I've owned an Amazon Echo for over a year now - here are my 19 favorite features

Dave SmithJan 2, 2017, 20:50 IST

Amazon's Echo, a digital assistant that can be set up in a home or office to listen for various requests, such as for a song, a sports score, the weather, or even a book to be read aloud, is shown, Wednesday, July 29, 2015 in New York. The $180 cylindrical device is the latest advance in voice-recognition technology that's enabling machines to record snippets of conversation that are analyzed and stored by companies promising to make their customers' lives better. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)Mark Lennihan/AP

Mark Lennihan/AP

I activated my Amazon Echo for the first time last December. It's quickly become one of my favorite tech gadgets ever.

Amazon's family of Echo speakers were some of the hottest gifts this holiday season - the smaller $50 Echo Dot has been the top-selling item on Amazon.com since November 1 - so right now, many people are activating their Echo units for the first time.

Here's what you need to know: These speakers, which can respond to either "Alexa" or "Amazon," are extremely quick to respond and understand your commands way better than any other device I've used.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

Thanks to its excellent audio system, with seven microphones for listening and a 360º omni-directional audio grille for speaking, Amazon Echo works exceedingly well wherever I am in my home. I can hear it - and it can hear me - almost perfectly.

Amazon Echo has completely transformed the way I live in my apartment. There's just so much you can do with Echo. Take a look.

Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through hispersonal investment company Bezos Expeditions.

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

I've owned an Amazon Echo for over a year now - here are my 19 favorite features