Going further to explain Amazon’s Alexa-The Digital Assistant Explained | Real Uses of Alexa. You don’t mind having your personal assistant right? Millions of users are talking about Alexa, Amazon’s virtual personal assistant. So, to put rest to all your queries we present you the full review and know how you can use this user-friendly device to control various actions like calling, messaging, listening to music, products and any information you need. This is your personal virtual assistant that is connected through Echo smart speaker and other devices like your smartphone and allows users to give commands to execute.
Day by day Amazon is introducing more and more skills to its “Alexa” so that users can incorporate it in their daily routine with ease. Read the full article to how you can use Alexa your virtual personal assistant. Believe me, this is actually a powerful device that will have remarkable change in your life.
The very first question you may have in your mind is What or (for whom) is Alexa?
Alexa is designed by Amazon’s secretive Lab126, that listens to the voice commands by the user and execute it for you. You may compare it like Apple’s Siri, Google Now, and others. But this is much different and is more powerful. You may face difficulties while dictating commands to Siri or Google Now, as they may not understand your words properly or do some other tasks instead. But, Alexa is an intelligent virtual assistance that has a good understanding of user commands and it responds correctly.
Alexa is a cloud-based services and uses the technique of Machine learning. So it does the simple tasks easily and the tough ones too like listening tracks from your favorite list, shopping, checklist and can control other smart home appliances like Google’s Nest thermostat or the Philips Hue. Alexa’s skills will continue to grow and in few years it will become the first choice of users.
Q. Devices supported on Alexa?
Alexa is most compatible to Amazon Echo, a smart speaker device that is also a smart home assistant. But it works on many other devices too like Echo Dot, Amazon’s Fire TV set-top box and Fire HD 8 tablet. However, these are Amazon’s devices but to popularise Alexa, Amazon had incorporated some third-party devices like the LG SmartThinQ hub, the Pebble Core wearable, the Nucleus Anywhere which is an intercom and CoWatch(smartwatch).
Not to be disheartened, because there will be more devices in coming years with Alexa’s integration.
Q. What is the term “Alexa Skills” and what skills are integrated in Alexa?
Today virtual assistant can do a lot more for us than just executing tasks. Alexa Skills is an enhanced way to put virtual assistant in our daily lives. Skills are the virtual apps or data that is continuously being incorporated to alexa to expand its features. These skills are being introduced by Amazon and also some third-party developers.
This is actually a concept of Machine Learning which can make virtual assistant more skilled and can help broaden various fields and business. Users can add unlimited number of skills to Alexa that can be downloaded from Amazon’s Alexa portal and some other providers.
There are currently 3,000+ Alexa skills and can be downloaded for free, but users need to keep track on the skills downloaded and must remember the command to use it.
Alexa’s Skills can be helpful in various fields like car driving, sports, entertainment, gaming, news and social media. For instance, if you have Alexa’s skill integrated on your device then, you can request a car for Rideshare with Lyft. So others like, commanding Alexa to play your favorite track, ask Alexa for the latest score for sports going on, command to read an ebook for you, listen to radio stations, play trivia games, news updates, latest stock exchange info and all kinds of facts. These are just a few ones what Alexa skill can do for you. Also, Alexa can control your smart-home hub through apps.
Q. How Alexa can deliver entertainment?
Alexa’s skill do its best in the field of entertainment. It is featured with variety of services that will never let you feel bored. Some of the entertainment services provided are Amazon’s Prime Music, audiobooks and Spotify and many others. All you need a speaker attached to your device like Amazon Echo or Echo Dot which can command Alexa what to do. With the help of apps and skills, you can even create your own playlist, jukebox and even read a joke for you…is you are feeling low. What else you want if you have Alexa your virtual personal assistant with you.
Q. How Alexa can help you be more organized?
As the Alexa has been designed to be your virtual personal assistant, with its help you can be more updated and organized by asking Alexa what’s your schedule, important meetings, events, trips planned and manage to-do list for your daily routine, shopping and many more. So you never miss any important task or other activities. Alexa will make things done in time….
Q. How Alexa can be integrated with smart home-hub?
What if your smart home products could be controlled by just one assistant. That is where Alexa can be helpful. Alexa is compatible with various smart-home services such as WeMo Insight Switch, Google’s Nest, Netgear Arlo Q and the Philips Hue. With the help of these apps, your smart-home products could be controlled and managed like setting the temperature of your room, control lightning, turn on/off your A.C and many others. If you ever imagined a Robot working for you, the Alexa is what you will love. It’s very simple to command Alexa as just you need to connect the smart-home hub products with Alexa.
Q. Languages supported by Alexa?
Unfortunately, Amazon’s Alexa supports only English, German and Japanese but not to be disappointed because in near future Alexa might support other few languages. But is still not clear about how and when.
Q.What is next?
As Alexa is getting skilled more and more. So you can expect more productivity and compatibility as time goes on. Amazon’s Alexa is a cloud-based service and machine learning to help you stay connected with everything that surrounds you like your job by managing your calls, alerts you about meetings, help manage your smart home products and many such features.
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