Recently, I purchased Echo Show 8, and I want to share my evaluation of the device from the user’s point of view and my ideas about how to customize Amazon Echo Show.
About Echo Show 8 – Pros and Cons
From a user’s point of view, the Amazon Echo Show 8 offers several notable features and functionalities:
- Visual Display: The Echo Show 8 features an 8-inch HD screen, providing users with a visual interface for various tasks such as watching videos, making video calls, viewing photos, and browsing the internet.
- Voice Assistant Integration: As with other Echo devices, the Echo Show 8 is powered by Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. Users can perform a wide range of tasks hands-free, including setting reminders, playing music, controlling smart home devices, checking the weather, and more.
- Video Calling: The Echo Show 8’s screen enables users to make video calls using services like Skype, Zoom, or Amazon’s own communication platform.
- Entertainment: Users can enjoy streaming videos from services like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Netflix, as well as listen to music from various streaming platforms.
- Smart Home Control: The Echo Show 8 can serve as a central hub for controlling compatible smart home devices, such as lights, thermostats, security cameras, and more. Users can use voice commands or the touchscreen interface to manage their connected devices conveniently.
- Cooking and Recipes: The visual display of the Echo Show 8 is particularly useful in the kitchen, where users can follow along with recipes, watch cooking tutorials, set timers, and create shopping lists—all hands-free.
- Privacy: Amazon has incorporated privacy features into the Echo Show 8, such as a physical camera shutter and a microphone/camera off button, providing users with greater control over their privacy when using the device.
Overall, the Echo Show 8 offers users a versatile and feature-rich smart display that seamlessly integrates into their daily lives, providing both convenience and entertainment.
The device is clearly worth the amount I paid for it. But… it is convenient for the average user, not for a programmer, which is what I am. For us, communicating with this device is like sheep passing through a paddock in one direction. If you understand, what I mean…
How To Customize Echo Show 8
Actually, Echo Show has customization features, but I had a goal to customize its functions. For instance, I prefer to use my custom list of receipts, which I have written in the Excel sheet. I need freedom…
I found only one hole to escape from Paddock—this is the Silk browser integrated into the Echo Show system. Although you can only access it through Video > Bing, you can just say, “Alexa, open Silk,” and you’ll get the browser on the screen.
Just like Alibaba was saying, "Open Sesame." Maybe Sesame was the grand-grand-grandparent of Echo Show.
Since Bing is mentioned in the browser, I decided to try outlook.com. And it worked, I am able:
- Read and send emails;
- Navigate through my OneDrive files, click on them, and see the content of the files: Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations. Whoever worked with Microsoft 365 knows that these applications have limitless possibilities, and you can do whatever you want. You can even try the files with web add-ins.
- I examined in OneDrive my PDF files (great quality), images, and movies;
- And at last, I tried Microsoft Calendar and To Do. The last is very useful. You can install it in your mobile, sync it with PC To Do and believe me, it will easy your life.
After all, I discovered tunnel, not hole in the paddock – “Now We Are Free”.
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