Amazon Discontinues Alexa Guard, Will Require Subscription for Its Best Features

pcmag.com:

If you own an Amazon Echo and use Alexa Guard, we have some bad news.

In a blog entitled "18 cool new features coming to Alexa," the company announced it's discontinuing Alexa Guard. Its two most well-known free features—the ability to listen for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors or the sound of glass breaking—will soon require a $5.99-per-month subscription to the newly announced Alexa Emergency Assist.

Alexa Guard was pretty impressive. Utilizing Echo speakers and displays around your home, Guard turned your smart devices into a DIY security system. It had home and away capabilities, and could turn lights on and off to make it appear as though you were home. With Alexa Guard Plus for $4.99 a month ($49 a year), it could listen for general activity sounds, create fake dog barking to scare away would-be intruders, or sound a siren if detected activity in your home.

In an email that went out to customers today: Amazon says:

Dear Alexa Guard customer,

We recently announced plans to discontinue Alexa Guard and launch Alexa Emergency Assist, a new service that helps you keep your family safe. Some Guard features, including Smoke and CO alarm detection, will be available as part of Emergency Assist for $5.99/month or $59/year (visit amazon.com/alexaemergencyassist for up to date pricing details). Other Guard features, including Away Lighting, will now be available as part of your general Alexa experience.

Alexa Emergency Assist was announced at Amazon's fall event this week, but execs didn't specify that Guard would be going away. On stage, they said only that Emergency Assist would be "building on Alexa Guard."

The good news is that basic features like Home and Away and "Away Lighting" are still free to use. If you tie