Toshiba may be little late to the voice control game, but its Symbio offering is useful nonetheless –functioning as sound detector, intercom and a smart home hub.
Why have an Alexa-controlled device do one thing when it could do three? Toshiba is working on more than its first slew of 4K OLED TVs at the moment, evident in Symbio – its Alexa-powered smart speaker, security camera, intercom, home hub compatible with both Z-Wave and Zigbee.
Perhaps think of the Amazon Echo Plus (with its built-in hub) with a 1080p camera, more than Zigbee support, and a whole host of control, according to Toshiba.
The company states users can "control everything from lights and music to door locks and temperature settings, from any location -- at home, at the office or out of town” though the iOS or Android-powered Toshiba Smart Home app, in addition to the usual functionality offered by Alexa.
Symbio’s integrated microphone supports two-way intercom communications and sound monitoring – for example, meaning it can send a notification to the app should it detect a safety issue. Motion-based alerts can also be sent to a user’s smartphone, in addition to a live HD stream of their home.
Priced at US $250, the product could just be the best option for those looking to benefit from Alexa technology and an entry-level security set-up.