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According to a new Cheddar report, Facebook is about to unveil its long-rumored video chat machine. The public announcement of the device, called in-house Portal, could be announced as early as next week.
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The device has been described in several reports over the past two months as an intelligent display device similar to Amazon's Echo Show. In fact, Cheddar reported this week that Facebook was counting on Amazon's intelligent assistant Alexa for voice control.
In addition to the smart speaker and display features, Portal would have integrated advanced image recognition technology that would allow it to recognize people in front of its camera. Video chat and other social features are powered by Facebook's social networking data.
The device will be available in two screen sizes priced at $ 300 and $ 400 respectively. This would put it above the price of Amazon's Echo Show, which sells for $ 230. Amazon unveiled a new version of the Echo Show with a larger display at a press conference Thursday.
Facebook had originally planned to unveil the device at the f8 developer conference last May. However, the company decided to delay the unveiling in light of the turmoil caused by the scandal of privacy at Cambridge Analytica, reported Bloomberg at the time. According to Mr. Cheddar, he responded to privacy concerns by adding a shutter that allows consumers to cover the camera.
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