[MUSIC]
It's been almost a year since we've taken a close look at the Amazon Tap.
It wasn't an always listening device like the Echo or the Dot.
So, when we needed to use Alexa in the CNET smart home, the Tap was an afterthought.
But, thanks to a new update that's all changed, and the Tap is now much more useful.
The portable cousin to the Amazon Echo, the Tap does all of the same things as Amazon's other Alexa devices.
It acts as a personal assistant setting reminders or searching the web, it acts as a smart home controller, and it plays music and tells jokes.
The difference is, it's battery powered so You can take it with you on the go.
The need to tap the tap is what made it the outcast of the Alexa devices.
But thanks to that update, this ugly duckling just became something beautiful.
Just hop into the settings of the Alexa app, flip the switch to activate hands free mode, and then just say Alexa, because the tap is finally Also listen.
Impressively, even though this device wasn't initially designed to hear you from far away.
It's microphone range keeps up well with the other Echo devices.
It comes with a ESP feature already enabled.
So if multiple Echo's hear you only the closest one respond.
The benefit of the tap is that you can easily take the places the anchors just can't go.
So now I can access to let the hands free even when I know I'm close to output.
Even mind the speech will affect the battery life but you can always mute mice or turn off the feature if you're not going to use it for stretch.
Of course if you don't have wi-fi electric doesn't It's just a Bluetooth speaker at that point.
Though you can use a hotspot to connect it on the go if you'd like.
As a Bluetooth speaker on its own, it's average.
But it's a better speaker that the Echo Dot, and it keeps up with the Echo as far as sound quality for less.
And now, because you can enable that hands free mode, it's a great device that I'm ready to recommend if you wanna take Alexa on the go.
