Looking For Alexa Without the Amazon? Triby Has You Covered

Alexa is one of the most powerful AI assistants out there, forming a holy trinity alongside the likes of Siri and Watson. Across the Amazon Echo and Dot devices, Alexa has become an absolute phenomenon since its release, blowing away competition as 2016 holiday season’s most popular gift with products such as the Echo Dot and Echo Look. While people have been quick to latch on to the technology, one major frustration has continued to annoy; Alexa has only been available through Amazon products.

Invoxia marks a welcomed break from this tradition with Triby, a cute little kitchen speaker that offers Alexa technology away from Amazon. This little home helper is essentially a colorful home assistant/fridge magnet with a design reminiscent of PlaySchool. If you’re looking for a fun way to bring music, emails, and basic utility together, you may want to keep Triby in mind.

Triby is easily set up through an app available through your iPhone or Android device and works on the standard 2.4 GHz network.  With the app, there are four main sections; Doodles, Call, Radio, and Settings. With Doodle, you can send and notes to the Triby device and lets you receive “read” notifications”. Call allows you to use Triby’s speakerphone feature, Radio allows you to program your own custom radio stations, and Settings, well, you get the idea…

While the app provides users with a ton of exciting features, using it isn’t required. Triby also responds to voice commands. The voice command functionality can do just about anything that the Amazon Echo can do, including setting timers, playing your favorite Spotify playlists, and getting the afternoon weather forecast. If you’re not into that new-fangled AI technology, you can also choose to use Triby as a Bluetooth speaker. While the speakers may not provide audiophile standard audio quality, It’ll do the job for a majority of the general population.

Another convenient feature of Triby is its portability. While, you won’t be able to take it out hiking, its battery-powered nature allows you to take it throughout the house. The e-ink display on device is another funky addition to home AI. The screen displays the current weather as a default but it can also be used as a small message board for quick little notes and doodles. With all being said, if you’re looking for the power of Alexa without purchasing an Echo product, Triby might be your best bet.
Check it out here at Amazon for $199.