Amazon-owned Bee Announces Bee Frontier and Bee Eclipse AI Wearables

What is new

Amazon-owned Bee has announced two new AI-powered hardware devices: the Bee Frontier and the Bee Eclipse [1, 2]. The Bee Frontier is a wearable device that can be worn on the wrist or pinned to clothing [1]. It is available now for $74.99 in Onyx, Lavender, and Sage colors [1]. The Frontier features dual microphones with noise filtering, IP67 water resistance, USB-C charging, and a battery life of approximately seven days [1].

The Bee Eclipse is a credit-card-sized device designed to attach magnetically to the back of a smartphone [1]. It is expected to be available soon for $99.99 and will come in Silver, Midnight, Honey, and Blush colors [1]. The Eclipse offers a larger battery providing up to 21 days of use on a single charge [2].

Bee is also introducing a Bee Pro subscription for $11.99 per month [1, 2]. While all devices allow users to create conversation summaries and recaps for free with 14 days of memory, the Pro tier provides:

• Unlimited conversation summaries [1, 2]
• Integrations with Amazon.com, Alexa+, and third-party applications [1]
• Suggested to-dos and daily memories [1]
• A personal chat assistant and conversation templates [1]
• Access to a new desktop app [1]

Why it matters for students

These devices are designed to leverage AI to capture notes from everyday conversations [1]. For students, the Bee can be used to take lecture notes in class [1]. The AI can turn these recorded discussions into actionable to-dos, summaries, and insights [1]. Furthermore, the devices can integrate with productivity software such as Gmail, Google Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook to draft emails or set up meetings based on recorded information [1].

How to use it

Users can interact with the devices through a companion mobile app, which has been redesigned, or a new desktop app [1]. The Frontier and Eclipse both feature a single button to turn the device on and off [1]. An indicator light signals when the device is summarizing a conversation [1]. Users can opt to connect the device to Alexa, which uses Voice ID to recognize the user’s voice and record conversations for insights [1]. Users can also upload photos or connect to Apple’s HealthKit to integrate wellness data into the AI-provided insights [1].

Limits, privacy and academic integrity

To address privacy, Bee uses a private computing security architecture that does not store raw audio [1]. Audio is processed in real time and then deleted [1]. Transcripts are encrypted using keys created and controlled by the user’s device, meaning Amazon employees cannot access them unless the user intentionally shares them [1].

Regarding voice identification, the AI is trained on the individual user’s voice during setup [2]. Other speakers are not automatically identified unless they also allow the AI to train on their voice [2]. Users have the option to delete transcripts and summaries at any time [1]. Additionally, the devices can be programmed to automatically stop recording if no sound is detected after a certain period [2].