Latest news with #EchoShow
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Amazon's Alexa-powered Echo Show 5 3rd gen launched: Price in India, specs, features, and more
Amazon has introduced the third-generation Echo Show 5 in India with upgraded features and capabilities. The new Echo Show 5 comes with built-in Alexa and a 5.5-inch screen for seamless interactions. It retains a compact design but offers powerful features like a camera for home monitoring, smart home controls, upgraded speakers for crisp audio, entertainment features, and much more. Therefore, if you are looking for a smart home device that can cater to your entertainment and other needs, then the third-generation Echo Show 5 may come to your liking. Know about its features and how it can be useful for modern home requirements. Amazon launched the Echo Show 5 3rd gen at a discounted price of Rs. 10,999.(Amazon) Also read: Netflix quietly used AI for scenes in its new show: Here's why it could change what you see on screen Amazon Echo Show 5 ( 3rd generation): Specifications and features The Amazon Echo Show 5 ( 3rd generation) flaunts a 5.5-inch display with curved edges and infinity cover glass. The display is designed to provide a quick view of the weather updates, manage smart home controls, security camera video feeds, and more. Amazon claims that the Echo Show comes with improved sound, making it perfect for home entertainment. On the screen, users can also enjoy watching movies and TV shows from Amazon Prime Video. The Amazon Echo Show 5 ( 3rd generation) is powered by Amazon's AZ2 Neural Edge processor to effortlessly manage complex commands and queries. It also features an improved microphone array for voice detection. For entertainment, the Echo Show now comes with an upgraded speaker system that includes a 1.7-inch rear-facing speaker for double bass and clear vocals. It can play music and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, JioSaavn, and Audible. Also read: AI voice cloning scam tricks concerned mom into sending ₹12.5 lakh: What you must watch out for Apart from these features, the Echo Show can manage smart home devices, set timers, reminders, shopping lists, and more. Additionally, keeping user safety in mind, Amazon has included multiple layers of privacy controls, such as a built-in camera shutter and a microphone on/off button. Users will also have the ability to view and delete voice recordings in the Alexa app, making interaction more transparent. It's new 'Drop In' feature also lets users connect compatible security cameras and video doorbells to access video feeds on the screen. With a front-facing camera, users can also have video calls with friends who have Echo devices with screens. Amazon Echo Show 5 ( 3rd generation): Price and availability The Amazon Echo Show 5 ( 3rd generation) will be available in two colour options: Charcoal and Cloud Blue. The smart device is introduced at a discounted price of Rs. 10,999 in India and is available to purchase on Flipkart, Reliance Digital and Croma. Mobile Finder: Google Pixel 10 Pro LATEST specs, features, and price
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
I spent the last two weeks testing Alexa+ — here's 2 things that impressed me, and 1 that needs work
Alexa+, Amazon's new-and-improved voice assistant, is slowly rolling out to beta testers before its full release sometime in the near future. Unlike the original Alexa, Alexa+ uses AI in a number of ways to not only improve the quality of the conversation between you and the assistant, but also provide much more comprehensive services. For example, you can now use Alexa+ to create a smart home routine, order an Uber, or book restaurant reservations. Alexa+ is currently in Early Access, meaning that Amazon is allowing a select number of people to try it and iron out the kinks (here's how to sign up for Alexa+). When it goes live to a wider audience, it will cost $19.99/month, but will be included for free if you subscribe to Amazon Prime. While I had a chance to use Alexa+ briefly a few months back at the launch event, it was only for a few minutes. About two weeks ago, I was granted early access to Alexa+, so I've been able to test it out a bit more over the past few days with the Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 5. Here are my early impressions. When you upgrade to Alexa+, it completely changes the look of your Echo Show to an interface that's much more customizable. Now, you have a lot more flexibility when it comes to widgets. Not only are there more widgets (around 100), but you can move them around the screen, much as you can with your smartphone. Even better: You can set up multiple screens, so you're not confined to just one. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The new interface makes the Echo Show feel something closer to, say, the Google Pixel tablet, especially with regard to its smart home controls. As someone who has a lot of smart home devices, I especially like the Smart Home widget, which has a bunch of thumbnails of my various cameras (it only works with Ring at the moment) and controls for other things, such as smart lights and thermostats. What's more, if you set up Map View in the Alexa app, you can see a floorplan of your house with all of your smart home devices. Amazon has basically taken the concept of the Echo Hub and turned it into a widget, so it will be interesting to see how much of a future there is for this device, as well as any other Echo device that doesn't have a screen. Still, there's some work to be done. Of the 128 widgets I counted, a number of them were merely larger versions of each other, and their dimensions are fixed, so you can't resize them to say a portrait or landscape orientation. On the Echo Show 5, things are naturally a bit more cramped. You don't get thumbnail views of your smart home cameras, for instance, and the screen can only hold three widgets (and small ones at that) at a time. Things also felt a bit pokey — there was a noticeable lag as I swiped around the display. The first thing you'll notice about Alexa+ is her voice (or his, depending on how you set it up). Alexa is much more expressive, and replies feel more like natural language, rather than something that's purely transactional. As a result, I found it much easier to carry on a conversation. Alexa+'s smarts also extend to when she messes up — she quickly admits her error, and then attempts to resolve it. For example, I had a raccoon wander through my backyard a few nights ago, so I asked Alexa+ if there were any animals that were in my backyard at night. She then responded with a list of videos from my Ring cameras — but all of the results were from the daytime. I said as much, and she responded 'You're right. These are all during the day. I'll look for night videos.' There were a few other instances where Alexa+ didn't return the results I was looking for — Amazon is still working out the kinks — and when I pointed out the errors, she was very apologetic, and worked to correct the mistakes. As an Italian-American, I was particularly aggrieved when Alexa pronounced 'gnocchi' as 'knee-ack-y.' I told her as much, and she asked me if there was a better way to pronounce the word. After guiding her through something that was a bit better, she said she'd keep it in mind for future conversations. It took a few tries, but Alexa finally started pronouncing it correctly. One of the keys to Alexa+'s success will be its integration with third-party services. For example, it currently works with Uber, OpenTable, TicketMaster, and a smattering of other services, so you can use your voice to order a ride or get a reservation. However, in order for this to truly be useful, Amazon will have to partner with a lot more companies. For instance, I tried to book a reservation near my home at a sushi restaurant using OpenTable, but there just aren't that many restaurants in the area that use OpenTable. As a result, Alexa+ returned options for places in New York City, which is a good 15 miles away. While Alexa+ is shaping up to be a great in-home assistant, it's going to need to do more if Amazon wants people to use it out of the house. To find things to do near me, I asked Alexa+ 'what's a good place to go kayaking near Red Bank, New Jersey?' Alexa returned several helpful results, but she was unable to send me directions, or show me on a map where they might be. An Amazon representative told me that they are working on Alexa+ integration with turn-by-turn directions. As an in-home assistant, Alexa+ already feels like a big leap forward from what came before. She's an assistant you now talk to, rather than at. Conversations no longer feel one-directional, and she actually takes your comments into account, rather than returning a generic error message. And, the on-screen interface makes Alexa a lot more functional, especially when it comes to controlling your smart home devices. But while the new design looks great on the large-scale Echo Show 15, it's less so on the smaller Echo Show 5. As the latter device was last updated in 2023, I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon released a newer version of it (as well as other Echo displays) with a beefier processor to handle more Alexa+ actions locally. Is there anything you'd like me to try with Alexa+? I plan to test it more thoroughly in the weeks and months to come before its wider release. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Digital Trends
12-07-2025
- Digital Trends
The 7 best Alexa features you're missing out on
'Alexa, turn on the lights.' In my home, that's one of the most common phrases you'll hear. With a full smart lighting setup all linked to the Amazon Alexa platform and two Echo Show 15s serving as hubs (one in my office, one in the kitchen), the voice assistant is a core part of how I handle everything from lights to groceries. Recommended Videos Most people know about those functions. Making a to-do list, checking the weather, and other day-to-day tasks are how Alexa is used most often, but did you realize the platform has a litany of powerful, lesser-known features? Show and Tell Show and Tell uses the Echo Show's camera to identify products and audibly announce what it is. Aimed at users with impaired vision, Show and Tell is most often used to identify daily items like pantry staples, especially those with labels. For example, it can help distinguish between a container of cumin and a container of cinnamon. Just say, 'Alexa, what am I holding?' or 'What's in my hand?' Your device will guide you through how and where to hold the item, with sound cues to indicate when you have positioned it correctly in front of the camera. Eye Gaze Most interactions with smart assistants are done through vocal commands, but a new feature called Eye Gaze allows users to control specific Alexa devices with only eye movements. This feature benefits people with vocal or mobility impairments, allowing them to trigger pre-set Alexa actions entirely hands and voice free. For now, Eye Gaze is only available on the Fire Max 11 Tablet, and only in a few countries. It's still relatively early in development, but Amazon hopes to bring the functionality to more devices in the future. Real-Time Translation While most people stick to their phones for making video calls, you can also use Alexa to chat with relatives, and she will put captions on the screen in real-time. That makes it possible to hold conversations in multiple languages at the same time, with both sides understanding the other. It also provides assistance to the hearing impaired, as real-time call captions make it easier to follow along if you aren't sure what the other person said. All you have to do is enable call captioning in the Alexa app or in the Echo Show device menu. Adaptive Listening Users that struggle with speech impairments might find they can't get the commands out fast enough for Alexa. Adaptive Listening is a feature that extends Alexa's listening window before processing the request, and it can turned on within the Alexa app or through specific Echo devices. Even people without speech difficulties report utilizing the feature, as it creates a more natural flow to the conversation versus the sometimes clipped language used when speaking with a voice assistant. Find Your Phone I'm scatterbrained, and I will often put my phone down and completely forget where it is. When it comes time to leave the house for any reason, cue a Yakety Sax montage of me checking under couch cushions, the top of bookshelves, and anywhere else I might have left it. Now I can just say, 'Alexa, find my phone.' The device starts a call, and I can listen for the sound of its vibration in the room (my phone has been on vibrate for years). There are also several Alexa Skills available that do the same thing, though I find the default feature works well enough. Whisper Mode When it's two o'clock in the morning and you just managed to get the baby back to sleep, the last thing you want is to ask Alexa a question in a normal tone of voice and wake the baby. Whisper Mode, once enabled, will let you whisper to Alexa and she will respond back in a whisper automatically. The device matches your volume, so you don't need to ask it to respond quietly. Just make sure you enable the setting first. It isn't on by default, and whispering, 'Alexa, what time is?' only to receive an answer of 'IT IS 11:55 PM' at full volume can be jarring, to say the least. Emergency Assist For years, fans wanted Amazon to add the ability for Alexa to call 911. While that still isn't possible, the Alexa Emergency Assist function can put users in touch with a trained 'Urgent Response' agent who can dispatch emergency services. The downside? This feature requires a subscription of $5.99 a month, or $59 per year. Without a subscription, you can have a single emergency contact. With Alexa Emergency Assist, you can have up to 25. It also enables other features and listens for the sound of glass breaking (like a window), carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, and more. Alexa has long been one of the most popular platforms for smart home users, and it only gets better with time. Of course, locking certain features behind a paywall with the Alexa+ subscription slowed its growth, but that's an argument for another day.
Engadget
10-07-2025
- Engadget
Prime Day has our favorite digital photo frame in stock and on sale for 20 percent off
A digital frame may seem like too obvious of a gift — but that's for a reason. They actually improve upon something we all have around our homes, allowing you to display more of your favorite photos all the time. Engadget's favorite option in this space, the Aura Carver Mat, is on sale for Prime Day, down from $179 to only $141. While many digital photo frames are a mixed bag at best, the Aura Carver Mat topped Engadget's best digital frames list because it's simple to set up and looks great. The 10.1-inch frame is made of plastic and designed to be used in landscape, and it makes for a convincing copy of traditional mat photo frames. Aura's designed the Carver to rotate through the photos you upload on its own, but there's also a built-in touch bar that can be used to swipe forwards and backwards through your collection, if you want. Buying into Aura's system means committing to a device that has to be connected to the internet to work, but Aura's app for adding photos is easy-enough to use that it should more than make up for it. You can even set the app to automatically upload new photos from a specific album if you want. That feature, along with the ability for multiple accounts to add photos to a single frame, makes the Aura Carver Mat perfect for families who might not all live in the same place. Speaking from experience, grandparents love being able to receive fresh photos of their grandkids without having to lift a finger. A $150 Amazon Echo Show 8 could make for a formidable alternative to the Aura Carver Mat, especially if you're interested in having a voice assistant on-call to control your smart home. The single-minded focus of Aura's device — especially at $141, within spitting distance of last year's $139 low — is its real charm, though, something you just won't get from an Echo Show.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Amazon Fire TV stick HD drops to lowest-ever price for Prime Day
Amazon's Prime Day sale is here, and this year it's bigger than ever. The shopping bonanza has been extended to four days instead of the usual two, and it's delivering big savings across every category, with everything from air fryers to laptops and televisions dropping in price. You'll find plenty of deals on many of Amazon's most popular own-brand products in the rest of the sale, like the Ring battery video doorbell (was £99.99, now £49.99, The Echo Show 8 (was £149.99, now £89.99, and Kindle Paperwhite (was £159.99, now £124.99, have been discounted, too. But there's one impressive deal that's really caught my eye. Right now, the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD has more than 40 per cent off, bringing the price of the no-fuss streaming dongle down to just £23.99 – which is a record low. We have everything you need to know about the offer below. However, you'll need to be quick – as the sale will end at midnight on 11 July. Whether your TV doesn't have smarts or the interface is a little slow and clunky, you can add or upgrade its capabilities cheaply with the Amazon Fire TV stick HD. The dongle and remote control let you access entertainment from all of the most popular streaming services – including Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Apple TV+ – as well as watch live TV, listen to music and control your smart home with voice commands. More affordable than Roku's excellent streaming stick 4K (£49.99, this version of the Amazon fFre TV stick only outputs at 1080p rather than full 4K. If you want 4K, you have other good options, too. The 4K Fire TV stick is one of my favourite streaming devices, and that's also at a lowest-ever price (£39.99, However, this cheaper model is perfect if your TV is a little older or if your streaming subscription is only providing full HD video. Amazon Prime Day is a four-day sale event for Prime members. It's usually held twice a year – once in the summer and again in October to kick-start Christmas shopping. The event features deals across top brands, from Apple to Dyson, as well as offers on its bestselling own tech, including Kindle and Echo dot smart speakers.
