‘Hey, Disney!' might become a familiar sound in households and Walt Disney World Resorts across the world next year, thanks to a new Alexa-powered voice assistant from Amazon.
The technology company has partnered with Disney to launch the first Alexa Custom Assistant for Amazon Echo devices.
Launching in 2022, ‘Hey, Disney!’ allows users to interact with all of their favourite Disney characters via an Echo device either at home or when staying at a Walt Disney World Resort.
“We’re bringing the worlds of Disney directly to Echo devices with ‘Hey, Disney!’,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices and Services.
“By combining the strength of Alexa’s technology, with Disney’s unmatched storytelling expertise, we’re creating the next generation of immersive experiences to make guests’ vacations more memorable and giving our customers a way to make their homes a bit more magical too.”
Disney storytelling, quizzes and wake-up calls
Fans will be able to chat with Disney characters, hear a story from a much-loved Pixar star, ask the Marvel heroes questions or hang out with their favourite Star Wars character.
The paid-for feature will have interactive Disney storytelling experiences, quizzes, jokes, trivia and fun facts with familiar voices from Mickey Mouse, Nemo, Olaf and more.
Disney fans can also use the app to set timers, reminders and weather forecasts in the voice of their favourite on-screen stars.
Hey, Disney! will be installed at guest rooms in Walt Disney World Resorts. It's part of the company's plans to use Amazon’s Alexa to improve hospitality services.
Guests will be able to ask Disney to bring fresh towels or more blankets, provide a wake-up call or get tips on the quickest way to get to the theme park in the morning.
The voice assistant has been produced using original character voice recordings and audio and there are more than 1,000 interactions for users to discover. Disney is also going to introduce a new magic character that will guide users through the voice-activated serve.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
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The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Six things you need to know about UAE Women’s Special Olympics football team
Several girls started playing football at age four
They describe sport as their passion
The girls don’t dwell on their condition
They just say they may need to work a little harder than others
When not in training, they play football with their brothers and sisters
The girls want to inspire others to join the UAE Special Olympics teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
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