Alexa Can No Longer Switch Your Echo's Line-In

Amazon has disabled Alexa's ability to control devices plugged into an Echo smart speaker's AUX port. Users reported receiving an email from Amazon this week informing them of the change, and an Amazon spokesperson confirmed it to Ars Technica.

What has gone is the voice route rather than the port itself, which is a fair summary of how consumer hardware ages now: the plastic keeps working while the layer of convenience stacked on top of it is a service, and a service can be withdrawn between one week and the next.