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Aether's 'smart' Cone speaker gets multi-room, Bluetooth support

Aether's 'smart' Cone speaker gets multi-room, Bluetooth support

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Aether's $399 Cone is billed as an "intelligent" speaker that can learn your mood and whims and play just the right music at the right time. Today, it's getting a little smarter, as a software update is enabling Bluetooth and multi-room features, which will let multiple Cone speakers connect to each other and play the same thing at the same time. It's similar to Sonos' multi-room system, but not quite as broad or complex.

All of the Cone speakers that have already been sold will be compatible with today's update, including the new Bluetooth functionality. The Bluetooth feature accompanies the AirPlay functionality already supported by the Cone and lets you pair a phone to the speaker and send music to it directly.

Currently, the Cone's voice-controlled and connected features work with Rdio, internet radio stations, and podcasts. The Bluetooth and AirPlay features support any music source, including local music or other streamed services, though they do not benefit from the Cone's intelligent recommendation system. The new features will be installed via an automatic firmware update that installs when the Cone is not playing any music or audio.