Garmin Just Put Alexa in the Car
Amazon wants its Alexa voice assistant to be everywhere -- even in the passenger seat of your car to help with directions.
Its own devices, such as the Amazon Echo speaker, have brought Alexa to living rooms and kitchens. The Amazon Tap makes Alexa portable, and the forthcoming Echo Spot lets Alexa serve as your alarm clock.
Now, Garmin -- maker of GPS devices and wearables -- has created a mini Alexa gadget specifically for the car.
Called Garmin Speak, the device is an inch-and-a-half large back circle that mounts on your car window (check your state laws!). It has a blue LED circle, and displays simplified turning directions and arrows on the front.
You don't need an exact address to search for locations while driving. The directions come by way of a special Garmin skill -- that's what Amazon calls voice apps. That means using it has the slightly clunky extra step of saying, "Alexa, ask Garmin to find me a dog groomer."