Instead of saying Hey Alexa, play Power 93, you now will be say Hey Portal? Portal is the name of Facbook's 1st physical assistant and the voice-navigation system (triggered when it hears the words “Hey Portal”) can lead users to apps like Facebook Messenger for video calls and Facebook Watch for video content along with a group video chat.

You can search for music, ask for whatever answers but this is what separates it from Alexa or Echo. The Portal has an artificial intelligence-powered camera that pans and zooms automatically to keep all faces in the screen. So if, while on a call, you decide to get up from your couch to grab a glass of water, it will track you across the room while you do it. The device also has a four-microphone array to capture 360 degrees of sound.

So if you like me you start thinking about the Privacy issue with FB.  So i check out hte The product page for Portal has just three menu items: “Home,” “Products,” and “Privacy.” This is what hey had on the page.

  • Video calls are encrypted and never recorded or seen by Facebook (though the company can access your call-log data).
  • The camera will not capture video when not in use for a call and the mic will only capture sound when it is asked to listen.
  • Facebook will not process or log conversations that happen near a Portal when the device not engaged.
  • No data collected through Portal will be used to target users with ads on Facebook or any other app.

It comes in two sizes: a $199 version with a 10-inch display, and a $349 version with a 15-inch display (the “Portal+”).

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