The Amazon-owned AI hardware brand Bee has launched two new “personal AI” devices that turn audible conversations into summaries, reminders, and notes.
The more unique of the two is the $99.99 Bee Eclipse, which is shaped like a credit card (but thicker) and magnetically attaches to the back of a smartphone via MagSafe. This one is aimed at recording phone calls and can run for more than 21 days on one charge. When it’s on, the Eclipse records audio and uses it to generate meeting notes, diary entries, and other content. The corresponding app can connect to Gmail, Google Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook to facilitate follow-up emails or calendar invites.
The Bee Frontier costs $74.99 and can be worn like a wristband or clipped to clothing. It has dual microphones, noise filtering capabilities, IP67 water resistance, a USB-C port, and a battery that lasts up to seven days.
At this point, it’s almost impossible for an AI device not to require a subscription. A Bee Pro subscription costs $11.99 per month with unlimited summaries, integrations, daily memories, a chat assistant, and a desktop app. New customers receive 30 days of Bee Pro free. Non-paying users are limited in how often they can use any of the above tools and have only 14 days of memory.
Amazon says Bee Private Compute processes audio in real time and deletes raw audio. Stored transcripts are encrypted, and users can delete them and their summaries.
Both devices have a physical on/off button with an LED that shows when audio processing is active. It’s up to the user to get consent to record from call or conversation participants. We all know how that’s going to go.
Leave a Reply