Ready when you are, Amazon’s Alexa has got the tunes, the info, the news and entertainment, as well as answers to most of your questions.

Alexa is the primary A.I. smartdevice to have in your home, and now Amazon has released a new third generation of their Echo Show 5.

With a brighter and sharper screen than their last model, The unit is roughly the same size with the same display bezel, but the overall body and sound has definitely had a makeover.

Still rectangular in shape the rear of the housing is more contoured. The camera (which can be turned off) has a squared housing.

From the box, connecting up the Amazon Echo Show 5 is super easy. Almost plug and play once you power it up.

If you already have an Alexa in your home, this process will be familiar.

You can set it up via the device’s 5 inch, 960 x 480 touchscreen manually, but easier if you have the Amazon Alexa app.

The app will auto discover the new Alexa device and begin pairing, once connected your WiFi, it’s a few clicks of ‘Next’ and you’re basically done.

Other than being an A.I. that you can converse with, the Echo Show 5 itself can be used as an intercom in your house, if you have another Alexa device.

The 2MP front facing camera also allows you to take video calls and if paired up with a smart doorbell, or security camera’s you can interact with those too (providing that they are compatible with Alexa). The top of the device houses basic audio controls and camera toggle.

The booming crystal clear audio from the Echo Show 5 is louder than it should be from a device of this size.

You can opt to have the Echo Show 5 as a Bluetooth speaker, but if you subscribe to an audio streaming service, sync that up in the app, create a new Skill and have your playlists or podcasts playing with a voice command, ‘Alexa, play my favourite podcast’.

Alexa is able to integrate with most home smart appliances, and is a super reliable alarm clock (which the Echo Show 5 is the perfect size for), reminder assistant and more.

Set skills and routines to personalise Alexa within the app.

The Echo Show 5’s price point is such that it is affordable to anyone to upgrade their home with some A.I. smarts.

Small, ready to tell you the weather, the news through to entertaining the kids and more, Amazon’s Echo Show 5 takes up less of a footprint in your living room, home office or bedroom while retaining the same smarts and wit as it’s larger siblings.

The Amazon Alexa Echo Show 5 (3rd gen) is a definite recommend.

The post Amazon Alexa Echo Show 5 (3rd gen) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The era of A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) is fully upon us.

Everyone that has a smartdevice has an A.I. assistant at their fingertips, in their bag or pocket. From Google Assistant, Siri, Bixby and the best of them all, Amazon’s Alexa.

Amazon’s Alexa has been around for a few years now, and has gone from a home based novelty to an almost essential part of every day life.

I have always been a fan of A.I. Assistants. My first experience was with the very original Samsung Galaxy Gear (first generation) with a raise to talk – that was all the way back in 2013.

As the A.I. got smarter and was able to function more, added to the steadily increasing range of smart home products we are spoiled for choice as to what we can now use for automation in our homes, vehicles and on the go.

Still, when comparing Alexa to the likes of Google Assistant, Samsung’s Bixby and the now aging Siri, Alexa seems to outperform all of them with accuracy and skill base.

Alexa, although not native to any currently produced smartphone (but can be added via an App), is housed within a series of mains powered devices. From third party speakers, Dots to Spots and here; the Echo Show 5.

A rounded rectangular desk or table top small form factor unit that asides from a chunky border features a 5.5 inch touch screen – which you are probably only ever going to need it;s touch menu’s and commands for the initial setup.

From the box Alexa is primed and ready to go. Punch in your WiFi password and a couple of steps – then boom, Alexa is your friend.

The Echo Show 5 with it’s large, bedside clock like screen, is awaiting your command.

Sync her with your Spotify, tell her to set alarms, control smart-lights, set schedules, protect your home, connect to your home security or just have a general chat and ask her to sing a few of her unique original songs. Whatever you end up using Alexa for, the Echo Show 5 is one of the best housing units for her. It has a small footprint on your desk or table, a light sensor and camera (the camera shutter can be closed via a tactile slider) at the front of the device and volume up / down and microphone off buttons at the top.

To the rear of the Echo Show 5 is a 3.5mm socket and a USB-C plug for hooking up external sources. Ultimately though, Alexa is designed to be fully wireless and has Bluetooth and will, if asked, scan your home network for any wireless and Bluetooth devices which you can easily pair up.

In my home, Alexa is connected to pretty much everything. ‘Alexa, turn TV on’ and my smart TV whirs in to life. ‘Alexa, turn lights on’ and my home based smart lights instantly illuminate. ‘Alexa, play music and set lights to party – boom my place becomes the party zone’. The list of Alexa Skills and syncing goes on.

If you have been sitting on the fence about having a smart home set up, or not really too sure what this whole Smart Home A.I. nonsense is all about, an Alexa unit is the best to start out with.

She will also work well with other A.I.’s, Apple Homekit and Google Home, the list of smart home products and manufacturers that the Echo Show 5 can integrate and interact with is extremely large.

There is no real downside to having an Alexa in the house. But, if you do not have WiFi in your home, or are living in a remote area where internet connectivity is a bit flaky Alexa will not work. She needs to be connected to WiFi 24 / 7.

As we march forward to the rise of the A.I.’s (and probably cyber-droids) having Alexa as a part of your home setup is a must have or must experience. Soon I predict that we will see that standard home appliances fading out and everything will have a smart component to it, requiring an A.I. Assistant.

The Echo Show 5, with it’s modestly sized screen, ability to play video and keep all of your other devices in check is about the best place to begin.

If you already own an Echo Dot or spot, the Echo Show is an excellent upgrade at a very low price point.

The post Amazon Echo Show 5 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Amazon announced the newest addition to the Echo Show family, the Echo Show 5. With its compact design, 5.5-inch display, rich sound, HD camera, and built-in camera shutter, Echo Show 5 lets Alexa show you things in every room of your home.

“Since we launched the first Echo Show device, customers have told us that they love asking Alexa to show them things — whether it’s a recipe for chicken parma, their to-do list, or Prime Video. With Echo Show 5, we’ve made it even easier and affordable for customers to add a smart display to every room of their house,” said Tom Taylor, Senior Vice President, Amazon Alexa. “The compact form factor is perfect for a bedside table or desk, plus it has a camera shutter for added peace of mind, and new Alexa privacy features for even more control.”

With rich and full sound, Echo Show 5 is great for watching music videos from Vevo or for listening to your favourite songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, TuneIn, and more. Simply say, “Alexa, play my feel good music”” when you’re taking a break.

Echo Show 5 makes it easy to catch up on your favourite shows and short videos from Prime Video, watch the latest episode of 7 Sunrise, tune into rolling commentary and updates from Fox Sports and more. Coming soon, a new integration with wikiHow allows you to access hundreds of how-to videos by voice—all you have to do is ask to learn how to open a tight jar, tie a tie, or open a coconut.

A new smart home dashboard available on all Echo Show devices gives you even more control over compatible smart home devices and groups. Simply say, “Alexa, turn on the lights,” or use the on-screen controls to adjust the light’s brightness or turn it off. You can also view your smart home camera feed and thermostats, access recently used devices, and manage smart devices by group.

With the Ring Stick Up Camera or the Arlo baby camera, just say, “Alexa, show me the nursery camera,” to check on your baby when your hands are full of laundry or you’re working in the office. Echo Show 5 also has two-way talk functionality with Ring doorbell cameras. Simply say, “Alexa, answer the front door,” when the doorbell rings or the camera detects motion and you’ll be able to see and talk to whoever is at the front door.

Now, there are even more ways customise your morning and evening routines with Alexa. Set a nighttime routine that turns off your bedroom lamp and starts playing nature or sleep sounds for relaxation.  When your alarm goes off in the morning, wake up to an Alexa Sunrise — the screen on Echo Show devices will naturally brighten and display a sunrise animation before your alarm goes off. You can also create a routine that starts the kettle 10 minutes after your alarm goes off, or one that gives you weather forecast, morning news, and an email update when you say “Alexa, start my day.”

Choose from all-new clock faces or add a personal photo from your latest holiday to make the home screen unique to you and your family. You can also play a slideshow of your photos, view a specific album or set your photos to rotate in the background. Plus, the new ambient lighting mode auto-adjusts the brightness of the screen based on the brightness of the room—so it’s never too bright or too dark. To get even more from your Alexa experience, swipe left from the far right side of the screen to access shortcuts and discover all that Alexa can do—from smart home controls to recipes, reminders, skills and more.

Stay in touch with your closest friends and family with hands-free video calls to those who have an Echo Spot or Echo Show device, the Alexa app, or Skype. Plus, with Echo Show 5 in multiple rooms of your home, you can easily drop in on another room or make an announcement that dinner is ready.

There are thousands of visual skills from third party developers available on Echo Show devices. Watch the AFL daily footy feed, get the latest headlines from news outlets including Sky News Australia, or keep the kids entertained with stories and games from Kinderling, Huggies, Nickelodeon and  more. You can also catch up on your favourite podcasts like Australian True Crime, Squiz Today, SEN Breakfast, or choose your favourite from Pocket Casts, chill out with some relaxing meditation, or plan your next commute with NextThere. To learn more about skills, simply say, “Alexa, show me skills.”

Echo devices are built with multiple layers of privacy protections. As with all Echo Show devices, the new Echo Show 5 includes a microphone/camera off button that electronically disconnects both the microphone and camera, and a clear visual indicator that shows when audio or video is streaming to the cloud. Plus, Echo Show 5 has a built-in camera shutter so now you can easily cover the camera, while still being able to talk to Alexa.

Amazon is also introducing new, even easier ways to delete your voice recordings on all Alexa-enabled devices—all you have to do is ask. Coming soon, customers will be able to say “Alexa, delete what I just said” or “Alexa, delete everything I said today” and the respective recordings will be deleted. Plus, a new Alexa Privacy Hub will offer a single source of information on how Echo devices are designed as well as the controls you have over your Alexa experience.

Echo Show 5 will be available in Charcoal and Sandstone finishings and releases in July 2019.

The post Amazon Introduces Echo Show 5 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.