Triby: hands-on with a fridge-friendly connected speaker for families

Triby is a fridge-friendly connected speaker for the kitchen. Designed to be used by families or coworkers, the magnetically-attached unit boasts integrated calls and messages, radio and Bluetooth speaker functions and a cheerful, rugged exterior. It’s also the first third-party device that will support Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant (more on that later). For now, let’s take a closer look at what’s possible with the Triby!

Triby is a rarity: a smart home appliance designed to be fully usable without a smartphone — perfect for kids, then. You can play internet radio or Spotify playlists, see the time, call Triby app users and receive messages via WiFi. The four microphone array lets you use the Triby by voice from up to fifteen feet away, even in noisy environments. Its rechargeable battery lasts for a month, and recharges in only a few hours.

You can connect to the Triby using smartphones or tablets (iOS only for now; Android is coming soon). You can use the app to assign radio stations and people to the face buttons, send drawings or text messages to the screen and adjust settings.

There are lots of neat little touches too. When the Triby unit receives a message from someone using the app, a wee yellow flag triumphantly comes out of the side of the unit to let people nearby know something’s arrived.

The replaceable colours are thick and colourful, allowing two units to easily be told apart at a glance, and should protect the Triby from an unlucky knock or drop. The integrated handle makes it easy to carry the Triby around to wherever it’s most needed. The big spongey buttons are easy to press too, whether you’re a little kid, in the midst of baking or both.

Triby should only get better with age, too. It’s slated to receive an update later this year that will add Amazon Alexa functionality, allowing you to use voice commands to queue up songs, add reminders, perform searches and do conversions. That should make Triby a much more powerful platform in the kitchen; something you can use while baking or cooking to full effect. If Amazon don’t release their Echo speaker outside of the United States, then Triby could be the first accessory with Alexa support in the UK.

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