SriLanka, Nov. 1 -- Amazon has just put a new alarm clock on sale in the United States. It costs $199.99, it has no camera, and it says it can tell when you are sleeping lightly enough to be woken gently. The first fact is the pitch. The second is the product. How Amazon has chosen to sell it is a lesson every marketer should read slowly.

What it actually does

The Echo Time, which went on sale on 28 October, uses ultrasound along with room temperature and presence sensors to detect your breathing and whether someone is in bed, with no wearable involved.

If you switch on the optional smart alarm, it tries to wake you during lighter sleep, anywhere within 10 to 60 minutes of the time you set. Sleep sensing can be turned off in the Alexa ...