The built-in screen gives you another helpful security feature if you have an Echo Show. You can turn on the camera from anywhere to make sure everything is OK at home. With Drop In, you can pop in on your speaker or one owned by a friend or family member who has authorized access. It's an excellent way to say hello without picking up the phone. Now, you can use the Alexa app to pop into your own Echo devices. In the app, tap Communicate at the bottom of the screen, then Drop In. Choose the device you want from the list. MORE ECHO USES: 'Alexa, I want to talk to a doctor' - How to use your Echo to get medical help The Amazon Echo, a voice-controlled virtual assistant, is seen at it's product launch for Britain and Germany in London, Britain, September 14, 2016.

The brushless motor that almost silently spins its 10.1-inch HD display around a 350-degree arc is the feature that will grab your attention when you take it out of the box, but you'll quickly discover many more things to get jazzed over when you set about exploiting its capabilities to the fullest. This is a fantastic feature whether you're following a recipe, engaging in a video call, or watching a movie on Netflix. And Amazon gives you full control over how motion occurs: You can disable it entirely, enable it only for some activities--such as when making video calls, watching a video, or following a recipe--or you can activate/deactivate it on demand by saying things like "Alexa, follow me," "Alexa, turn right," or "Alexa, turn off motion." If you place the Echo Show next to a wall or in a corner, you can adjust how far it will rotate so that it doesn't bump into anything as it spins. The display apparently has a clutch or a similar mechanism that automatically disengages the motor while at rest, allowing you to manually turn the display left or right even if motion is enabled.

Amazon's Alexa Guard Plus subscription service is now live in the US. The company unveiled Guard Plus back in September as a paid option for those who want the extra features that come with the premium version of its free Guard service. While the basic Guard feature can already turn Echo smart speakers and displays into home security devices, its premium version takes things a step further by giving subscribers hands-free access to emergency services and giving Alexa the power to deter intruders from breaking in. Customers who pay for a subscription will be able to ask Alexa to call Emergency Helpline for them to request medical, fire or police assistance. The service also gives Alexa the capability to detect sounds of activity in the house if its residents are away and to sound a siren from Echo devices if it does. Alexa could also play the sounds of dogs barking from the speakers if connected outdoor security cameras detect motion outside the door.

The revamped, fourth-generation Echo Dot has arrived, and it comes with a spherical design that sets it well apart from its smaller, flatter predecessors. But while it boasts an all-new look, the latest Echo Dot is essentially the same speaker as the (now steeply discounted) third-gen Dot, complete with onboard Alexa, stellar smart home capabilities, impressive communication features, and the ability to keep an ear on your home via Alexa Guard. And while we're pleased with how the new Dot sounds, its front-firing driver doesn't deliver a quantum leap over the older Dot's audio quality. So yes, the fourth-gen Echo Dot is technically the best Dot yet, but only by a narrow margin. Available in charcoal, glacier white, and twilight blue flavors, the fourth-gen Echo Dot marks a major departure in terms of the speaker's look and feel.

Google accidentally enabled a feature for Google Home users which let the smart speaker listen to the sounds of objects in your house. A user on Reddit spotted a notification on his phone from his smart speaker which alerted him to the fact his smoke alarm was going off while he was cooking. Usually, Google Home devices only respond to its active'wake words' – such as "Ok, Google" or "Hey, Google" – but in this instance the speaker was listening out to a passive sound and make "my dumb smoke detectors smart," the Reddit user wrote. Other users reported getting alerts for the sound of glass breaking, popped bubble wrap, an air compressor tank, and other high-pitched noises that sound like alarms. In a statement to Protocol, a Google spokesperson said that the feature was accidentally enabled through a recent software update which has now been reversed.

Amazon rolled out more than a dozen new devices today in its annual hardware event atop a biodome at company headquarters in Seattle, including eyeglasses and a ring that speak with Alexa, several new speakers, and lots of new devices for the home. Sprinkled in between hardware announcements were a bunch of new ways Alexa is getting smarter. In all, like last year, nearly a dozen new features were introduced today. Here are some of the standouts. One unique offering introduced today is the Education Skills API, a way for skills developers and school districts to connect with popular edtech services like Canvas, Kickboard, and Coursera.