By
Chimamanda U. Martha
March 11th, 2024
It is the first time when users can ask Alexa to set a comfortable temperature at home.
Ecobee Inc. has great news for fans of smart homes. The ecobee3 smarter wi-fi thermostat with room sensors becomes the first thermostat to be directly compatible with Amazon Echo, a wireless speaker and voice command device with its brain called Alexa. “We’re excited to provide ecobee3 users with added functionality and convenience through Amazon Echo” – says the company. The ecobee3 is already compatible with Amazon Echo, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings and Wink.
Now you can ask Alexa to increase or decrease the temperature in the room. “We’re excited to launch thermostat support with ecobee today, and bring the magic of far-field voice control to more customers,” said Charlie Kindel, Director, Amazon Echo and Alexa. “Using only your voice to control the temperature in your house is another great way to create smarter homes.”
The ecobee3 receives power through a C-wire or its Power Extender Kit (PEK) and contains room sensors to set a comfortable temperature throughout the rooms. This is a unique technology that makes ecobee3 so different from traditional thermostats that measure temperature in particular locations. On the average it saves homeowners 23% on their heating and cooling bills.
The ecobee3 smart thermostat is available for $249 on/in Amazon, Apple, Best Buy and Home Depot. It comes with one free wireless room sensor in a set while supports up to 32 sensors. Additional package of two sensors can be purchased for $79.
The ecobee3 thermostat is not the first device Amazon Echo works with. This wireless system is already compatible with such smart home gadgets as SmartThings, Wink and Insteon as well as standalone products from Philips Hue, Belkin WeMo and Lifx. Thanks to these collaborations users can manage their homes with voice only. However so far smart thermostats haven’t integrated with Echo.
Ecobee Inc. first presented a wi-fi connected smart thermostat in 2009. For almost seven years hundreds of thousands of consumers have created comfortable homes with a help of the ecobee3 smarter wi-fi thermostat.
Amazon Echo has also integrated with Uber recently. Now you just tell Alexa the words “call me an Uber”, walk outdoors and see the car standing near your house. Uber described the device in the blog: “The simplicity of ordering an Uber can be a magical experience and one that we continue to iterate on. Today we are excited to take it one step further by allowing you to request an Uber ride with just your voice.”
“This is all made possible thanks to our Uber API and our integration with Alexa, the brain behind Amazon Echo. Now you don’t have to rely on your phone when you’re ready to go. You can simply ask Alexa to order an Uber for you, and she’ll request a ride right to your door,” it added.