Amazon Echo Show: Home assistant lets people watch users through camera

'Watch video flash briefings and YouTube, see music lyrics, security cameras, photos, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists'

The device looks unusually hefty compared to the rest of the Echo family

Amazon has just launched the Echo Show, its latest Alexa-powered home assistant.

Like existing versions of the Echo, it plays audio, responds to voice commands and is capable of controlling compatible smart devices around the home, such as lights and thermostats.

The Show, however, is the first in the range to feature a display.

It comes with a large, 7-inch touchscreen and a 5-megapixel camera, which you can use for a number of tasks, including video and voice calls with other Echo devices and the Alexa app, watching YouTube videos and monitoring security feeds.

Amazon has decided to include a feature called Drop In, which could cause potential embarrassment.

It allows your white-listed contacts to easily look inside your home, by starting a video chat on your Echo Show without your approval.

According to USA Today, Drop In will display a frosted glass-effect filter for the first ten seconds of the call, during which time you'll be able to reject it or switch to audio-only.

If, whether intentionally or unintentionally, you don't do anything before the 10 seconds are up, the frost-effect will lift, revealing the inside of your home and any activities taking place in the Echo Show's line of sight.

The device can also be used for shopping purposes, and will almost certainly nudge users towards Amazon's shopping services.

"Echo Show brings you everything you love about Alexa, and now she can show you things," says Amazon.

"Watch video flash briefings and YouTube, see music lyrics, security cameras, photos, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, and more. All hands-free — just ask."

The device looks unusually hefty compared to the rest of the Echo family, with a chunky, boxy design that weighs in at over 1kg.

The Echo Show comes in black and white colour options, and is available to preorder in the US right now for $229.99, before shipping from 28 June.

Last month, Amazon unveiled the camera-equipped Echo Look, a “style assistant” designed to analyse people’s fashion choices using machine-learning and “advice from fashion specialists”.

The Echo Look is programmed to recommend clothing, and in doing so will push users towards the Amazon site – as the Show is likely to do.