Amazon's New Echo Show 10 Is A Spinning Smart Speaker

A Amazon just announced the latest iteration of its smart display speaker, the new Echo Show 10. The model has a number of changes and updates compared to the previous generation, as well as a very interesting novelty: it moves!

The new Echo Show 10

Instead of being fixed in one position, as with all previous Echo Show models, the new Echo Show Echo Show 10 is positioned on a motorized base that automatically rotates whenever you interact with the device. Using a blend of computer vision and echo-location technology, the Echo Show 10 can determine where you are in a room and rotate to face you so you always have a good view of the screen.

Furthermore, the Echo Show 10 uses its motorized base and its digital pan and zoom on the new 13 megapixel camera to keep you in the frame during video calls. In an exclusive interview ahead of today's announcement, Miriam Daniel, vice president of devices Amazon's Alexa and Echo, She said:

“…smart displays are mostly used in a kitchen and at busy times of the day such as morning or evening. By letting the screen follow you as you prepare meals, get ready for the day, wash the dishes or whatever you're doing in the kitchen, you don't have to keep going back to see what's on the screen, it's always there in view. .”

Echo Show 10 Features

O Echo Show 10 uses computer vision to determine where a person is in a room, and then combines that with audio-based location when you say "Alexa". Processing is an extension of the audio-based localization that Echo devices already do, and everything is done locally on the device.

contrary to Nest Hub Max do Google, which has the ability to identify a specific person using its camera, the Echo Show 10 doesn't use face recognition and can't tell who you are, just that a person is somewhere in your sight. The device will only move when you interact with it, either by saying "Alexa", tapping the screen or watching a video. Daniel comments:

“…when you're interacting with the Show, the goal is to make it move like a person would when you're talking, and Amazon studied body language and natural movements to program its movements. You can disable motion entirely by closing the built-in camera shutter, in the Alexa app, or by saying 'Alexa', turn motion off.”

Amazon says the brushless motor inside the base is completely silent and has an estimated life of “the entire life of the device”. The company also says the Echo Show 10 was built with “sustainable materials,” which include 100% post-consumer recycled fabric, 100% recycled cast aluminum and 30% post-consumer recycled plastics. It is also one of the first devices to receive the seal of Climate Pledge Friendly da Amazon.

In addition to auto-rotating, you can manually tilt the screen to adjust its position, which was not possible in the previous version. The speaker system is also similar, but since the device can point at you, your sound is better optimized. However, the Echo Show 10 does not support 3D audio.

Inside the base of the device are all wireless radios and processors, including the new chip AZ1 from Amazon. The company says it's “designed to accelerate machine learning applications” and allows the Echo Show 10 and other Echo devices do their voice processing “on the edge” or locally, without having to rely on a cloud computer.

The Echo Show 10's Features

Other hardware features include radios for Zigbee, Bluetooth LE and the next network Sidewalk da Amazon which will allow the Echo Show 10 to control smart home devices directly and act as a hub for the Sidewalk.

To complement the ability of Echo Show 10 to automatically move and frame, Amazon is adding a number of new software features, including group calling with Alexa, Zoom e amazon-chime.

Echo Show 10 will also support security function Alexa Guard when you are not at home and will periodically pan the room to check for human forms or disturbances. If it detects a person when they shouldn't be there, it will send an alert to your phone. You can also “join” using the Alexa app or other Echo Show devices and move the screen manually.

In addition, Amazon is announcing that the Netflix will finally be available on your smart displays, joining the Hulu and Prime Video. You will be able to search and get Netflix shows or movies using your voice and watch them on your Echo Show 10. The screen will also move to point at you as you move around the room when a video is playing, so you can always see what's on screen.

Finally, the Echo Show 10 also features a new low power mode that will try to conserve power when not being actively used or interacting with, such as at night. No audio is sent to the cloud when the device is in low power mode and it will automatically return to its normal state when there is interaction.

Price and availability

Amazon intends to make the Echo Show 10 available soon in the Brazilian market, being sold from R$1.899,00. It's a big investment, but if you already use Amazon products or other smart products, the Echo Show 10 It is a great choice to modernize your home or office.

Source: The Verge