Amazon unveils Bee Frontier and Eclipse AI listening devices

Amazon introduced two Bee devices on Thursday for taking notes from conversations: the $74.99 Frontier wearable and the $99.99 Eclipse smartphone attachment. The products are Bee's first new devices since Amazon acquired the startup last year, according to TechCrunch. CNBC reported that the Frontier was available Thursday, while Amazon said the Eclipse would be available soon. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

The Frontier can be worn on a wrist or clipped to clothing. Engadget and The Verge reported that it has dual microphones, an indicator light and an estimated seven-day battery life, as well as an IP67 rating for water resistance. Engadget said the device was smaller and lighter than its predecessor, with Onyx, Lavender and Sage color options. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

The Eclipse is a credit-card-sized alternative that attaches magnetically to the back of a smartphone. The Verge reported that its larger battery offers 21 days on a charge and that it also has a recording indicator light. TechCrunch listed its colors as Silver, Midnight, Honey and Blush. [ 2 , 3 ]

Bee devices use AI to turn conversations into summaries, transcripts and suggested actions, according to the reports. Basic conversation summaries, recaps and 14 days of memory are free. The $11.99 monthly Bee Pro subscription adds features including integrations with Alexa+ and Amazon.com, suggested tasks and a personal chat assistant, TechCrunch and CBS News reported. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]

CBS News reported that users can connect Bee to Gmail, Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook so the system can draft follow-up emails or create calendar invitations from conversations. Amazon said recordings are deleted after transcription and that no one can access users' data unless they share it. TechCrunch also described real-time audio processing followed by deletion, with encrypted transcripts. [ 2 , 5 ]