Why Amazon's Echo Hub became my favorite way to control my smart home

ZDNET reviews Amazon’s Echo Hub, an 8-inch, ad-free smart home control panel for Alexa that centralizes device control via customizable widgets and supports Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, Thread, and Sidewalk. The article highlights its simple, focused interface, easy routine management, and broad compatibility, while noting sluggishness when loading multiple camera feeds, the absence of a built-in speaker (audio is delegated to other Echo devices), and ongoing privacy/security concerns due to cloud-based data handling.