Home Thanks to Alexa, you’ll soon be able to voice control your microwave

Thanks to Alexa, you’ll soon be able to voice control your microwave

Ever since the release Amazon’s digital voice assistant, Alexa, has made real progress, showing up in all sorts of devices. As of now, Alexa is compatible with a number of devices in various categories. This includes smart speakers, smart TVs, smartphones, smart home products, automotive industry, wearables, earphones and more. Amazon is now adding a few more to the already strong repertoire of Alexa ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018, to be held in Las Vegas from 9 to 12 January.
Amazon is making Alexa become more valuable in your kitchen by adding voice control to your microwave. The expanded skills of Alexa mean developers will now be able to add microwave-centric voice commands into their devices. Some of the illustrations as made by Amazon include, “Alexa, defrost three pounds of chicken,” and “Alexa, microwave for 50 seconds on high.”
 

 
Whirlpool have already started working on to have the Alexa skills ready for its connected microwaves. Other manufacturers like GE Appliances, Kenmore, LG and Samsung are also expected to follow the suite soon.
The June oven already works via voice control, thanks to its custom Alexa skills. Furthermore, the oven uses cameras to identify what food you’re making and set the cooking parameters accordingly. It can currently identify or you can say differentiate between 25 different food items. For foods it can’t identify, you can provide information via Alexa and June will use its sensors and machine learning to set the cooking parameters. You can, of course, adjust the parameters manually.
Many manufacturers are, however, not completely trusting the smart control features for ovens. The fear is that people would start preheating their ovens when away from home, which might be dangerous sometimes. The solution that they have taken shelter under is having to push a physical button on the oven itself before it can be controlled remotely. Now with voice control, it is very likely that we see similar safeguards placed in our ovens. Amazon says it is up to the manufacturer whether to enable remote-start functionality.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.