Don’t want to buy phones or tablets for everyone in your household just so you can text them to let them know when dinner is ready? Once upon a time there was another solution: intercoms.

The Nucleus is a modern take on the intercom. The $249 device features an 8 inch touchscreen display, a wide-angle camera, stereo speakers, and the ability to connect to the internet over WiFi or Ethernet so you can communicate with other people in your household… or other people in other households who also have a Nucleus device.

While Nucleus is positioned as a tool for communicating with other people, you can also use it as a voice-enabled tool for playing music, getting news updates, and more, thanks to integration with Amazon’s Alexa voice service.

nucleus_03

In other words, it’s kind of like a slightly pricier Amazon Echo… with a touchscreen display and camera. Like the Echo though, this is not a battery-powered device: you’ll need to plug it into a wall jack or use PoE (Power over Ethernet).

You can the 5MP, 120-degree camera for making video calls. Supported music streaming services include Amazon Prime Music, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio (all controlled via Alexa). And the user interface is designed with big, simple buttons to make it easy for young (or old) people to use the voice and video calling services.

There’s also a “do not disturb” mode to keep folks from peeking into your room when intrusions might not be welcome.

While a single unit costs $249, the company recommends picking up at least two. When you buy Two or more units, the price is about $199 each.

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