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Amazon's Echo Show 10 rotates to follow you
At long last, you can watch Netflix on an Amazon smart display.
Alexa’s Show and Tell feature IDs objects for blind and low-vision users
For people with vision impairments, figuring out what's in a can or jar of food without opening it can be difficult or impossible. Amazon thinks it has a solution to that and other daily challenges that its blind and low-vision users face. Today, the company unveiled a new Show and Tell feature that allows users to hold an item in front of an Echo Show and ask "Alexa, what am I holding?" Using computer vision and machine learning for object recognition, the Alexa-powered device will respond with its best guess.
Amazon Echo Show 5 review: An Alexa display with alarm clock smarts
When Amazon introduced the second-gen Echo Show display last year, it was a huge upgrade over the original, with a built-in browser, better sound and more video options than before. Just months later, however, and Amazon has released a new model called the Echo Show 5 (In case that's confusing, the "5" refers to the screen size, much like how Amazon names its Fire tablets). That might seem odd, but the Echo Show 5 isn't meant to replace the larger Show; it's a smaller version designed for desks and nightstands. Think of it as a squarer, reimagined Echo Spot that doubles as competition for Google's Nest Hub (and, in a way, the Lenovo Smart Clock). It's not perfect by any means, but for those who want a smaller, sleeker Amazon smart display that's also a decent alarm clock, the Echo Show 5 might be it.
Amazon is discounting Echo and Fire devices for Black Friday
You're probably familiar with the 12 days of Christmas, but how about the seven days of Black Friday? Amazon is getting the savings started early by cutting the prices on its own devices starting November 16th. The sale will run through Black Friday, November 23rd, and features some pretty steep discounts on Amazon's line of smart speakers, tablets and other devices.
Google Home Hub's best feature is not having a camera
Both Google and Facebook unveiled products for the growing "smart display" market this week. Facebook's Portal is meant to be the best way to make video calls; it also has Alexa built in, so it can do just about everything an Echo does as well. Meanwhile, Google's Home Hub can quickly answer questions and pull up info from services like YouTube, Google Maps, Calendar, Search and Photos. It also doubles as a command center for smart home devices and a pretty nice digital-photo frame. Essentially, it extends what the Google Assistant can already do by visually offering more information than you can get with voice alone -- similar to what Amazon already does with the Echo Show. But perhaps the most important feature of the Home Hub is what Google didn't include: a camera. That means video chat is off the table, and that's a design decision Google thinks will give it an edge over Amazon and Facebook.
Amazon Echo Show (2018) review: Much-needed refinements
When Amazon unveiled the Echo Show last year, many people made fun of it for its bulky, awkward appearance. But it proved to be a pioneer in the smart display category, showing that adding a screen to a voice assistant was actually useful. So much so, that Google followed a few months later with its own line of Echo Show rivals, thanks to partners like Lenovo and JBL. Google's smart displays were better-looking and had a more intuitive interface, with desirable features like step-by-step recipes and YouTube integration.
Here's every Alexa device Amazon announced today
Amazon caused a few gasps at its Alexa event Thursday when it revealed it had 70 things to announce. If that sounds like a lot to take in, fret not -- not all of those were hardware announcements. We've rounded up all of the Alexa-infused products Amazon showcased, including speakers, an in-car device and, um, a microwave?
Amazon's new Echo Show packs a larger display and improved audio
Amazon's seemingly non-stop device announcements now include a revamp of its first smart display. The internet giant has unveiled a second-generation Echo Show that ditches the (frankly boring) look of the original in favor of a minimalist design with a much larger 10-inch display. And there's a good reason for that display -- the Echo Show offers web browsers (both Amazon's own Silk and Firefox) to help you watch YouTube and access other services that aren't built-in. It's also helpful for newly-added Skype video chat support, Vevo music videos and even live TV through new Hulu and NBC integrations as well as a just-introduced Fire TV Recast DVR peripheral.
Echo Show can now display recorded security camera footage
With Alexa's latest skill, users can now ask the digital assistant to show them recorded security camera footage on their Echo Show, Echo Spot, Fire TV or Fire tablet. Currently, the skill is supported by Alexa-enabled cameras from Ring, Arlo, Cloud Cam and August and all you have to do is say, "Alexa, show the event that just happened at the front door," for example. You'll then be able to view the last recorded event from that particular camera.
Amazon’s Echo Show lets users tap the screen to access Alexa
Amazon is making it easier for those with hearing and speech impairments to utilize Alexa. Starting today, the Echo Show will have an option to toggle on a new feature called "Tap to Alexa," which will let users tap the device's screen to access the digital assistant. The feature includes shortcuts to common Alexa items like weather, timers, news and traffic, and users can also type out Alexa commands. Additionally, while Amazon launched its Alexa captioning feature in the US a few months ago, it's now releasing that feature to users in the UK, Germany, Japan, India, France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Amazon's biggest Prime Day sale starts on July 16th
If you're in the market for an Alexa-enabled product, it'll soon be the time to buy. Amazon says this year's Prime Day, starting on July 16th, is its biggest ever, with double the deals on its own devices and $100 off Echo Show. There will be more than one million other deals up for grabs, too -- so many that Amazon has extended the sale to 36 hours (compared to last year's 30).
Amazon Cloud Cam now streams security footage to your browser
Amazon's Cloud Cam just became decidedly more useful, especially for those moments when you can't pull out your phone. You can watch your live view from your computer through a cloudcam.amazon.com web portal -- handy if you're at work and want to check on your pet. Web interfaces certainly aren't new to home security cameras, so this was arguably an overdue addition.
Alexa can build Amazon Music playlists for you
Amazon announced today that Amazon Music listeners will now be able to ask Alexa to make a playlist through their Alexa-enabled devices. Commands like "Alexa, add this to my playlist" and "Alexa, create a new playlist" can be used and users can ask the assistant to add songs to a specific playlist or to create a new playlist from the current song being listened to.
Facebook’s video chat device could be released this year
Facebook has long been rumored to be working on a video chat device to leapfrog the smart speaker competition. Now, apparently, financial website Cheddar has sources that say that the $499 device, named "Portal," will be announced in May with a planned release for late 2018.
Canary’s new security cam offers simpler features for a low price
Canary announced today that it's adding two new camera features as well as one new product to its home security line. First up, Canary said last month that with the help of its new AI-powered intelligence, its cameras would soon be able to differentiate people from other moving objects. Soon, those with Canary Flex will also be able to receive notifications when packages arrive, courtesy of Canary's new Package Detection feature. Users will get alerts when packages arrive and they'll be able to keep monitoring those packages until they or someone they trust can secure them.
Amazon patent describes mirror for trying on virtual clothes
Amazon's next move in the fashion world could be a mirror that shows how outfits will look on you without you having to actually put them on. GeekWire reports that the company has been granted a patent describing just that sort of technology. Using mirrors, screens, displays, projectors and cameras, the system is able to combine a person's likeness with virtual images and present a blended-reality reflection that shows them in a variety of virtual background settings and wearing virtual outfits.
Fire TV users lose access to the YouTube app earlier than expected
Amidst the ongoing disagreements between Google and Amazon, the version of YouTube currently accessible on Amazon Fire TVs was scheduled to be disabled starting January 1st. But TechCrunch reports that at least for some users, that appears to have happened a little earlier than expected. Quite a few Fire TV owners are reporting on Twitter and Reddit that launching the YouTube app now redirects you to a web browser.
Amazon may be planning a YouTube rival
In the midst of Google's YouTube blockade on the Echo Show, Amazon could be mulling its own video platform. Google announced it was removing its app from the e-retail giant's touchscreen-packing Echo earlier this month, with plans to extend the ban to the Fire TV on January 1st. That same day, Amazon filed two trademarks requests with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for something dubbed "Amazontube," and another called "Opentube," as spotted by TV Answer Man.
Amazon will start selling Apple TV and Chromecast again
Amazon pulled Apple TV and Chromecast from its retail lineup back in 2015, ostensibly because neither device offered easy access to Prime Video. Now that Amazon Prime Video is finally an app on Apple TV, it appears as if Amazon is bringing Apple TV and Chromecast devices back to its web site again (after a false start a couple of months ago).
Google is blocking YouTube on Amazon's Echo Show and Fire TV
Google and Amazon have been battling a bit lately around the implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show. As of today, though, Google is putting its foot down and officially pulling support for YouTube on both the Echo Show and Amazon's Fire TV devices. "We've been trying to reach agreement with Amazon to give consumers access to each other's products and services," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "But Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn't make Prime Video available for Google Cast users, and last month stopped selling some of Nest's latest products. Given this lack of reciprocity, we are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and FireTV. We hope we can reach an agreement to resolve these issues soon."
