Let us take a guess. One of your family members jumped on the bandwagon for Amazon’s Echo and Echo Dot products and either got you or themselves their very own talking mini-computer. Whether you think the Echo is groundbreaking or downright creepy, it was one of the best-selling products this holiday season, starting well before Black Friday. And with thousand of skills to boot, Alexa is as sophisticated as ever, regardless of how you utilize her abilities in your home or office.
If you have an Echo Dot, take the time to make her as smart and responsive to your needs as possible in the coming year. From examining her basic functions to programming routines and flash alerts that fit your interests and lifestyle needs, Alexa has a smorgasbord of skills that improve her performance as both a novelty item and a personal assistant for the modern user. Here are three of the coolest things you can get Alexa to do for you in the coming year:
She’s a Personal Shopper
Alexa is the virtual artificial intelligence ‘character’ that anthropomorphizes the Echo Dot product. Because it’s built by Amazon, the Echo and Echo Dot can directly connect to your Amazon account. Whether you’re an avid Amazon Prime user or just getting your feet wet with the ever-evolving online retail giant, Alexa can make your life easier when it comes to shopping. If you link your account with your Echo Dot, Alexa can not only make real purchases with your verbal cues, but she can also search Amazon’s thousands of products to find exactly what you’re looking for. And now, you don’t even have to lift a finger—just your voice. You can even set a security code to read aloud when you’d like to confirm a purchase.
She’ll Keep Your Schedule in Check
Utilizing the list and alarm functions on the Echo and Echo Dot are among the most basic and useful functions Alexa can offer. Set reminders, build your to-do list, and program Alexa to ‘Start your Day’ after waking you up to a customized alarm. Whether you want her to read you the latest news headlines or play your favorite music streaming station, you can train this AI to help you get your day started on a productive note. All you have to do is take the time to build a routine in your Amazon Alexa app after setting up your Echo product.
Make Alexa Your Sous Chef
Whether it’s having her find a recipe on the fly, choose a wine to pair with dinner, or ordering Domino’s pizza for delivery, Alexa’s skills in the kitchen are virtually endless. These skills can be found in the Amazon Alexa app under ‘Skills’, and you can find everything from branded Food Network content to basic recipe suggestions. Keep Alexa in your kitchen for a hands-free personal assistant when you’re planning on feeding yourself, your family, or hosting an event.
Products like the Amazon Echo are always changing, and so are the latest technologies that are designed to help us achieve our goals. At Rocky Mountain Computer Specialists, our goal is to help you achieve your computing goals by handling IT services in the upcoming year. Contact us for more information on how we can best serve you or your company in the new year.