Amazon's Echo Dot, a smaller version of the tech giant's flagship IoT-powered Echo voice assistant, is an impressive gadget. Its small profile, affordable price tag ($50) and access to AI assistant Alexa make it a powerful device to control your connected home.
But the Echo Dot has some drawbacks. Its built-in speakers aren't great, and it needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet to work. A Chicago tech company wants to address both of those concerns with a portable speaker that improves sound quality and lets you "set your Dot free" with a built-in charger.
On Thursday, Chicago-based Ninety7 launched Vaux, a battery-powered speaker that lets you plug in your Dot and carry it with you around your house. By plugging your Dot into Vaux's internal connectors, you can have Alexa with you in the kitchen, outside, in the garage or wherever you're still in WiFi range.
Vaux has 6 hours of battery life before it needs to be recharged, and retails for $49.
"Amazon’s Echo Dot is a phenomenal device. By improving its audio quality and facilitating mobility, Vaux elevates the Dot from gadget to indispensable home companion and allows for a different look than what is currently available in the Amazon family,” Kevin Brennan, Ninety7 CEO, said in a statement. “Vaux improves communication with Alexa and, with enhanced portability, puts her within speaking distance, anywhere in the home."
Brennan recently launched Ninety7 after spending five years at Lunakit, a Chicago-based device and accessory maker founded by Scott Wilson. Vaux appears to be Nintety7's first product.
Images via Ninety7
