Gadgetory

we're seeing a flood of third-party Alexa devices this year and the newest is right here an eye catching a LexA powered lamp from GE called saw the price 200 bucks now a GE really did here was to take the familiar blue light ring from the top of the Amazon echo and echo dot and then expanded into this full-size kind of ostentatious looking desk lamp you can adjust the brightness of the lamp by using these touch controls on the base or you can open up the C by GE app on your Android or iOS device and also adjust the color temperature or turn on this clock display that lights up with the red and blue light to tell you what time it is so right now it's about a quarter past twelve aside from that it works just like an Amazon echo you wake it up by saying Alexa then you give it a question or command it's the same Alexa with all the same smart skills and music plus an extra trick or two my favorite is that it'll give you a visual countdown whenever you set a timer Sall can't call other Alexa devices though for that you'll need to use the Alexa app or one of Amazon's own speakers the echo the echo dot or the echo show there's a better call Saul joke to be made there but I can't think of it another limitation it doesn't include Amazon's ESP feature which makes it so that only the Alexa device that's closest to you responds to your command Amazon seems to be keeping that feature to itself and not sharing it with third party devices like these that's a shame because ESP is super important if you want to put Alexa in every room of your house I also wish the design were a little bit more refined it's a good looking lamp but it feels a bit plasticky to me a more premium build would have gone a long way towards justifying that steep $200 price tag all of that said I really can't help but like this thing and I like the GE took a risk with an eyebrow raising design if you're looking for an extra Alexa gadget for your office or for your bedroom and you're willing to splurge on something unique Saul certainly fits the bill