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How useful is Amazon Alexa? Better selections of music, whisper mode, smart gadget control, insights into your commute, and so many more. Check them out today!
Amazon’s Echo, with integrated Alexa, has been on many folks’ favorites for excellent reasons. A considerable number of Alexa gadgets have been sold worldwide, and the Echo Dot was considered one of the most popular items.
Are you among those who Echo? Then, here are a couple of the most fun and helpful ways of making Alexa work fantastically for you.
1. RENAME ALEXA
Some human individuals are named Alexa, and having your Alexa gadgets become active whenever you talk about human Alexa can get irritating—or more terrible. (Take it from us: We used to have a neighbor whose name is Alexa.)
The good news is, you can change the wake word of Alexa in the Alexa app on the phone by accessing Devices, selecting the device that you would prefer to change the name for, followed by choosing Wake Word. From that point, you have a couple of various choices to play with: Hopefully, you are not close to anybody named Amazon or Computer.
2. LISTEN TO JUST ABOUT ANY SONG, ON DEMAND
Alexa works with practically all the most common music streaming services. In case you decide to count on Amazon’s Prime Music offering, Alexa will even respond to particular requests for era, mood, music genre, and be also able to search by lyrics.
Ask Alexa to play fantastic 80’s pop if you are about to be a host of an 80’s-themed get-together. If you desire to unwind after work, then play certain chill music via Alexa. You can even make use of your Echo as a sound machine to assist you with getting to sleep.
Say this: “Alexa, please play classic rock.”
3. ALTER THE VOICE OF ALEXA
The default Alexa voice is indeed not for everybody, yet you can change it immediately to another worldwide accent in the phone application. After tapping Devices, choose the device you would prefer to change, and afterwards go into the Language choice to do as such. You can likewise ask Alexa to “speak at your default rate,” “talk slower,” or “talk more quickly” until you are OK with the rhythm.
In case you are getting irritated with how long Alexa generally takes to get back to you, in the phone app, access Settings > Voice Responses and switch on Brief Mode for keeping responses short enough. Lastly, tell Alexa, “Please turn on Whisper Mode, Alexa” and whisper orders to it for getting service whisper responses back to you — ideal for when you are doing whatever it takes not to disturb resting children and partners.
4. BE MOST CURRENT ABOUT THE WEATHER AND NEWS
One of the most popular features of Alexa, any Echo gadget will provide you with day-by-day updates or climate forecasts as per command. It is as straightforward as asking “What is the weather in Pigeon Forge today, Alexa?”
That is not all; customized Flash Briefings will assist you with beginning your morning right. Choose from well-known news outlets or see which of your preferred publications has included their feed, and tell Alexa to give you a flash briefing as you wake up.
First off, open the Alexa application in your phone and navigate to Settings > Flash Briefing. Next up, choose Get more Flash Briefing content. Follow with searching or opting for your preferred feeds. At that point, say, “What is my flash briefing, Alexa?“
5. TRACK YOUR AMAZON PACKAGES
What great would an Amazon-integrated gadget be without having the option to track your almost-daily Amazon deliveries? Just say this, “Where is my stuff, Alexa?” to get a well-specified readout of what is en route to your home, aside from choices to get delivery notifications.
6. APPRECIATE YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS
The first leading online seller of books (Amazon) has a lot of best sellers in its library.
Are you an Audible member? Else, have you bought audiobooks via Amazon? With a voice command, Alexa will be able to play anything in your library.
What is more? It will even monitor where you leave off, which allows you to listen later on your way to work.
Alexa can likewise make use of text-to-speech innovation to peruse a considerable lot of the Kindle books that Amazon sells. The only drawback is that rather than a human storyteller, the book will be scrutinized back in the automated voice of Alexa.
Say this: “Please play this Kindle book [title], Alexa.”
7. REVIEW ALEXA’S RECORDINGS
It likely should not come as a very remarkable surprise to discover that Alexa is effectively listening to you.
It is easy to review what it has been recording you saying by going into the Alexa Privacy section and selecting the option of Review Voice History. From that point, you can see, listen to, and erase what this digital assistant has recorded you saying. Comparable functionality is likewise accessible from your phone application under Settings > Alexa Privacy.
8. SET THE SMART THERMOSTAT
The times of setting your thermostat by utilizing your hands are behind you now. In case you have the Ecobee, etc., you may want to ask Alexa to change the temperature of your living space at any time.
Say so: “Set the temperature to 72, Alexa, if it is not too much trouble.”
9. CONTROL OTHER SMART HOME DEVICES, INCLUDING THE LIGHTS
Since the clapper days, we have all longed for controlling the lights in our place on command. Thanks to Alexa and several smart light bulbs, it is possible these days.
In the wake of installing smart LED bulbs connectible to Wifi or a compatible smart hub to Alexa, you can utilize your voice to turn the office green, dim the lounge lights, or switch on the kitchen lights.
Say this: “Alexa, dim the lounge lights to 50 percent if it is not too much trouble.”
10. MANAGE CAMERAS AND SECURITY SYSTEMS
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night thinking about whether you lock your back door? Alexa can assist you with abstaining from leaving your cosy covers.
Alexa matches with plenty of alarm systems, which enables you to arm and disarm the system using a voice order. Surprisingly better, a few companies manage to pair with smart locks for monitoring the status of an entryway sensor or even locking your entryways (garage entryway included). That is genuine peace of mind.
Say so: “Alexa, inquire [alarm company] as to whether the alarm is armed if you do not mind.”
11. USE VOICE COMMANDS TO CONTROL THE AMAZON FIRE TV
Through matching the Echo to a Fire TV, you will be able to look for and play TV series or films on every supported app. Besides, you can control playback, rewinding, pausing, and resuming all with your voice. Also, when you want to turn it off, simply tell Alexa to switch off the Fire TV.
Say so: “Find home improvement TV shows on Hulu, Alexa – if it is not too much trouble.”
12. AMBIENT SOUNDS
Why? Since they can let you unwind — regardless of whether you are taking a break from a bustling day or attempting to sleep around night time.
Various ambient sound skills have ranked in the ten best-rated Alexa skills. In case you desire to purchase an ambient sound device, refer here. Owing to Alexa, you can access enormous choices of ambient sounds — from essential background noise, to a babbling brook, and downpour, for free.
For a pro tip, different sound skills of this type turn off automatically after various measures of time. For example, Thunderstorm Sounds, one of the best ambient sound skills, plays for 60 minutes by default except if you tell Alexa “Please ask Thunderstorm Sounds to loop, Alexa”.
A couple of other ambient sound skills continue looping until you ask Alexa to stop them or set a sleep timer when telling “Alexa, please set a sleep timer for 120 minutes” (this would make the sounds stop following two hours).
As a bonus, set-up is none!
Try this: “Please play Thunderstorm sounds, Alexa” or “Alexa, play downpour sounds.”
13. CALL FRIENDS
Thanks to the messaging and calling attribute of Alexa, you can call practically any number in America from your Echo gadget.
Furthermore, if your buddies have an Echo, you will be able to call them there, too. Simply sync your contacts list utilizing the Alexa application on your phone and every one of them become, in a split second, Echo-reachable. Alexa will enable you to talk hands-free whenever you wish.
Say so: “Call father’s office, Alexa – if it is not too much trouble.” Or in case you have to call to plan a service, you can simply say “Call [Company], Alexa – if you do not mind.”
14. ASK FACTUAL QUESTIONS
“What’s the cost of bitcoin?“, “What are the names of Beyonce’s little girls?“, “When is Mother’s Day?” or other random questions spring up regularly, and Alexa can give an exact answer to them. She does extraordinarily with factual inquiries that are not too obscure with one correct answer. You may also love that there is no need for set-up.
For instance, try this: “What week’s day does 4th of July fall on, Alexa?” or “Alexa, what number of cups are in a quart?” or “Alexa, how old is Jennifer Lawrence” or “Alexa, what is 98 times 25?“
15. SET UP ROUTINES
Need lights dimmed to a specific level, the traffic report, and the weather forecast as you wake up? Easy! Alexa will allow you to pack commands into one request.
We were going to poke fun at asking Alexa to make your espresso, yet then we discovered connected espresso makers exist. These days, you can have your caffeine ready even before you even stroll into your kitchen!
All you have to do is open the Alexa application on your phone and go to Settings > Routines. Select your phrase and choose what actions you need Alexa to take. Next, say to her, “Start my day, Alexa.“
16. CHECK YOUR COMMUTE TIME
Attempting to outsmart constantly changing travel times is a difficult task even on the greatest days. Rather than pulling up your phone’s mapping application a multitude of times every morning, simply set your house and destination addresses (even along with a stop in between for espresso).
For the set-up, just navigate to the Alexa application under Settings > Traffic, and afterwards tell her, “What is my commute, Alexa?” whenever you want to figure out how long it will take you to arrive at your office.
17. FIND YOUR PHONE
Allow for this skill now with the goal that whenever you lose your phone, you will be able to ask Alexa to call it. Since you find out the phone and answer that call, you will hear on the line’s other end her saying: “Glad you found your phone.”
Try this: “Find my phone, Alexa.” A pro tip is, as you ask “Find my phone, Alexa,” be certain that Alexa is in the connected account with your phone number.
The set-up is simple! When you utilize the Find My Phone skill for the first time, it will request your phone number and send you a text message of four-digit code to ensure it is you. Next time you say “Find my phone, Alexa,” she will call your phone.
18. NEED A LAUGH?
We, as a whole, need certain lightness and fun in our everyday life! You will be charmingly astounded to discover that Alexa truly will make you laugh. That is not all; there is no requirement for the set-up!
Say this: “Make laugh, Alexa” or “Alexa, do you have 99 issues?” or “Alexa, talk the same way as Yoda” or “Alexa, would you be able to rap?“
19. FIND NEW FEATURES
In case you do not know, Alexa is continuously adding new skills. To keep up, a simple voice command will be useful.
Say so: “Do you have any new features, Alexa?“
MORE FUN WITH ALEXA
The total number of things you can ask Alexa to say, do, and launch may fill a whole book. For helpful tricks and tips, you may want to delve into Alexa user guide by Amazon for the fundamentals, and furthermore check the firm’s month-to-month blog that puts together new skills and highlights. Apart from all the integrated Amazon attributes, third-party skills are likely added to Alexa for expanding usefulness.
What do you think is the most interesting use of Alexa? Tell us in the comment below.
