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The new Amazon Echo Hub is finally out, and Amazon has released a helpful little guide full of tips on how to use it to improve your smart home. Amazon’s Echo Hub is the company’s first control panel for smart appliances. Straight out of science fiction movies of the past, it is a mountable display that can control an entire smart home. From lights to alarms to cameras and more, the Echo Hub is a smart hub for all your IoT needs.
Compatibility and customizability
Amazon has designed the Echo Hub to be as compatible as possible. Devices using Bluetooth, WiFi, Matter, Sidewalk, Zigbee, and Thread are all supported. Multiple devices using multiple different connectivity standards all sync seamlessly with the Echo Hub. Furthermore, the home screen is heavily customizable. It’s not just visual customization either. Users can set widgets and quick-access shortcuts to devices they need to access most on the dashboard. The Echo Hub, on initialization, configures access according to a user’s Alexa app’s settings.
View camera feeds or activate your alarms
When it comes to Amazon Echo Hub tips, security is up there with the most important ones. The Echo Hub allows users to keep an eye on their home’s exterior at all times and even set up alarms for when they leave. Asking Alexa or tapping the respective widget allows you to view up to four live feeds. There is also a shortcut to view still-frame snapshots. Lastly, a single tap is all it takes to arm a Ring alarm with the Echo Hub.
Routines
Users trying to make the most of their Echo Hub must learn and adopt Routines. Routines are a collection of tasks that can be executed at once via a single command. With the Echo Hub, tapping or simply asking Alexa is enough to activate a Routine. These Routines can be anything, like turning off the lights, locking your doors, and arming the Ring alarm when you leave the house. Routines are also great for different times of day. For example, dimming the lights and changing the thermostat settings at night.
Audio control and personalized displays
The Echo Hub lets users control audio throughout the house, or even on individual speakers. This can mean adjusting the volume or deciding what plays in which portion of the house. Naturally, this is accomplished via connecting the Hub to speakers that support external control. The Echo Hub also allows users to set a personalized display. This display will cycle through curated photos and even videos when no one is near. Using infrared, the Echo Hub detects when someone comes close and transitions to the dashboard. Amazon is also promising unlimited photo storage to Amazon Prime members.
Security
The Echo Hub wouldn’t sell too well if users were concerned about privacy. To combat that, Amazon is being quite transparent with how much it can see and share. The Echo Hub itself has a button to turn off its microphone. Users also have the option to delete recordings of themselves. The entire suite of Alexa and Echo privacy features is present here. And users can always simply tell Alexa to delete something they said.
The Amazon Echo Hub is retailing for $179.99, which seems like a bargain price for what it offers. As the world continues to transition to an Internet-of-Things society, smart hubs like the Echo Hub will become more popular. If the Echo Hub is continually improved, Amazon could be looking at a very profitable repeat customer base.