Taylor Martin / CNET
Amazon pulls the plug on the Dash wall, so to speak. The magnetic, battery powered device was mainly used to make ordering food easier. You could scan the barcode of a variety of household items, and Amazon would find it in its catalog and order more. The dash wall also included Amazon's digital assistant, Alexa, which you can use to issue a voice command and control your smart home at the push of a button.
As of Tuesday, Amazon no longer supports the device. This comes from an email the company sent to customers. The email contains information on how to log out and then recycle the device.
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We liked the dash wall when we checked it in 2017. Scanning barcodes was an easy and fun way to add items to your shopping list, and it was nice to have a portable way to access Alexa. That said, while you could access a variety of voice-activated skills with the magic wand, you couldn't do some basics like playing music or scheduling timers.
With Alexa's best hidden talent, you can give your own orders
The wand basically paid for itself as the $ 20 upfront cost was offset by a food discount, but it has also become a bit redundant as Amazon's affordable smart speakers continue to spread. The $ 50 Amazon Echo Dot is often offered at a cheaper price and offers all of Alexa's features, including adding things to your shopping list with a voice command. You can also access Alexa on the go using an app on your phone. The only thing Alexa fans lose when the dash wall disappears is the barcode scanner.
Amazon did not respond to CNET's request for comment.
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