Creating a shopping list on an Echo speaker seems straightforward enough – you simply ask Alexa to add an item using a quick voice command.

In reality, it's not that simple. You have to name the item as it's listed on the Amazon database, and if you want a specific flavour or type of product, things can get tricky.

Thankfully, Amazon is rolling out a new feature for owners of the Echo Show that will let them scan barcodes when they want to add a product to their shopping list.

It may seem like a small update, but it helps position the Echo Show more as a shopping device than simply an entertainment one.

To activate the skill, say "Alexa, scan this to my shopping list." If Alexa doesn't recognise the barcode, or the item doesn’t have a barcode, you can still add the product to your Alexa shopping list by voice. This feature is live in the US and is rolling out to other regions "soon".

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Other new features in the update include the ability to set a timer or alarm for a specific Alexa device. For instance, you can say to any Echo, "Alexa, set an alarm for 6am on my bedroom Echo" or "Alexa, set a five-minute timer on Kitchen Echo" and only that particular Echo will ring when the time comes.

At CES 2020, Amazon announced that coming later this year, customers in the US will be able to say, "Alexa, pay for gas" to buy fuel at 11,500 Exxon and Mobil stations through Echo Auto.

These transactions will be made through Amazon Pay and powered by Fiserv. It is not known when/if this feature will come to the UK as it will require on Amazon securing similar partnerships with UK petrol stations and retailers, but we'll keep you updated.

Elsewhere, Prime Video has added four Amazon Originals , including Troop Zero, Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer, Ilana Glazer: The Planet is Burning and Just Add Magic: Mystery City.

Prime Video is available at no extra cost with a Prime membership .