A new device Echo Show with 15.6 ”display, the first wireless video intercom from Blink and the eero Pro 6 mesh wifi system with Wi-Fi 6 and integrated Zigbee hub: these are the 3 products with which Amazon expands the offer in Italy of smart home products.
Each in its own way, they are meant to facilitate the digital aspects of family life and they are all obviously 100% integrated into the Alexa ecosystem. During the presentation event for the press of the new devices, Amazon surprisingly unveiled the home robot Astro, which, however, will only arrive on the American market at the moment.
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Amazon Echo Show 15
The new 15.6 ”Echo Show is the Echo family device with the largest display ever. Unlike the Echo Show 5, 8, 10 models, designed to sit on the bedside table or desk, the new Echo is shaped like a digital photo frame and is meant to be hung on the wall in a common area of the house. The design is minimal, with a black border and a clear passpartout surrounding the display inside, which adapts to any type of decor.
Inside the device there is a new one processor developed by Amazon, the AZ2 Neural Edge. It is a more powerful chip than that of the other devices in the Echo line and thanks to a new dedicated architecture it is able to process computer vision algorithms on site, rather than relying on the cloud for remote processing. It is a fundamental detail, because facial recognition is used on the Echo Show 15 to enable the Visual Id function: the device recognizes the various members of the family and automatically displays the account information of each on the screen. Without local facial recognition processing and the resulting privacy reassurance of biometric data, Amazon could hardly have enabled this feature on an Echo series device.
To make the most of the large size of the 15.6 ”touch screen, Amazon has also rethought the interface of the device with new dedicated widgets, organized in a larger home screen. With the Echo Show 15 you can control all smart devices in the house, add items to the shopping list, or enter, send and receive notes with voice control, and you can target messages to specific family members, which Echo Show will only show when it recognizes their face with the Visual ID. The front camera has a resolution of 5 MP: not a very high resolution, but sufficient for video calls with other Echo devices, or to use the Drop In function through Alexa compatible devices. On the Echo Show 15 you can finally play your favorite series or movies from Prime Video, Netflix or other streaming services, turning the device into a kind of TV kitchen of the new millennium. In both cases, the video quality limit remains, because the display resolution is 1080p.
As a further guarantee of privacy, on Amazon Echo Show 15 we find the same physical block of the camera as the other devices in the range. There are also specific commands to be given to Alexa for turn off the microphones and the camera, and the ability to view and delete any voice recordings. Starting today, users of all Echo devices will also receive a dedicated message to check and possibly change their privacy settings. Finally, from the beginning of next year, customers will be able to see the requests associated with a specific family member who has set Voice ID within the Alexa app or from the related page. privacy settings on the virtual assistant site.
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Blink video door phone
Among the Alexa-compatible products that can integrate with the Echo Show 15 there is also the new Blink Video Doorbell, the first wireless intercom of the security camera brand controlled by Amazon. The configuration is done through the Blink app and notifications are managed wirelessly, with the ability to speak to whoever rings the doorbell thanks to two-way audio. The same function is also available on all Echo devices (the video only on the Shows, of course) and Fire thanks to the dedicated Blink Smart Home skill.
The video intercom can also function as an additional security camera, sending a notification when it detects motion. It works day and night, thanks to the infrared night vision mode, and transmits a 1080p Full HD video stream. To enable remote video monitoring, however, the Blink Sync Module 2 dedicated hub must be purchased separately, the same hub used to control Blink security cameras.
Finally, Blink Video Doorbell is designed to withstand the elements, so that it can be installed anywhere without special protections.
Eero Pro 6
Amazon also announced the availability in Italy of eero Pro 6, a Wi-Fi 6 compatible router that expands Amazon’s Wi-Fi mesh system. The device can transmit on 3 bands and is equipped with two Ethernet ports. A single eero Pro 6 covers up to 190 square meters, but for larger homes Amazon also offers a package with 3 eero Pro 6s that connect to each other, wired or wireless, for coverage of up to 560 square meters on multiple levels.
Eero pro 6 is designed to integrate better with Alexa devices, which can be connected to the device’s network in a few steps through the dedicated app; connecting the Amazon account to the eero, the connection is always maintained, even when the Wi-Fi password is changed. Another key feature of this Pro 6 version of the eero is the integrated Zigbee hub, which allows you to connect all Zigbee compatible devices to the router without the need to connect an additional external controller.
Astro, the handyman robot for the Amazon home
The robot Astro
The real surprise among the novelties presented by Amazon, however, is the new Astro domestic robot. It’s a 3-wheeled self-moving robot (two large on the front and one smaller on the back) which combines various functions of Alexa devices into a single object with its own humanoid personality.
The robot can move around the house autonomously and keep the entrances and windows under control, it can move on command to check if we have properly closed the gas or turned off the lights. The front screen is for activate Alexa functions, like an Echo Show, or to make video calls while moving around the house thanks to the command “Astro, follow me”. In addition, a telescopic camera, positioned on the top of the robot, transforms it into a real mobile surveillance camera, which can be accessed directly from the Alexa app. Astro is an interesting bet, which tries to rethink the role of virtual assistants in a connected home. At the moment it has been announced only for the United States, and it is not known if and when the product will also be distributed in Italy.
Prices and availability
Amazon Echo Show 15 ”costs € 249.99 and will arrive in Italy before the end of 2021; to know the actual availability date you can register on this page of the Amazon site. The Blink video intercom costs € 59.99 and will also be available later this year; also in this case, there is a page where you can leave the email to be notified arrival on the store. The eero Pro 6 router is finally already available on Amazon.it; it can be purchased individually at the price of 249 euros or in packs of 3 units for 639 euros.
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