Amazon’s Alexa voice options now include Shaq and Melissa McCarthy
Those who find Alexa’s default voice too cold can have the digital assistant mimic celebs. Though, in the past, the only A-list impression the AI could do was everyone’s fave badass Samuel L. Jackson. Turns out, people liked the idea of ordering a weather report from a superstar, because Amazon is adding two more famous voices to Alexa’s toolkit. The new options include four-time NBA champ Shaquille O’Neal and Oscar-nominated actor Melissa McCarthy.
Amazon says the SLJ skill, introduced for a limited price of $0.99, became one of its top-selling digital purchases upon launch. The new voice options don’t come with an early discount, so you’ll have to fork out $5 for each. But, the prospect of hearing Shaq rap and McCarthy tell jokes may seal the deal for some. If you want to try before you buy, check out the voice samples below.
Alexa grew into an impersonator thanks to advancements in its neural text-to-speech technology. The AI is clearly getting smarter all the time as Amazon is introducing a new original voice option and new wake word (“Ziggy”) too.
Amazon’s Kindle sale slashes up to 35 percent off its popular e-readers
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If you weren’t able to snag an e-reader last month during Prime Day, Amazon has a standalone sale on its base Kindle and Paperwhite models that could get you onboard for almost the same price. The biggest discount is on the Kindle Paperwhite (ad-supported), Amazon’s waterproof e-reader with a better-contrast display. You can now pick up the 8GB model for $85 (35 percent off the regular $130 price), or $105 for the 32GB model, a savings of $55 or 34 percent.
The latest Paperwhite is waterproof with an IPX8 rating, so it can tolerate being immersed in up to two meters of water for as long as an hour — making bathtub or beach reading stress free. We also noted in our review that it has a better-contrast display than previous models and offers both Audible and Bluetooth support. The drawbacks are the lack of MP3 and text-to-speech support, along with a high price — but this sale takes some sting off the latter.
If it’s a standard Kindle you’re after (above), we have good news there, too. The regular ad-supported model is on sale for $60, a discount of $30 from the regular $90 price. If you need one for the younger set, you can pick up the Kindle Kids Edition for $70, for a savings of 36 percent or $40.
The latest Kindle models offer a lot for that price, including an LED-lit screen, weeks of reading time and a touch interface. The Kids Edition adds some perks, like one of four colorful cases, a two-year worry-free guarantee and a year of complimentary access to the company’s FreeTime Unlimited service.
Unlike the Paperwhite, the Kindle isn’t water-resistant and offers a lower-density 167ppi (rather than 300ppi) display. If you’re not fussy about those things, however, you can put the extra money saved toward your library of books.