic words and service will connect you with
either one of your emergency contacts or
Amazon's help service,
which can call police fire or medical services.
And if you opt for one of the compatible
fall detection devices,
Amazon Echo can automatically detect if you fall
and can't get up.
Beyond emergency help,
you can set your own daily routines with the Alexa
and include reminders, appointments, and shopping lists.
Your family can also send you things like music
through your Echo too.
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If your parents or older loved ones live alone,
it can be hard not to worry about them.
Alexa Together is just another way to keep in touch
with them and feel confident that their day
is going as planned.
Through the Alexa app,
you can see updates on their activity.
You won't get specifics like what questions they asked
or devices they turned on,
but you will see that they're moving throughout their day.
Like we mentioned before,
if they fall and need help and can't reach their phone,
they can call you or emergency services through the Echo,
hands-free.
Along with an activity feed and urgent response,
you can send reminders to your loved ones
for things like appointments, medications,
or even just messages to tell them
that you're thinking about them.
Later in 2022, we're expecting a new feature
that lets you add more caregivers.
So if you live far away from mom or dad and want some
extra help, you can add spouses, siblings, neighbors,
or anyone they know and trust to check in on them.
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Does giving the reigns to your Amazon Echo over
to someone else make you a little nervous?
On one hand, I can't help
but feel a little cynical about this service.
Is it any more helpful than simply calling your parents or
using a medical alert button?
Or is it just a really clever way to get seniors
and their loved ones to interact with their speakers
more often?
But on the other hand,
if your aging parents use their speakers a lot already,
it could be a good way to get that confidence knowing that
they are up and moving in everything's normal day to day.
The good news is that the alerts you get from
these activities are really general.
You won't know what they ask the speaker.
If they turned on a light or move by it,
you'll just know that they're going about their day
and nobody's hurt.
All of this seems about standard for a service like this.
But what concerns me is the emergency calling feature.
It's nice that you can call for help, hands-free
with your Echo device,
but that call doesn't go straight to 911.
Instead, it goes to Alexa Emergency Helpline.
The service is still new,
so we're not sure what response from the service
will look like just yet, but I can't help but wonder.
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So what do you think?
If you're an older person living alone,
drop a comment below.
Would you let your kids or your loved ones
use Alexa Together in your home?
Same to those of you who watch older loved ones:
is this service worth $20 a month to keep an eye on them?
We'll be covering Alexa Together more as the service grows
and adds more features.
So like and subscribe for more updates.
Thanks for watching, and stay safe.
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