Both Amazon and Facebook had events at the same time – The Verge, The Verge

The week onThe Vergecast, we covered two events that happened simultaneously on Wednesday:Amazon’s fall Alexa and Echo product eventandFacebook’s Oculus Connectvirtual reality developer conference.

Amazon had 80 announcements at its event in Seattle, Washington, so Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, Adi Robertson, Ashley Carman , and Paul Miller run through the gadgets and what we know about them. Dieter was able to attend the event, so he talks about his experiences with products like theEcho Budsand theEcho Loop ring.

At the same time,Facebook held its Oculus Connectconference in San Jose, California. Adi Robertson explains its new multiplayer VR world Horizon, itsplans for AR, and Facebook’s acquisition ofneural interface startup CTRL-Labs.

There’s a whole lot more discussed here – like Paul’s weekly segment “600 percent screen-to-body ratio”- so listen through to get it all.

Stories discussed on the show:

• Amazon pushes Alexa privacy with new delete options
• Amazon’s new Echo Studio sounds like the future of smart speakers
• The top 8 Echo products Amazon announced today
• Here are all of the other new Echo and Ring products announced today
• Amazon announces third-generation Echo smart speaker
• Amazon’s new $ 59 Echo Dot with Clock includes an LED display
• Amazon’s Echo Buds sound good and are great at noise reduction
• Using Amazon’s Echo Loop ring is like whispering a secret to Alexa
• Amazon Echo Frames preview: trying on the Alexa smart glasses
• Amazon’s new Echo Loop puts Alexa in a discreet smart ring
• Amazon follows up its Alexa microwave with a new Alexa Smart Oven
• Amazon is simplifying device setup with ‘Certified for Humans’ program
• Amazon announces Fetch pet tracker that uses new Sidewalk networking
• Amazon’s new Echo Flex lets you put Alexa everywhere in your home
• Amazon’s Echo Glow is a $ 29 lamp for Alexa dance parties and bedtime stories
• All the new features coming to Alexa, including a new voice, frustration mode, and Samuel L. Jackson
• Jeff Bezos says Amazon is writing its own facial recognition laws to pitch to lawmakers
• Facebook says it will build AR glasses and map the world
• Oculus will add new social features powered by Facebook
• Oculus Link will let you plug your Quest headset into a gaming PC to play Rift games
• Oculus is launching hand tracking on Quest next year
• Facebook acquires neural interface startup CTRL-Labs for its mind-reading wristband
• Oculus CTO John Carmack says ‘we missed an opportunity’ as the Gear VR dies
• Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Alpha is almost entirely made of screen
• The OnePlus TV is finally here
• 7 good and 3 bad things in iPadOS
• Samsung will let Galaxy Fold owners replace their screens once for $ 149