Amazon has announced new functionalities for its home security camera Cloud Cam, as well as updates to both the Echo Show and Echo Spot, as reported by Android Police. You can now check Cloud Cam’s live view from a computer, where before it was only available via the app. Also, you can use the command, “Alexa, turn on [camera name]” to turn on your Cloud Cam.
These are both small but incredibly useful additions. Many other security cameras already offer the ability to view live footage online, and it seems odd that Cloud Cam launched with Alexa commands to let you switch between various rooms, but not one to simply turn it on. Four months after the device’s release, now you can.
The changelog from Amazon also notes a couple updates to the Echo Show and Echo Spot. They now support two-way audio like a walkie-talkie, and users can opt-in to get motion / person detection alerts on any Echo device. These alerts will appear on-screen the Echo Show and Echo Spot, and as a yellow ring of light on the Echo and Echo Dot. The frequency of these notifications can be adjusted within the Cloud Cam App and played by asking, “Alexa, what’re my notifications?” or “Alexa, play my notifications.”