Known for driving the hearables tech space into a new phase, startup Bragi has announced their latest venture with online shopping giant Amazon. With the objective to make the Dash series (The Dash, The Dash Pro) Alexa-compatible, this collaboration will mark the first for intelligent personal assistant Alexa. Designed for convenience, the Amazon Alexa is capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic, and other real time information, such as news.
Founded in 2013, Munich-based Bragi have cornered the hearable market with their innovative technology. They gained popularity during its Kickstarter campaign, where 15,998 backers contributed over $3.3 million (USD). Their USP is that the Dash Pro is more than just a headphone, but an in-ear computer with more than 150 micro-components, a 32-bit Processor, artificial intelligence powered by The Dash AI and 27 sensors, all in a package about the size of your fingertip. Those sensors help ignite Bragi’s unique Natural User Interface, which enables users to literally turn their body into a remote control.
Amazon Alexa on The Dash
Although Bragi is not the first pair of headphones to receive Alexa support, they are one of the first truly mobile hardware integrations for Amazon’s cloud-based voice service and the first wireless earbuds to offer access to digital assistant Alexa. “We have always seen The Dash as an interactive device that improves one’s quality of life. Through Alexa, we are able to take this one step further, bringing smart home, e-commerce and home entertainment examples of how The Dash can be useful,” said Bragi founder Nikolaj Hviid.
Bragi and Amazon’s partnership promises to bring a new world of possibilities through smart home, shopping, and home entertainment use cases. “Now customers with The Dash headphones can easily take Alexa with them on the go,” said Jon Kirk, Director Amazon Alexa. “Bragi’s intelligent headphones with Alexa will make it easy for customers to control their smart home, ask for news, and access more than 20,000 skills in the Alexa skills store.”
Available as of October 2017, users will need to download Bragi OS (BOS) 3.1. Bragi users will also need to update the Bragi App and connect an Amazon account in order to take advantage of this new integration. Users will also be able to access Alexa with a tap of the cheek or hands free with a nod of the head through the Virtual 4-D menu an access several streaming audio options including their Amazon Music Library, Amazon Prime Music, Audible and TuneIn Radio. For now, Amazon Alexa on The Dash supports US (United States), UK (United Kingdom) and DE (Germany) languages.
FashionTech Consultant, Freethinking Opportunist Hero, Aspiring to Inspire. Wearobot Groupie with a Tech for Passion. Contributed to Wired.com. Founder of WearableGuru.com Founding Managing Editor FashNerd.com