Control your home with voice

Almost like clockwork, Amazon adds to its repertoire of home control devices built into a smart speaker and its voice assistant Alexa. The earlier devices were voice-only. Then came the Echo Show with a 10-inch HD screen. Now we are offered a new avatar of Show, shrunk into a 5.5-inch screen: Amazon Echo Show 5.

Like its older siblings, Show 5 is multiple gadgets rolled into one: an intercom to keep an eye on a sleeping baby or aged parents; a video calling phone, a speaker to stream your music from any other device... and above all the encyclopedic brain of the all-knowing Alexa. Amazon has cannily added access to a host of popular Indian music and news sources and local services: Hungama, Saavn, Gaana, Aaj Tak, NDTV, Zomato... and improved its understanding of Indian accents.

Responding to concerns about privacy and the device's ability to listen to and see all, they have added a hard switch to cut off the mike and a cover for the video screen. The only feature of the larger Echo Show not available is the hub to link other smart appliances like bulbs and switch controls. At Rs 8999 (Rs 6299 currently at Amazon) this is the most cost effective way yet, to control your home with voice and video.