Amazon Echo could do 11 useful things that you didn't know
After releasing Amazon Echo by Amazon, It was able to play only music, inform you about current weather, adding alarms and timers, reading news headlines, telling some jokes, shopping on behalf of you from amazon, play some cool tricks. That's all. But in this post, I am going to tell you about what this can do in extra.
I the new Amazon Echo, it has an assistant. It's called Alexa voice assistant. And it is very cool that it can control the whole home in just of your voice commands.
Nowadays, amazon has got 2 more members in Echo's family. There's also the Echo Dot and Tap.
Alexa is still working to improve Amazon Echo. And through using its power with an open API and a third-party company, Amazon is getting smarter with its product Echo. It is enabling the user to control their Echo with their smart devices. So now, Amazon Echo have got more and more features packed into it.
Now you can do so many things with your Echo. Because it can do so much for it's newly added features and with Alexa. Below we have compiled some of the amazing things your magical tube could do, that you may be unknown about.
1. Control your home smartly
After Echo's launch, it's one of the major and useful features was to control your home. And yes, it was a pleasant surprise to see a decorated home by your Echo. But this feature was also limited to a few devices like Philip's Hue smart light bulbs. But the good news is, Echo works with many different smart home brands and devices. You can find Echo working with SmartThings, Wink, Insteon and Nest smart bulbs. These are the just name of some of the major ones. You can find the full range of smart lights, outlets, thermostats and more that work with the Alexa is here.
Designing a smart home is not a cheap dream. But it is very very exciting when you give Echo a command.
2. Managing your Google Calendar
Nowadays, everyone with a busy schedule is using Google Calendar. And other calendars are not any matter in front of Google. Alexa is now your personal assistant and she is more than an assistant she was before. Now, she can add events and review calendar events for you.
If you want to try this feature and activate it, then launch the Alexa app and go to Settings > Calendar, select Google Calendar and then select "Link Google Calendar account." Log into your Google account and you're set to use these commands:
- "Alexa, when is my next event?"
- "Alexa, what's on my calendar?"
- "Alexa, what's on my calendar tomorrow at [time]?"
- "Alexa, what's on my calendar on [day]?"
- "Alexa, add an event to my calendar."
- "Alexa, add [event] to my calendar for [day] at [time]."
3. Track information of your packages
Just think of a day that you are waiting for your packages to arrive at your home. It is very boring to wait for packages. Soon we will get our packages delivered to our home by drone. But until that day comes, we still need to wait for our packages to be delivered by truck.
Amazon added a new feature on a recent update of Echo which has the ability to track the position of your packages that were ordered from amazon. So you will be able to know where they are on the delivery route.
You can try it through saying "Alexa, where's my stuff?"
4. Need to call an Uber?
Uber is very popular among peoples who doesn't want to wait for a Taxi. It made easy to use an app to call up a car. Alexa made it easier. If you want to set up Uber on the Echo, go into the Alexa app and search for the Uber skill within the "Skills" section. Enable the feature and then log into your Uber account. From there, set the address for your Echo (most likely your home or office) in the "Device Location" section. Once it's all configured, just ask Alexa for a car:
"Alexa, ask Uber for a ride."
"Alexa, ask Uber to get me a car."
"Alexa, ask Uber to request an UberX." (or UberBlack, UberSUV, UberXL, Uberselect)
"Alexa, ask Uber where's my ride?"
Echo will get it done for you. :)
5. Ordering from Domino's
If you had any doubt on Echo that is it a magical tube or a tube from future, then let's dispel all doubt.
Echo can order foods from Domino's for you. This could be a Pizza or anything new by Domino's. Ordering from Domino's is as effortless as saying: "Alexa, open Domino's and place my Easy Order."
To get pizza-on-demand set up, log into your Amazon Alexa account by visiting the website or opening the Alexa app. Then click "Skills" and search for the Domino's skill and enable it. Next, go to Dominos.com and create an account (or sign if you already have one). Set up an "Easy Order" with your preferred pizza and make sure to include all of the related information (billing, delivery address, etc.).
6. Get Sports Scores
If you are a Sports fan, you will love to know about Alexa's ability to keep up with all kinds of league-based competitive recreations. It can pull up scores for finished and in-progress games and even upcoming matchups in several leagues. It's sports score feature can inform you about the English Premier League, MLB, MLS, NBA, NCAA men's basketball, NCAA FBS football, NFL, NHL, and WNBA. Here are a few sports-related questions you can ask Alexa:
- "Alexa, what is the score of the New York Knicks game?"
- "Alexa, who is winning the Yankees game?"
- "Alexa, when do the New York giants play next?"
7. Check Stock News
If you want to keep one of your eye on security exchanges, it's ok for your Echo. Echo can inform you about the latest news of securities. To enable the Fidelity Investments skill within the "Skills" section of the Alexa app and you'll be able to get quotes for stock market updates.
- "Alexa, ask Fidelity to get a quote for Google."
- "Alexa, ask Fidelity for a market update."
- "Alexa, ask Fidelity how Apple is doing today."
8. You can do a quick workout
Fitness is important for everyone. But in this busy world, everyone doesn't have time to go to a gym and make him/her absolutely fit for everything. If you enable the "7-Minute Workout" skill within the Alexa app, it lets you start a rapid-fire workout. It will only take you seven minutes to complete. And this workout is perfect for mornings or right before bed.
Once the skill is enabled, you can start a workout by saying "Alexa, start a seven-minute workout." Alexa will then get your blood flowing with short bursts of jumping jacks, wall sits, pushups, squats, step ups onto a chair and more.
You can also find images and tutorials in the Alexa app if you don't know how to do a certain exercise. So it will help you to stay fit.
9. Politics News
This is an election year for the USA. And it has been certainly a very interesting year. It's a very good news that Alexa is up to date with it all. If you enable the NBC News skill within the Alexa app and you can ask her election-related questions like:
- "Alexa, ask NBC News how Donald Trump is doing."
- "Alexa, ask NBC News for New York primary results."
- "Alexa, ask NBC News when the next debate is."
The NBC News skill also gives Alexa intel on top headlines on the election, candidate bios and an election calendar.
10. Read Kindle ebooks or Audible audiobooks
If you are mad of books but you are unable to read now, then Echo can help you with that. It has already got a feature for it. Audio books are great for when your hands aren't free.With a simple "Alexa, read me a Kindle book" or "Alexa, read me an audiobook", the Echo will start reading out a book for you.
You don't have to do anything special for it. You just need to have ebooks in your Kindle library or audiobooks in your Audible library. That's all.
11. Echo can do Math!
Alexa great at calculations. If you try asking her to recite the first 100 digits of Pi and she'll go on and on. Because she is very nerdy.
But, Alexa won't go higher than 100 digits of Pi. She is not gonna recite up to 1,000 or a million.
FYI, the digits are:
3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679
If you still have something which is not in here, you can let us know. We will add it with your contribution.
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