The Amazon Echo Show, Technical Details and More!
The Amazon Echo Show was released this week and it costs $229.99 ready for shipping on June 28 2017.
The Amazon Echo Show is simply the Amazon Echo but with a screen. It is a wifi-enabled home device with unlimited potential. It has a seven-inch screen and it can change the home automation arena.
The Amazon Echo is available in either black or white and costs $299.99, comparing this to the standard Amazon echo costing $149.99 it is quiet the price increase.
The Amazon Echo brags about being “able to play music, call friends and family, watch video clips and control your smart home” on their website. Functions such as the Calendar that are available on the Amazon Echo have now been made visual, meaning the user can be told what their schedule looks like whilst now also being shown to the user.
Developer Fact: The Amazon Alexa has over 12,000 skills!
In my opinion, the best feature on this new product is the fact that the Amazon Echo Show is compatible with certain security cameras. In Amazon’s promotional video for the Amazon Show, the user says “Amazon, show me the Nursery” and the baby camera appears on the screen (2:20). The other Alexa devices cannot show security cameras to you, this in my opinion, is the already it’s best function.
Services such as these will be the main contributors to the Echo Show and help take the Amazon product to the next level. However, Amazon Echo developers should also remember that it is a touch screen, even though no one in the promo video uses the touch screen (I found that a bit strange).
Technical Details:
The size of the Amazon Echo show is 7.4” x 7.4” x 3.5” (187 mm x 187 mm x 90 mm). It weighs approximately 41.0 oz. (1170 grams). It has a 7 inch touchscreen. The camera is 5MP.
The Alexa app is compatible with iOS devices, Android and Fire OS. The processor is the Intel Atom x5-Z8350.
For more information click visit Amazon Echo Show’s website.Smart Home Functions
The Amazon Echo Show works with many smart home devices and the list keeps growing. Below is a list of a few of the smart home connected devices.
Developing for the Amazon Echo Show
Developers will be able to create services for the Amazon Echo Show very soon. If you want to be notified when developers are able to develop for the Amazon Show then press here.
This update will give developers ‘new capabilities to the new Alexa Skills Kit that will enable you to optimize your skills for the screen and connect smart home cameras to Alexa’.
A few developers have already created services for the Amazon Echo Show including Allrecipes, Jeopardy!, Uber, OpenTable, CNN, Ring and Arlo.
A major problem with the Amazon Echo Show
As I wrote this article a big issue hit me and this factor might have a significant affect on whether you would like to develop for the Amazon Echo Show.
My main issue on this product is regarding video calls. I have my video calls using Facebook Messenger & Skype on my iPhone, & sometimes my laptop. The Amazon Echo Show brags about it’s video chats however there is a huge issue; the Alexa product must be plugged into the wall. So, I cannot walk around in the slightest, I can’t even angle the device without having to hold it. So, say if I wanted to show something in the house ( a puppy, a cake) then I would need to pick it up, usually I would just face to camera towards what I want to show. And if you wanted to go anywhere else in the house then you can’t, you’re simply restricted to the direction the A.E.S is facing.
What are your thoughts? Comment Below.
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