JBL Link View combines a hefty speaker with Google Assistant smarts

The $250 JBL Link View has an 8-inch touchscreen, powerful speakers and the Google Assistant built-in so it can respond to your voice commands. Like the Lenovo Smart Display and the Amazon Echo Show before it, the Link View combines the functionality of a smart speaker with a screen for making video calls or looking up more information. 

The Link View stands out from the other smart speakers with a screen with its sound quality. It has a strong bass in particular, and you can see this metal plate bounce when you play music. 

You'll use the Google Home app to set up your Link View, and you can customize the ambient screen with scenic photos, personal photos or a clock. 

Once you're up and running, you can command the Link View with a touch or with your voice. It's great as a sous chef in particular. Scroll through recipes to find one you'd like to cook.

Once you pick one, the Link View will walk you through the ingredients and then the cooking steps one-by-one. You can even multitask while you cook and the Link View will keep your place in the recipe. 

Thanks to the Google Assistant, the Link View can recognize your voice and integrate with services like Google Calendar. 

You can do lots of simple tasks like setting multiple timers, which will keep running if you're cooking or watching a video. 

Speaking of watching videos, you can search for and watch YouTube on the Link View. You can also watch services such as HBO Now and CBS All Access. 

You can scroll through videos with your voice or with a touch, and you'll be able to see all relevant information from across a room. 

Make ordinary calls or video calls with the Link View. You'll use Google Duo for video calls, and Google will use voice recognition to search for and dial the proper contact. 

The Link View also offers a few nice extras if you're worried about privacy. 

You can put a physical shutter over the camera, mute the microphone and even disable personal information from showing on the screen. 

The JBL Link View can do a lot of other tasks as well such as controlling your smart home, playing a podcast or searching the web. You just need to ask.