The Amazon Echo Show begun shipping today, and just like clockwork, CNBC has updated its own Alexa skill to support the new Alexa product from Amazon. The news outlet announced today that the CNBC skill for Alexa now supports a video news briefing. So instead of only being able to listen to a news briefing from CNBC, users are able to get a video of what is happening that day. Included in this update, is the ability to watch Jim Cramer from Mad Money, a popular CNBC show. Users will be able to ask Alexa to “play the Cramer remix” and it’ll play a video prepared each day of Cramer.
Users will still be able to use all of the existing functionality of the CNBC Alexa skill, which includes getting stock quotes, futures and indexes and much more. The only real change coming in this update is video. Which is only going to work on the Amazon Echo Show, at least for now. Since that new device does have a display, that can be used for playing video, it’s definitely a nice feature to have added to the skill. It’s likely that other news skills will also update with the same functionality in the coming days.
Amazon announced the Echo Show last month, as a new device with Alexa built in. It kind of looks like a kiosk that can sit on your kitchen counter, but it’s a new device with Alexa, in a form-factor that we haven’t seen yet. Amazon is touting how good the Echo Show would be in the kitchen and using while cooking or watching the Nest Cams or other video cameras you have around the house to make sure everything is okay when you’re home or not home. It’s a pretty popular product from Amazon, and it is already throwing in a $100 discount when buyers buy two Echo Shows, which would make a pretty good gift this upcoming holiday season, especially with Alexa getting more and more powerful each day. Pairing the Echo Show with an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot makes for a great pair around the house, especially if you have a larger home.
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