Invoxia Triby -- another Echo-type gadget. For comparison, I've included links to Amazon's Echos.
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Triby is the first Alexa-enabled speaker that is fully portable yet can hear you from across the room. Its design is as adorable as it is practical with buttons for shortcuts to your favorite music and an always-on screen to display memos, information about what you are listening to, and much more.
Triby features a superior Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker that provides awesome sound quality for listening to music from personal devices, streaming services and Internet radio stations. The sophisticated microphones work with the speaker to turn Triby into a hands-free speakerphone for VoIP and paired smartphone calls, while its E-Ink screen shows messages, and doodles that family members send via the Triby app.
Triby is a fun addition to any family, and the perfect way to stay connected at the heart-of-the-home.
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Triby Review: Alexa on your fridge (28 Apr 16) -->
Ratings: Verge 6.7 / Amazon 4.1
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Don’t buy one (I bought one)
The elevator pitch for the Triby is actually a kitchen pitch. 1. Take everything you like about the Amazon Echo speaker (including voice activation) and stick it into a portable Bluetooth speaker. 2. Add some physical buttons for shortcuts to your favorite radio stations or Spotify playlists. 3. Put an e-ink screen on it so you can receive messages from your family. 4. Stick it on the fridge.
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Despite all the hassles I've just enumerated, I still can't help being a little smitten with the Triby. Even after a week and a half of using it, I still smile when I see that silly little flag pop out. I love grabbing it off my fridge and carrying it over to the next room when I'm listening to NPR or Spotify. I like the corny jokes you get from Alexa when you're showing it off. I like that I don't need to fiddle with my phone to get music playing on it.
ALL THE RIGHT IDEAS, NOT ENOUGH OF THEM DONE WELL
While I do wish the fit and finish of the hardware and software were better, I think the Triby is neat. Heck, I bought one — but I did so with my eyes wide open about its various problems.
If those hassles (or the $199 price point) have scared you off, don't worry. I'm sure that the Triby is going to be just the first of a flood of clever new gadgets that integrate with Amazon Alexa, and you’re going to want the one that gets all the little details right. And if the promised software update makes things way better (I’ll update this review if so), the Triby could be the one you want.
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