Amazon has introduced two new wearable AI devices from Bee, a startup it acquired last year for a reported $300 million. The Bee Frontier is a watch or fitness-tracker style device, while the Bee Eclipse is a slim, credit-card-sized accessory that attaches magnetically to the back of a phone. Both are designed to listen in on conversations and turn them into summaries, to-dos, and reminders.
According to The Register, each device has a single button to turn it on or off and a visible indicator that lights up when it is listening and summarizing. Conversation summaries can be reviewed in a Bee mobile app for iPhone or Android over Bluetooth, or in a new desktop app, and can be organized with templates for things like lectures. The devices can also spot recurring themes and recommend personalized goals and actions.
The new Bee hardware can connect to Amazon's Alexa+ assistant and to Amazon.com, meaning users can ask Alexa for a meeting summary or receive shopping recommendations based on what the wearable has gleaned. Amazon says privacy is preserved because audio is processed in real time and not stored, while transcripts are encrypted and accessible only to the user. The Bee Frontier is available now for $74.99, with IP67 water resistance and up to seven days of battery life; the Bee Eclipse, priced at $99.99, is due shortly and is claimed to last more than 21 days per charge.