Amazon Echo Show: Smart displays now with gesture control

Amazon equips its smart displays Echo Show with new functions. These include gesture control, which can be used, for example, to end timers by raising the hand.

Amazon Echo Show with new features

Amazon Echo Show devices such as the Echo Show 15, 5 and 8, as well as other models with an integrated camera, are getting new features. The company has now officially announced these.

Among other things, the update introduces gesture control, which allows active timers to be canceled by raising your hand – without using your voice. It is likely that this is just the first step, with more gestures to follow at a later date.

Initially, the second-generation Echo Show 8 and third-generation Echo Show 10 models will enjoy gesture control. This is especially handy if you don’t have a clean hand while cooking or cleaning, or if you can’t speak to Alexa, for example, because you don’t want to interrupt the music.

To activate gesture control, you simply have to go to the “Settings” and activate the “Gestures” option in the “Device settings”. However, the feature currently only seems to be enabled in the US, but should find its way to Europe shortly.

Text-to-Speech and Captions

Two other features were also introduced. Using Text-to-Speech, it is possible on Amazon Echo Show devices to convert texts entered via Tap to Alexa into speech.

For example, an announcement can be output to other Alexa devices when you are hungry or want to ask for the desired food. Shortcuts for frequently used phrases can also be created and saved.

Also new are the captions or subtitles, which can be activated as Call Captioning, Closed Captioning and Alexa Captioning either individually or in combination. This means that subtitles for calls or Alexa voice messages are generated in real time and shown on the display. A practical innovation in the area of accessibility functions.