Amazon’s Alexa has become synonymous with products such as Amazon Echo and has been one of the main selling points for devices such as the Amazon Fire TV.
It is the name users call out to when they have a question – as long as they have an Amazon Echo.
The virtual assistant has been incorporated into numerous Amazon products, and it is slowly but progressively colonizing third-party devices such as the GE lamp.
Now in its second generation, Alexa continues to enhance its digital assistant capabilities.
Today, we will explore this innovative technology and discover how it works.
What Is Alexa?
Alexa is a virtual assistant originally designed for the Amazon Echo smart speakers. It can be activated by saying the wake word “Alexa” in the Echo.
Once it is “awake,” you can request any task with a simple voice command.
This includes music playback, voice interaction, audiobooks, streaming podcasts, setting alarms, and making to-do lists.
The Echo comes with a powerful microphone that utilizes “far-field” technology, allowing you to control it from a distance.
What Are Its Uses?
Alexa has a wide range of functions. She can provide weather reports from various news and weather channels and stream music from your Amazon Music account as long as it is integrated into your device.
Alexa can also play music from Google Play Music, Apple Music, and other streaming services via tablet or phone.
She can manage voice-controlled timers, alarms, and to-do lists and access Wikipedia articles for information.
You can also use Alexa to order takeout food. This service is supported by various fast-food franchises, such as Wingstop, Seamless, Pizza Hut, Grubhub, and Domino’s Pizza.
UK users can use the virtual assistant to order meals from Just Eat. At least twenty major US cities allow Alexa users to order meals via Amazon Prime Now.
Alexa’s functionality extends to calls and messaging, too. There are various ways to send messages using Alexa.
The virtual assistant can deliver messages to another user’s Alexa application and any of their Echo gadgets as long as they are linked to their Amazon account. The text is delivered as a voice message.
Unfortunately, Alexa cannot send attachments like photos or videos.
Business-minded people can take advantage of Alexa for Business, a surcharged subscription service that allows companies to schedule meeting rooms and join conference calls using Alexa.
What Can You Do With Alexa?
Alexa can do thousands of things. The Alexa app has a ” Skills ” feature that allows you to customize the Echo device with your preferred capabilities.
The “Skills” section has numerous skill categories, including Smart Home, Music and Audio, Travel and Transportation, Food and Drink, and Connected Car.
Once you have found the right command prompt, you can get started by tapping the “Enable Skill” function.
You may have to subscribe or link to an existing account to use some applications.
For instance, Uber with Alexa requires you to sign into your Uber account before making your request.
Here are some of the things you can ask from Alexa:
- “Alexa, what is the weather in Sidney?”
- “Alexa, ask The New York Times for the recent sports news.”
- “Alexa, what is on my schedule today?”
- “Alexa, read my last audiobook.”
- “Alexa, play Fun from Amazon Music”
The Music, Video, and Books segment provides access to various media that Alexa can control.
While Amazon accounts are the default source, you can actually request media from other platforms using the virtual assistant—but you have to specify the source when making your request.
Audible, owned by Amazon, is one of the biggest sources of audiobooks and provides a wide range of options for listening to an e-book.
You can ask Alexa to continue reading from where you left off or start another book.
Various controls allow you to skip to a particular chapter or set a timer for when the book should stop reading.
