Alexa will soon speak the language of love as she debuts in France

Francophiles and proper French citizens can now enjoy the fruits of Amazon’s Alexa after the company debuted the Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Spot in France in June. The company highlighted the hundreds of skills available for customers in France from leading brands like Philips Hue, Legrand, and Franceinfo as well as device makers like Boulanger and Archos that are introducing Alexa-enabled devices for French customers. In early August Amazon gave developers and hardware manufacturers a heads up that Alexa Voice Service will launch in Mexico later this year. Developers can now use the Alexa Skills Kit for Mexico to create Alexa skills to submit for certification and publication when the launch happens. Hardware manufacturers interested in creating Alexa-enabled products can apply for access to an “invite-only Alexa Voice Service developer preview.” Amazon also announced that Sonos and Bose would introduce Alexa-enabled products in Mexico. “Tens of millions of customers around the world are already using Alexa, and today we’re excited to introduce Alexa to our customers in France,” Jorrit Van der Meulen, vice president of Amazon Devices International, said in a statement. “We’ve built an entirely new experience from the ground up that honors the French language and culture, allowing customers just to ask to get music, weather, news, information, and more — just by asking. And there are already hundreds of skills for French customers from some of the most popular brands in France.” Customers in France could pre-order the Echo devices beginning on Wednesday, June 6. Echo and Echo Dot shipments were scheduled to start from June 13, while Echo Spot deliveries in July. Amazon.fr customers can take advantage of drastic discounts on Echo devices — the Echo Dot is 30 euros, the Echo is 50 euros, and the Echo Spot is 65 euros. France, Canada, and other French-speaking territories such as Belgium and Switzerland represent a significant market expansion for Amazon, which is fighting a worldwide battle with Google for the smart speaker business. Alexa arrived in France via a complete redesign specific to the language, including a new French voice, a help function built completely in French, local knowledge, and several hundred skills devised for France by developers. Amazon engineers have been promoting the development of foreign language applications with the release last year of Cleo Alexa, a skill whose primary purpose is helping Alexa understand different languages and dialects. In recent years, Alexa has been taught to speak German and Japanese as well as Australian and Canadian English. With this new launch, Mexico will join a growing list of Alexa-enabled countries, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, India, Ireland, and Canada. Updated August 12 with information on Amazon’s notice to developers of its plans for launch in Mexico. Amazon Alexa and Apple Home are two of the best smart home platforms around. Both support hundreds of devices, dozens of product categories, and offer a simple way to automate your smart home. However, there are some big differences between these two technologies, and choosing the wrong one could prevent you from syncing your favorite devices. Not all of the products that work with Apple Home (sometimes referred to as HomeKit) work with Alexa, meaning you need to be careful when choosing which to adopt. Thankfully, both are excellent choices for your home. They also work with Matter, allowing you to access gadgets outside their primary platform. Choosing the right option for your home largely comes down to personal preference — and you should base your decision on which products you plan to use with the software. Love your Echo Show? Opt for Alexa. Prefer your HomePod? Apple Home is the better choice. The spooky season is almost here, and if you’re worried about throwing the perfect Halloween party, consider using your smart home to do the heavy lifting. Common smart home gadgets such as motion sensors, light bulbs, and smart plugs make it easy to pull off a horrifying Halloween party for your guests. From assisting with your playlist and movie selections to creating a chilling ambiance, here’s a look at all the ways your smart home can help you throw a killer Halloween party.
Use motion sensors to trigger spooky sounds
Have a smart home security system? Then you can probably rig up your motion sensors to play a spooky noise. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a motion sensor, either — your smart camera can trigger other devices in your smart home when it detects motion. Just place a speaker on your porch, perhaps tucked away behind a pumpkin or a bit of straw. When a group of unsuspecting kids shows up to ask for candy, they set off the motion sensor on the camera, which triggers the speaker to play the sound of a zombie’s moan or the cackle of a witch. Bonus points if you set up an animatronic hand to rise up out of the straw. “Alexa, turn the kitchen to cooking mode,” my wife innocently requests. “What do you mean by cooking mode?” her digital tormentor needles.