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Why Get An Echo When You Can Get A Triby?

You can now talk to Alexa on a non-Amazon speaker.

Invoxia, a speaker and telecom manufacturer, has launched the Triby, a magnetic portable Bluetooth speaker designed for use in the kitchen. Because Triby has Alexa voice control built in, users can receive news, weather, sports scores and other information from the web; set timers, alarms, calendar entries and shopping lists; and listen to music and Internet radio. Radio presets and Spotify playlists can be designated to the device’s front-facing buttons.

It also has IFTTT support and can be used for smart-home control.

Users can also make calls over VoIP, with the built-in mics allowing a range of about 15 feet. Calls can be made and received only from preset contacts through the Triby’s app, intended to make the device a friendly option for families, a spokeswoman told TWICE. The Alexa technology also permits ride requests from Uber.

Unlike the Echo, Dot or Tap, the 6-inch Triby features a 2.9- inch E-Ink display that shows messages, song information and caller ID. Users can also send messages, drawings and emojis from the screen to linked smartphones, and a yellow “flag” will extend from the device whenever a message arrives.

Also unlike the Echo, the Triby is wireless. Battery life is listed at two weeks; charging is done via MicroUSB.

The Triby carries a $199 suggested retail, but it’s currently being offered on Amazon for $169. It comes in gray, red, green or blue, with protective bumpers an additional $19.

The Amazon Echo, meanwhile costs $179, while the smaller Dot is $89.99 and the Tap $129.

Invoxia is a participant in Amazon’s Alexa Fund, part of the e-tailer’s investment funding for developers.

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