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Yet another new Alexa trick: Purifying the air in your stuffy house

A new Alexa skill for Coway's Airmega smart air purifier will let Amazon's virtual assistant control and check on the appliance whenever you ask it to.

Ry Crist Senior Editor / Reviews - Labs
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Expertise Smart home technology and wireless connectivity Credentials
  • 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
Ry Crist
2 min read

It's been a predictably busy CES for Amazon's Alexa, with manufacturers large and small lining up to partner with the popular voice-activated assistant. That means a lot of new tricks for Alexa's toolkit -- including a new one coming this month that'll let her control Coway's Airmega smart air purifiers.

We first saw those Airmega purifiers a year ago, both at CES and at the 2016 Home and Housewares Show. It's a sleek-looking unit with a smartphone app that lets you control and monitor it remotely from your Android or iOS device. Now, with Alexa in play, owners of an Alexa-enabled device like the Amazon Echo or Echo Dot smart speakers will be able to do all of that using just their voice. Just say things like, "Alexa, turn the air purifier on," or "Alexa, increase the air purifier's fan speed."

Here's what works with the Amazon Echo

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The integration is part of a push to get Airmega out ahead of potential competitors by syncing up with popular smart-home controllers. Amazon 's Alexa was a logical place to start, given how quickly that platform seems to be growing, but Coway's team plans to connect with other third-parties, too. Next up on the list: the Google Home smart speaker, an integration they hope to have up and running by the middle of 2017.

Aside from the Alexa controls, the only thing that's new for the Airmega this year is the option of a dark, graphite gray finish that'll start selling in February. The specs, listed below, and the starting price of $749 remain the same.

  • Multistage carbon and HEPA filtration
  • 1,560 square-foot coverage area
  • Dual-suction fan
  • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • In-app purchase option for yearly filter replacements

Check out all the smart home products at CES 2017 (so far)

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