You might want to take a close look at Amazon Echo Show, because it's about to change everything. Amazon, which is on a product-release tear, revealed on Tuesday its latest Echo device, the roughly 8 x 8-inch, 2 and a half pound, 7-inch-screen-sporting Echo Show. Early leaks focused on the product's somewhat-retro looks and, even today, some are still dragging Amazon for the Show's arguably inelegant profile. The Amazon Echo Show is a quantum leap beyond any Alexa-infused product we've seen before. Hey @amazon I've got 1980 on my flip phone here, they're asking for their Echo Show back!? #AmazonEchoShow #retro #ugly pic.twitter.com/WODOTrFABN

Amazon's new product, the Echo Show, hit the tech blogs with a thud today -- the $229.99 block of plastic looks like a less friendly Chumby that can do more things. The biggest selling point is a video call element that (if the video below is anything to go by) looks about a billion times clearer than any video call I have ever seen. In short, I can't wait to see this puppy in the wild and read the reviews, because I am not sold. I am sold that people have less time and like to multi-task. As a non-parent who knows lots of parents, this device would certainly help them, but the rest of the world?

The newly-announced Echo Show is available for pre-order in black or white and will start shipping on Wednesday, June 28. Right now if you buy two of them and enter the code SHOW2PACK at checkout, you'll activate a special $100 discount. So you'll get two new Echo Shows for the price of two standard Echos. Go in on this deal with a friend, or buy a few for yourself (they work very well in multiple rooms). Echo Show brings you everything you love about Alexa, and now she can show you things.

Amazon is giving its voice-enabled Echo speaker a touch screen and video-calling capabilities as it competes with Google's efforts at bringing "smarts" to the home. The 7-inch screen on the new Echo Show enables the speaker to supplement voice responses with visuals and other information displays, similar to the Echo-like features offered on the Fire tablets and Fire TV streaming devices. That could mean extended weather forecasts, not just current conditions. It could mean lyrics to go with the song you're listening to. You also could call up cooking tutorials on YouTube, hands-free, while making dinner in the kitchen.

Developer conference season has officially kicked into high gear. Microsoft Build is about to get underway, and we're expecting the show will be as jam-packed with news as ever. SEE ALSO: Microsoft's Windows 10 Creators Update is an OS done right This year Microsoft has moved the conference back to Seattle after holding it in San Francisco for a number of years. Whether the location -- right in Microsoft's backyard -- is a hint the company has more than usual in store for us isn't clear. But we do know there will be a ton of news to fill the four and a half hours (!!!!) of keynotes and then some.

One of the most notable new features introduced alongside Amazon's new Echo Show is the ability to make calls with Alexa, something that's been rumored for a while now. And the good news is that this feature isn't limited to just the Echo Show. When it rolls out later today (via an update to the Alexa iOS and Android apps), you'll be able to use all existing Echo hardware to place voice calls, video calls and send messages. You'll obviously need an Echo Show for video calling, but the support for voice calling and messaging is pretty robust. If you have an Echo, Echo Dot or Echo Show, you can initiate calls (including video calls with the Show) and send messages to anyone else in your address book who has turned on Alexa calling.

Amazon's all-new Echo will have video calling and give even more options to smarthomes. Rumours last week suggested that Amazon would announce a new Echo device with a screen. Today the company has unveiled Echo Show, an all-new Alexa-powered device that features a touchscreen and brings video calling to Amazon's voice assistant platform. The key feature, naturally, will be Amazon's video calling and messaging. Users will be able to use a couple of different modes here, but there's standard video calling, which will allow you to ask Alexa to video call someone with an Echo Show.

Amazon unveiled its new Echo Show Tuesday, an Alexa-powered device with a built-in screen. It was reported last year that Amazon was working on an Echo device with a built-in screen. Rumored features of the device were also reported before the gadget was announced. Last week leaked images showed the Amazon Echo Show in black and white -- and those pictures turned out to be real. "Echo Show brings you everything you love about Alexa, and now she can show you things," Amazon says on its site.

Amazon is giving its voice-enabled Echo speaker a touch screen and video-calling capabilities as it competes with Google's efforts at bringing "smarts" to the home. The 7-inch screen on the new Echo Show enables the speaker to supplement voice responses with visuals and other information displays, similar to the Echo-like features offered on the Fire tablets and Fire TV streaming devices. That could mean extended weather forecasts, not just current conditions, or music lyrics to go with the song you're listening to. You can also call up cooking tutorials on YouTube, hands-free, while making dinner in the kitchen. You'll also be able to make hands-free video calls with other Echo Show devices or the Alexa app for iPhones, iPads and Android devices.

Amazon's Echo is getting a touchscreen. The online retailer introduced the Echo Show on Tuesday, and it looks exactly like the images that popped up online last week. The $230 Echo Show features a 7-inch touchscreen and dual 2-inch stereo speakers. It can do everything that an Alexa-powered device can do right now, including access third-party skills, tell you the forecast, set a timer, and play music. On top of that it's added some screen-centric tricks, such as voice and video calls and the ability to broadcast images from Ring and Arlo cameras around the home.