Amazon's latest Alexa device feels like the missing piece in making a home fully smart and acts as a hub for controlling lights, doors, cameras, timers and heating. The Echo Hub arrives ready to be the touchscreen controller for your smart home, and is a cut-price option for a device that usually has to be either professionally installed, costing thousands, or a DIY job that requires more than a little expertise. Able to be wall-mounted or placed on a stand, the Echo Hub costs 170 ( 200/ 180) and acts as a clock and digital photo frame when idle, displaying a range of stock shots or pulling snaps from your prerequisite Amazon account or Facebook on its 8in LCD screen. When woken up, it is filled with buttons and widgets for controlling things around the home. A list of rooms on the left lets you see every device connected to Alexa, while a row of buttons at the bottom gives you quick access to categories of things, such as security devices, cameras, thermostats and lights. Routines can be programmed and turned on, such as dimming the lights in the evening or opening the curtains in the morning.