Amazon Echo supports iCloud calendars ahead of Siri speaker

PanARMENIAN.Net - Amazon's Echo speakers give you voice control over calendars from Google and Microsoft, but there's long been a notable exception to that rule: Apple. Thankfully, Amazon just filled that gap. The internet giant has quietly added support for linking Alexa to your iCloud calendar, letting you add events or check appointments that should promptly show up on your iOS devices and Macs, Engadget said.

You'll need to switch on Apple's two-factor authentication, but you're otherwise off to the races. It's a big deal if you're heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem, although the timing is definitely... convenient, Engadget said.

Right now, rumors are swirling of Apple developing a Siri-based smart speaker that could launch as soon as June 5, at WWDC. Whether or not that happens, it's easy to see this as a preemptive strike on Amazon's part. Why wait for a Siri speaker when Amazon's hardware will support your calendars right now? It's doubtful that Alexa will ever support everything a diehard Apple fan would want (we're definitely not counting on Apple Music or HomeKit integration), but this might cover the bases if you just need to know when your next meeting is coming up, Engadget said.