It has the same ability to set alarms and timers, report news, traffic, and weather, order items from Amazon, and link up with smart home systems like Belkin's WeMo, Nest, and Philips Hue. It doesn't sound nearly as good as its bigger sibling, the Echo, or even the portable Amazon Tap for that matter, but the Echo Dot has an interesting trick up its sleeve: It can connect to your existing sound system via 3.5mm cable or Bluetooth.