If you’re hoping to give the gift of Alexa this holiday season, you might be out of luck. Amazon’s Echo speakers have been wildly popular and deeply discounted for the last month or so and the result is many stores including Amazon itself are running out of stock of the smart speakers, according to a report from Bloomberg. If you’re looking for a last-minute gift (or trying to get something for yourself), you might have to call an audible and get something other than an Echo device.
Wednesday, December 19, is the last day for Prime subscribers to get their hands on an Echo device in time for Christmas, but you might find that a number of the devices are unavailable. Some Alexa-powered speakers are listed as being temporarily out of stock on Amazon, with waiting periods on shipments pushing into January — in some cases, even longer.
The Echo Spot, Amazon’s alarm clock-shaped smart speaker with a video screen, is listed as unavailable until January 1. The Echo Dot is completely unavailable in European countries for the time being. If you’re in Britain, you can get your hands on the tiny version of the Amazon speaker by January, but if you’re in Germany you’ll have to wait until as late as April. Some retailers including Best Buy and Target have the Echo Dot in stock for immediate shipment, but you won’t be able to get the benefit of Amazon Prime’s two-day shipping promise.
The limited availability of the Echo devices probably shouldn’t be a surprise. Amazon packaged the smart speaker with all sorts of different connected devices over the last few months and slashed the price of its line of smart speakers during the year’s busiest shopping days. Amazon hasn’t disclosed just how many of the speakers it has sold over the year other than to say it moved “millions” of them during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Echo Dot was the best-selling product on Amazon during those days, according to the company. Before the holiday season, The Information reported that Amazon internal figures show the company moved more than 50 million Echo devices.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.