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Amazon doubles down on voice with Echo Show 5, new Alexa privacy controls
Amazon.com Inc. today augmented its Echo family of voice-activated devices with a new smart display and a set of privacy features that will become available across the entire product lineup.
The smart display, the Echo Show 5 (pictured), is essentially a miniature version of the Echo Spot. It features a smaller 5.5-inch screen and a camera with a shutter that will allow privacy-conscious users to cover the lens physically.
The difference that will likely be noticed the most by consumers, however, is the price: The device is set to cost just $90 compared with $120 for the Echo Spot.
In the feature department, the Echo Show 5 functions more or less the same as its predecessor. Consumers can use the display to make video calls, watch content from sources such as NBC and listen to music. There will also be an integration with wikiHow that will provide users with access to how-to videos covering common household tasks.
Amazon said it will launch the Echo Spot alongside new software features aimed at giving users more control over the connected devices in their homes. The arguably most significant addition is a trio of privacy controls for Alexa, the voice assistant that powers the Echo family.
The first two controls are voice commands that make it possible to erase Alexa devices’ usage history. Users can say “delete what I just said” to have the assistant purge their most recent utterances, or instruct it to discard everything they said in the past day. The features might be Amazon’s way of addressing the recent revelation that some of its employees listen to user recordings for development purposes and have access to certain customer details.
In addition to data deletion options, the online retail giant has added a Privacy Hub to the mobile and web versions of Alexa. It’s a new panel that allows consumers to centrally manage privacy settings, as well as access explainers about how Amazon uses their data.
The privacy controls started rolling out today while the Echo Show 5 is set to hit the market next month. The device will compete with more expensive smart displays such as Facebook Inc.’s Portal and the Google Nest Home Hub.
Photo: Amazon
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